Mountain Home maverick. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1906-1911, 1906-11-22

1.-The Kootcnai forest reserve
comprises the distinctly nountain-
Gus district, with it's interio-
drainage basin, which is situated
within the great southwark bend of
the Kootcnai river in northern
Montana and Idaho. The tract,
which contains in both states,
about 1852, 600 acres, is a natural
forest region Nincty-ninc and
one-half per cent of the land is
ing been dcnudcd, is capable of
restocking. Under forest growth
the lands improve; cultivating the
soil, without generous fertiliza-
ton, bring impoverishment and
erosion, which on high ground
results in aridity. The region has
consequently but little value for
agriculture, and is in every way of
more value for forestry than for any
other purpose The highest gem
cral altitude, which is along the
international boundary line, ranges
from $500 to 1000 feet.
''Nearly all the timber within
this reserve is at present inacccs-
sible, except that on the bottom and
bench lands shedding directly into
the Kootcnai river. The enormous
quantity of timber produced on this
tract has, at present, no commercial
value, but, if nature were aided in
rcforcsting with valuable species,
the land would produce an equal or
even larger amount which would
be valuable both as forest cover and
lumber. With it's loose soil,
denscly forested mountains, numcr-
Gus basins, rivers, creeks, ETC., it
is admirably adapted for the con-
servation of moisture, and is an i'm
portant factor in maintaining the
perpetual flow of certain navigablc
streams. The rivers draining
through this region flow directly
into the Kootenai, leading tribu-
tary of the Columbia river, which
constitutes one of the greatest ar
tcries of western commerce The
protection of the forest growth over
this drainage area is, therefore, a
matter of great Importance to the
wide extent of country
''Thc Idaho addition to the Priest
River reserve includes a tract of
about $50, 900 acres of exceedingly
rough mountain country, rising in
places as high as $500 feet; which
extends along the eastern boundary
of the reserve from the information
al boundary as far south as on
line with the southern end OF Priest
lake, and has a width of from eight
to sixteen miles These lands have
practically no value for pasture,
agriculture or mining. Their chief
utility must always lie in the pro-
duction of timber, which is of great
importance to the surrounding
regions, in which numbering is the
principal industry. Repeated fires
have, however, largely denuded the
tract 1t is essential to take inn
mediate steps to preserve the little
valuable timber remaining and,
by suitable suitable protection and
wise control, reestablish forest
on the dcnudcd areas
! These new reserves in Idaho will
all be placed under administration
before next summer. The super
present ranger force, and new
ranges will be appointed after
civil service examination. The
Occur d'Aiene reserve will have a
supervisor and about IS rangers
the Sawtooth addition, 10 new
men; the Lcmhi, supervisor and
10 rangers; and five or six rangers
in the Priest River addition In
the Salmon River reserve will be :
supervisor and IS rangers, while
Raft River will have a supervisor
and eight or 10 rangers The
rangers will be of three grades, ac-
cording to their experience and pro-
ficicncy. All will be civil scrvics
appointments