The Origins of Environmental Activism, 1840–1889 61
the protection of the Adirondack forests by
the establishment of a State Park, to be fenced
in and put in charge of a superintendent. The
extent of the territory to be included in this
park comprises 1,700,000 acres. Of this land
the State now owns 750,000, or less than one-
half. The bill... provides that the State shall
assume immediate active control of the forest
land now in its possession, and that the remain-
ing 950,000 acres shall come within the same
protecting care as it may be gradually aban-
doned by the present owners and allowed to
revert for unpaid taxes.
The bill is a most excellent one, so far as it
goes; but it is not sufficient. If the 1,700,000 acres
of forest land should be cared for by the State,
that care should be assumed at once, before the
land has been denuded of its timber. Protection
and conservation, now, prompt, adequate—this
is what the Adirondack forests demand, not res-
toration years hence, after the damage shall have
been wrought and ruin has followed.
We hear much ado made lest the proposi-
tion to assume State control of those lands shall
terminate in a huge job; and again we urge that
such a fear is not based on good grounds. The
forests ought to be saved, even at great (but not
exorbitant) cost, and in this day and generation
most surely the man with the big pocket to fill
ought not to stand in the way.Source: A. Laws of New York, chap. 283, May 15, 1885,
pp. 482-83. B. “The Adirondacks,” Forest and Stream 21,
no. 25 (January 17, 1884): 489.Franklin, Fulton, Hamilton, Herkimer, Lewis,
Saratoga, St. Lawrence, Warren, Washington,
Greene, Ulster and Sullivan, shall constitute and
be known as the forest preserve.
Sec. 8. The lands now or hereafter consti-
tuting the forest preserve shall be forever kept
as wild forest lands. They shall not be sold, nor
shall they be leased or taken by any person or
corporation, public or private.
Sec. 9. The forest commission shall have the
care, custody, control and superintendence of
the forest preserve. It shall be the duty of the
commission to maintain and protect the forests
now on the forest preserve, and to promote as
far as practicable the further growth of forests
thereon. It shall also have charge of the public
interests of the state, with regard to forests and
tree planting, and especially with reference to
forest fires in every part of the state.... The for-
est commission may, from time to time, prescribe
rules or regulations... affecting the whole or
any part of the forest preserve, and for its use,
care and administration; but neither such rules
or regulations, nor anything herein contained
shall prevent or operate to prevent the free use
of any road, stream or water as the same may
have been heretofore used or as may be reason-
ably required in the prosecution of any lawful
business.
B. George Bird Grinnell’s Commentary
on the Proposed Act, January 17, 1884
A bill was introduced at Albany last Tues-
day by Senator Lansing, which provides for