- January 11, 1929 – JSA to Richard M. Jesup –
Dear Mr. Jesup:
I am pleased to get your letter of the 9th and will be interested in receiving a similar letter from Mr. Pirie MacDonald, as you suggest. So far I have not hear from him.
I am glad you “thoroughly believe that Article VII, Section 7 should be rigidly adhered to, at the moment,” and that you are “unalterably against opening the forests to private or State entry for exploitation.” I note particularly your reference to “scientific forestry,” and often think how little the State holdings interfere with work of this nature. As you know, only half the Adirondack area is state owned, and of the twelve million acres in the State suitable for the propagation of trees, the State owns about two and one half million acres. It is therefore reasonable to expect the advocates of scientific forestry to practice their preachings and after they have fully and properly used their own land to ask similar opportunity to operate in the State’s playground, should necessity justify such action.
We are fortunate that this much confused subject has been thrashed out so thoroughly and the problem made clear by years of actual results in the field. There will always be strong commercial interests trying to cross the fence and unless the outdoor organizations stand firm the much needed protection will soon disappear.
It seems very obvious that we can well afford a few inconveniences rather than weaken our stand by compromises and exceptions and I do hope the situation will be made clear to every member of our club.
Cordially ours,
JSApperson