62 Third Annual Report of the 



character of the growth and the value at which it should be 

 assessed. It is, indeed, time that a systematic examination of the 

 State's property be made. The saving that would be made in 

 taxes would more than pay for the expense of such examination. 



The question of the character of the timber upon the land which 

 the State owns, where it is located, and other facts in this con- 

 nection will be of primary importance in determining any question 

 of the management of the property. In another part of this 

 report the question of revenue to the State from this area will be 

 discussed. 



A systematic examination of these lands by competent foresters 

 should be made. Valuation surveys, by measuring all the growtli 

 upon a certain percentage thereof, ought to be undertaken at once. 

 There would then be reliable data available for necessary purposes. 



The definition of the Forest Preserve provides that lands ac- 

 quired by the State under foreclosure of loan commission mort- 

 gages shall become a part of the preserve, if situated in Forest 

 Preserve counties and if they were tvild at the time of the fore- 

 closure of the mortgage. An examination of nearly all of those 

 lands has been made the past year, in order that a determination 

 could be made as to whether or not they constitute a part of the 

 Forest Preserve. It has been found that there are lands so acquired 

 by the State within the Adirondack and Catskill Parks which arc 

 not, under the definition, a part of the Forest Preserve. A 

 statute should be enacted providing that all lands acquired by the 

 State under such proceedings within the Adirondack and Catskill 

 Parks would automatically become a part of the Preserve. 



A new list of lands owned by the State in the Forest Preserve 

 counties has been prepared and is submitted as an appendix to 

 this report. The previous list was compiled in 1009 and it has 

 been found to be erroneous in many instances. In this publication 

 the lands constituting the Forest Preserve have been separately 

 listed, while other lands are included in the appendix of that 

 volume. This classification will materially change the total area 

 of the Preserve. The reasons for these changes will be found in 

 the introduction to the list of lands. 



