FOREST, FISH AND GAME COMMISSION. 1 67 



growth. Each year many large trees die, or are blown down and decay. 

 These mature trees, if harvested, would yield a considerable revenue, and 

 at the same tinie, 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 recurring intervals for an 

 indefinite period. 



Fifth. Under practical forestry, this tract would 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 would 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 its natural beauties. 



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

 timber under forest management is safe, practicable, and can be readily 

 made profitable financially; that lumbering under the rules incorporated in 

 the present working plan would tend to improve the condition of the forest, 

 and increase its productive capacity, that such lumbering would remove 

 overmature trees which by deterioration and decay offset the production 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. 



Thorough supervision of the lumbering advised in this working plan 

 for Township 40, by trained men, is essential to the improvement of the 

 forest, to a sustained supply of timber, and to the preservation of the water- 

 supply. Upon the efficiency of the supervision will depend the success of 

 the results obtained by adopting this working plan. 



IntrodQCtion. 



The New York State Forest Preserve comprises an area of 1,370,928 

 acres, of which 1,290,987 are in the Adirondack Preserve, and 79,941 in 

 the Catskill Preserve. This large public reservation was set apart to " be 

 forever reserved, maintained and cared for as ground open for the free 

 use of all the people for their health and pleasure and as forest lands, neces- 



