344 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONERS OF 



possible future conditions of the market, and await the result of the forestry 

 experiments recently instituted in various places. 



Our State forests, however, afford a grand opportunity for the safe introduction of 

 European methods of management. The pecuniary requirements which must always 

 govern the business methods of the citizen do not exist there in the same degree. The 

 State must maintain its forests on account of the protective functions which they 

 exercise, whether they yield a revenue or not. But, notwithstanding our present 

 market conditions, our public forests can be made to yield large receipts, even if the 

 rate of interest is not an inducement. Our vast forests may be made a source of 

 public revenue without advancing a dollar for the work. 



Beginning in a small way by selling to the highest bidder matured trees properly 

 designated and marked by a professional forester, a fund could be acquired at the start 

 which would furnish a working capital sufficient for the inauguration of the plan. It 

 is not necessary that the State should go into the lumber business, own horses, sleighs 

 and other equipments, hire men, build logging camps, run a boarding house and build 

 roads. The lumberman or jobber to whom the marked trees are sold would do all this. 

 Owing to the strict requirements of the forester, and the many restrictions necessary in 

 a conservative management, the bidders for the timber would probably not pay as 

 much as they do now for their logs under the present easy methods of lumbering; but 

 they would pay something, and it would all be a net revenue. From the receipts thus 

 obtained a part could be turned over annually to the State Treasurer, leaving the 

 remainder to constitute a special fund for paying the foresters, and to provide for the 

 technical work of forest improvement, thinning, pruning, seeding, planting or whatever 

 operations might be necessary in providing for the future growth and increased 

 productivity of the forest. Owing to the forestry clause in our State Constitution no 

 system of management can be undertaken on our public woodlands which will involve 

 the cutting or removal of any timber ; but in time this restriction will be removed, 

 and then the test can be made as to how far the State forests, a large part of which 

 have been untouched by the axe, can be made to furnish a permanent revenue, and 

 do it without having to make appropriations to carry on the work. 



At present the management of the New York State forests is confined to the work 

 of protection from fire and illegal timber cutting. Some further work might be done 

 in the way of reforesting the burned and denuded tracts, provided appropriations are 

 made by the Legislature for such purpose. In the meantime, while waiting for the 

 present constitutional restrictions on forest cutting to expire by limitation, the acqui- 

 sition of forest land by the State should continue until the entire Adirondack forest is 

 converted into one solid preserve, and made ready for the skilful and conservative 

 management which, in time, will surely be inaugurated. 



