148 Foukth Annual Report of the 



The rangers were, generally speaking, men who were ex- 

 perienced in lumbering and log scaling, and familiar with the 

 tracts they were asked to examine. They examined these lands, 

 interviewed competent people who were familiar with the 

 lands and timber; secured knowledge of past operations; con- 

 sulted maps showing the burned areas and otherwise secured im- 

 portant and helpful information. It must be borne in mind that 

 this data is based upon ocular estimates of timber except in rare 

 cases where more accurate figures were available, together with 

 other reliable information. They incorporated the results of their 

 work on the report blanks. These blanks were again checked by 

 men familiar with the lands and the results compiled by a 

 forester, f We do not claim that the figures are absolutely correct, 

 but that they represent the best that could be done under the 

 circumstances and will be very useful. 



The information secured has been compiled in three ways. We 

 have computed the area of lands of different character; the 

 quantity of timber by species and location ; and finally the extent 

 of shore front suitable for camp sites. 



The Preserves are situated in the Adirondack and Catskill 

 regions; form parts of sixteen counties; consist of nearly seven 

 thousand parcels; are bounded by approximately nine thousand 

 miles of lines; and are intermixed with several times their area 

 of private holdings. The area in its entirety is technically called 

 the " Forest Preserve." The portions which lie within the Adiron- 

 dack or Catskill counties are more particularly referred to as 

 either the Adirondack or Catskill Preserve. There has been 

 established by statute* in each of these sections a park which 

 includes the more central portions of these territories. The park 

 boundaries are indicated on our published maps by a heavy blue 

 line. They include both State and private owned property. The 

 idea of a park line has been to define an area within which the 

 State should, as a matter of policy, confine its acquisition of lands 



f The author wishes to acknowledge the services of Arthur S. Hopkins, a 

 forester of this Commission, who carefully compiled data secured by the 

 several rangers. 



* Conservation Law, sections 51 and 52. 



