Conservation Commission 21 



DIVISION OF LANDS AND FORESTS 



The State of IsTew York owns today over a million and three 

 quarters acres in the Forest Preserve counties, of which all but 

 about three hundred and eleven thousand acres lie in the Adiron- 

 dack and Catskill parks. Toward this vast tract, the State bears 

 the relation of policeman, to prevent the destruction of the forests 

 by theft of timber; of fireman, to prevent their destruction by 

 fire; of watchman, to detect fire danger in its incipiency, and of 

 forester, to restock, replenish and renew the wooded areas. 



The Commission is charged with protecting from fire approxi- 

 mately seven and a quarter million acres in the Adirondack and 

 Catskill sections. 



The forest field force, having charge of fire fighting, trespass 

 prevention, etc., varies in number according to the season; there 

 are from 65 to 70 rangers ordinarily employed when the fire 

 danger is greatest, and 25 to 30 when it is least. Their work is 

 supplemented by 49 mountain station observers whose duty it is 

 to detect and report forest fires at once by telephone, thereby pre- 

 venting great disastrous conflagrations which consume large areas. 



Forest Fires 

 Despite all these precautions, which have demonstrated their 

 value a thousand times over, the summer and early fall of 1913 

 will be remembered as among the worst, as to forest fires, in recent 

 years. Owing to the extreme drought, which made the conditions 

 in 1913 comparable with those of 1908 (the last great fire year), 

 the total of forest fires reported for the past fire season was 

 688, as against 605 in 1908. Fires reported which burned over 

 one acre in area were 528 in 1913, as against 605 in 1908. Fires 

 which burned over less than an acre were not reported in 1908. 

 In all respects, the fire season of 1913, while it severely taxed the 

 endurance of the fire fighters and the resources of the State, com- 

 pares advantageously with other great fire years : 



Damage caused Acres Cost of 



by forest fires burned extinguishing 



1903 $864,082 464,189 $153,763 95 



1908 802,135 368,072 189,660 00 



1913 51,445 54,796 43,203 20 



