The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-11-28
WEDNESDAY MoRNING

tion comprises the distinctly noun.
famous district with it's interior drain
ago basins which is situated within
the great southwark bend of the Koot-
enal river in northern Montana and
Idaho. The Idaho area is l65, ,2i2 acres:
the original Montana area is ss7,360
acres.
More Than Million Acres.
The tract, which contains in both
States about 1,052.G00 acres, is nat
ural forest region. Nincty-nine and
one'half per cent OF the land is either
covered with forest. or, having been
denuded, is capable Of restocking I'm
der forest growth the lands improve;
cultivating the soil, without generous
fertilization, brings impoverishmcnt
and erosion. which on high ground
results in arIdity. The region has CON
sequently but little value for agricnl-
ture, and is in every way Of more value
for forestry than for any other pur
pose. The highest general altitude,
which is along the International bouu-
dairy line. ranges from $500 TO 1000 feet.
Nearly all of the timber within the
reserve is at present inaccessible, except
that on the bottom and bench lands
shedding directly into the Kootenai riv-
er. The enormous quantity of timber
produced on this tract has, at present,
no conmercial value, but if Nature were
aided In reforesting with valuable
species, the land would produce an equal
or even larger amount which would be
valuable both as forest cover and tim
Der. With its loose soils, densely for
ested mountains numerous basins, riv-
ers, creeks, etc, il is admirably adapted
for the conservation Of moisture, and
is an important factor in maintaining
the perpetual flow of certain navigablo
streams. The rivers draining through
this region flow directly into the Koot-
email, leading tributary of the Col
umbia river, which constitutes one of
the great arteries of Western commerce.
The protection of the forest growth
over this immense area is, therefore,
matter of great importance to n wide
extent Of country.
Valuable for Lumber.
The Idaho addition to the Priest riv-
er reserve includes tract of 270,sS0
acres of exceedingly rough, mountain
copntry, rising in places as high as
$500 feet; which extends along the
eastern boundary Of the reserve from
the international boundary ms far south
as dn a line with the southern end of
Priest lake, and has q width of from
to 16 miles. These lands have prac-
ticaley nc value for pasture. agricul-
ture, or mining. Their chief utility
must always lie in the production OF
timber, which is of great Importance
TO the, surrounding regions, in which
is the principal industry. Re
peated fires have, however, largely de-
nuded the tract, 1t is essential to
AXE Immediate steps to preserve the
little valuable timber remaining, and,
oy suitable protection and wise CON
irol, re-es tablish forest on the dcnuded
lreas. The total area of the Priest
River Forest reserve is now about 925,.
100 acres which includes the original
al, ,160 acres in Idaho and 103,960
icres in Washington.
The SaWtooth Forest reserve has
been enlarged on the east to embrace
he greater. portion of the watershed
ormed by the upheaval of the Sawtooth
in Custer and Blaine coun-
les, and, ON the south, to include sew
,ral small areas containing the head
waters of various irrigating streams.
These additions, aggregating 1892, $40 !
,cres added to the existing area Of !