Association for the Protection of the Adirondacks v. MacDonald

In Association for the Protection of the Adirondacks v. MacDonald, 253 NY 234, the Court of Appeals reasoned: The Forest Preserve is preserved for the public; its benefits are for the people of the State as a whole. Whatever the advantages be of having wild forest lands preserved in their natural state, the advantages are for every one within the State and for the use of the people of the State. Unless prohibited by the constitutional provision, this use and preservation are subject to the reasonable regulations of the Legislature After noting that: "The Forest Preserve and the Adirondack Park within it are for the reasonable use and benefit of the public, ... A very considerable use may be made by campers and others without in any way interfering with this purpose of preserving them as wild forest lands" (Id, p. 241), the Court of Appeals determined that the construction of a toboggan slide, requiring the cutting of 2,500 trees was an unreasonable use of the forest preserve and was thus unconstitutional.