15 REPORT OF THE 



the timber from Township 40 to the market. With the improvement of the river 

 between Raquette and Forked Lakes, which will be strongly advised in the working 

 plan now nearly completed, a second outlet will be secured for this timber on the 

 greater part of Township 40, and also for all other timber tributary to Raquette Lake. 

 The large mills at Tupper Lake and Piercefield are located on the course of Raquette 

 River. The improvement of this river, so that logs might be driven from Raquette 

 Lake, would make a material improvement in the bids submitted by contractors. 



Fourtli. Township 40 is covered by virgin forest. In a forest of this character 

 the annual decay of the over-mature trees offsets the annual growth. Each year 

 many large trees die, or are blown down and decay. These mature trees, if har- 

 vested, would yield a considerable revenue, and at the same time the producing 

 power of the forest being unimpaired, the conditions of growth would be improved. 

 Under conservative lumbering successive crops may be. cut from this forest at recur- 

 ring intervals for an indefinite period. 



Fifth. Under practical forestry, this tract will yield a sustained revenue. By the 

 adoption of a conservative and carefully devised system of lumbering, such as that 

 advised in the working plan for Township 40, the State will receive a sustained and 

 increasing income from the Forest Preserve. This would bring about the right use 

 of the forest resources of the State lands without in any way interfering with the 

 objects for which the Forest Preserve was created and without injury to the natural 

 beauties of the Park. 



From this statement it will be seen that the lumbering of the softwood timber 

 under forest management is safe, practicable and can readily be made profitable 

 financially; that lumbering under the rules to be incorporated in the working plan 

 would tend to improve the condition of the forest ; that such lumbering would 

 remove over-mature trees which, by deterioration and decay, offset the j^roduction of 

 the forest in sound timber; that by such lumbering the productive capacity of 

 the forest would be increased, and that all this may be accomplished wholly 

 without interference with the water supply or with any of the other objects of 

 the Preserve. 



The Division of Forestry therefore recommends that the necessary steps be taken 

 to secure the lumbering of Township 40 by conservative methods, and it will shortly 

 submit a detailed working plan prepared for that purpose. 



Should the clause of the 1894 amendment to the State Constitution be repealed 

 which prohibits all cuttings in the New York State Forest Preserve, detailed work- 

 ing plans for the Preserve will be necessary in order to lumber it with the greatest 

 advantage to the State and to the forest. Should the clause fail to be repealed the 



