Governor Edward C. Stokes established the Board of Forest Park Reservations in 1905. The new forestry commission acquired 5,432 acres on Kittatinny Mountain in 1907 to create the E. C. Stokes Reserve.
Stokes State Forest grew to 12,429 acres by 1933 and included camp and picnic sites with stone fireplaces, 50 miles of hiking trails, including the Appalachian Trail, and 30 miles of scenic drives.
The Civilian Conservation Corps made improvements between 1933 and 1942, including construction of Lake Ocquittunk in 1934.
Sidebar: "We are just beginning to realize the importance of our forests and the necessity for their preservation. They not only furnish timber and provide an important industry, but they beautify the country, temper the climate, hold the rainfall, fertilize the soil, furnish game preserves and conserve our water supply, an indispensable feature of our rapidly growing and congested civilization."
Gov. Stokes, Inaugural Address, Jan. 17, 1905
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