LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION commemorating the Centennial of the Fire Towers
of New York State

WHEREAS, This Legislative Body has the deepest pride and admiration for
the organizations, agencies, and individuals who perform the crucial
work of fire protection and fire prevention, as well as for those who
work to preserve our state's rich history in these fields; and
WHEREAS, New York State has more forests than any other state in the
northeast, 18.6 million acres, or nearly an acre for each and every
resident of the Empire State; and
WHEREAS, Great fires in the early 1900s destroyed millions of acres of
forest in New York, leading to the creation of state fire districts, a
forest patrol service, and the erection and staffing of forest fire
observation stations; and
WHEREAS, Fire Towers were erected on mountains in these fire districts
from which spotters could quickly locate potentially dangerous fires
sparked by railroad locomotives, careless hunters, residents burning
brush, lightening, or other causes; and
WHEREAS, The sites of the Fire Towers were selected for what could be
seen from their summit, rather than for their elevation; and
WHEREAS, New York State began operating the first forest fire lookout
stations in 1909; most were built with crude timbers found on the moun-
taintops or with planks and varied in height; at first, observers lived
in tents and were paid fifty to sixty dollars a month, twelve dollars
more if they lived on the mountain rather than returning home each
night; and
WHEREAS, Rough cabins quickly replaced the tents and, in 1916, New
York State began replacing the crudely built wooden towers with steel
towers; systematically, each of the old wooden towers was replaced with
a steel tower until, by 1933, all New York Fire Towers were equipped
with a steel tower; and
WHEREAS, During the 1930s, Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) laborers
assisted in the construction or reconstruction of the fire observation
sites and manpower shortages in the 1940s brought women into fire
observer positions; and
WHEREAS, New York's Fire Tower system eventually grew to include 110
fire towers, operated annually by the New York State Conservation
Department from Long Island, up through the Catskill and Taconic moun-
tain ranges, into the Adirondacks, across the Tug Hill Plateau, and out
to the western sections of New York State along the Southern Tier, or to
135 if those operated by private landowners and other state agencies are
included; and
WHEREAS, Though the Fire Towers are no longer used to detect wild
fires, they continue to serve the people of the State of New York as
extraordinary outdoor recreational destinations and as exceptional
opportunities for educational field trips and activities as many, such
as the Mount Beacon Fire Tower, are restored by local fire tower resto-
ration groups and member organizations of the New York Chapter of the
Forest Fire Lookout Association (FFLA); and
WHEREAS, Founded in 1990, the Forest Fire Lookout Association is
involved in researching former forest fire lookout sites, ground cabins,
and early forest fire detection methods; it also documents anecdotes of
lookout operators both past and present and encourages the efforts of
public groups and others in the restoration of forest fire lookouts like
the Mount Beacon Fire Tower; and
WHEREAS, Located in Dutchess County, two miles south of Beacon, New
York, the 1650 foot Beacon Mountain Fire Tower stands on South Beacon

Mountain; it was built in 1931 on the site of an earlier, possibly wood-
en, structure and was used by New York State Forest Rangers to spot
fires for many years before being decommissioned; and
WHEREAS, The Beacon Mountain Fire Tower was added to the National
Historic Lookout Register in 2005 and is being restored by the dedicated
Committee to Restore the Beacon Fire Tower; it has been a treasured
hiking destination for years and when the restoration efforts are
complete, visitors to the tower will once again be able to enjoy the
magnificent view overlooking the Hudson River Valley, including, on a
clear day, the skyscrapers of New York City 55 miles to the south; and
WHEREAS, Fire Towers once served an important role in protecting our
forests and natural heritage; today they play other important recre-
ational and educational roles and those that remain represent an impor-
tant link to history, to our beautiful and valuable forests, and to the
dedicated foresters who helped to preserve them for future generations;
and
WHEREAS, New York's Fire Towers have been serving the people of the
State for 100 years; in celebration of their Centennial during 2009, the
Forest Fire Lookout Association is undertaking several projects to mark
this milestone, commencing with the production and sale of an attractive
commemorative patch; several Fire Tower Restoration groups across the
State have joined in this effort and also plan projects and events
throughout the year; and
WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to recognize that we
are all stewards of our environment and of the proud history of our
State and to applaud those who work to protect and preserve them for the
benefit of future generations; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commemorate the Centennial of the Fire Towers of New York State being
observed throughout the year 2009; and be it further
RESOLVED, That copies of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to David Rocco of the Committee to Restore the Beacon Fire Tower
and to Bill Starr, New York State Director of the Forest Fire Lookout
Association and the National Historic Lookout Register's New York State
Registrar.