Conservation Commission 173 



consumption is at least sixteen times the growth. The question 

 of the source of supply of our necessary wood materials is one that 

 must be seriously considered. Our demands are great and, under 

 present methods, will soon lead to exhaustion, but if the resources 

 of the State are properly developed the necessary supply can be 

 produced. 



The present use of the Forest Preserve is protective and 

 aesthetic. The practice of proper forestry methods will not affect 

 either use. The effect of lumbering operations under such prac- 

 tice as conducted on the parks of Dr. Webb or the Whitney estate 

 are scarcely visible today. These forests have cleaner floors and 

 are freer from debris than similar areas on the State land, in fact 

 such operations have improved the appearance, the dead, down 

 and diseased trees having been removed. 



Only a few people appreciate the fact that nearly all the mer- 

 chantable material in a forest is contained in a few of the larger 

 trees. The larger trees are but a small proportion of the whole 

 stand, therefore, their removal does not injure the forest cover. 



There are instances when large quantities of timber upon State 

 lands have been injured by fire but the particular Commissions 

 charged with administration of the property, acting under 

 opinions of the Attorney-General, have not been able to utilize the 

 material. There are other cases where valuable material cut in 

 trespass cases has been left to decay because the Constitution 

 semed to prohibit the utilization. There are similarly quantities 

 of dead and down timber that cannot be removed. Such material 

 left upon the ground does not result in any value that the State 

 might secure through indirect benefit. In fact, fire-killed or 

 cut trees are an incentive for trespass and increase the protective 

 work. On the other hand, any provision for limiting the sale of 

 timber to fire-killed trees would be a great incentive to a would-be 

 purchaser to cause fire in order to force the cutting. 



If the restriction is to be modified the modification should not 

 be limited to fire-killed trees. If only dead and down trees are 

 permitted to be removed the cutting of roads for removal will be 

 so out of proportion to the value of material and utilization that 

 there will be no profit or benefit derived by the State. 



Camp Sites. — We have already called attention to the fact that 



