Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-08-27
New and Isolated Section Great.
ed in Montana by Presiden-
tiaI Proclamation.
WILL DRIVE OUT THE SHEEP.
Nearly one Hundred Thousand sheep
Have TO Craze Elsewhere In lu-
turc. Also Some Goats.

By presidential proclamation, signed
Aug. TO- a new forest reserve has been
created boz south-central Montana, TO
be known as the Crazy Mountains For
est rcser,e. taking It's name from the
mountain range which IL covers. Tbs
mountains themselves are named from
their uggcd contours aud peculiar pro-
nles. They rise 10 a height OF HIS
feet above sea level and 20 5000 feet
above the surrounding foothills Their
heavy snowfall is OF the utmost i'm.
pOrtance 20 three river systems-the
Yellowstone. the Musselshel, and the
Missouri through sixteen Alile creek.
The new reserve lies about midway
between the Little Belt Forest Reserve
20 the north aud the Absaroka division
Of the Yellowstone Forest Reserve to
the south. The Montana railroad IS
about 10 miles north and the Northern
Pacific % miles south. geographically
the Crazy mountains may be divided in
70 two sections. OF which the southern
Is. without doubt, the rougest IN the
state Here the streams, enclosed In
melting snow Of high peaks OF slide
rock The nothern part is less forbid
ding the ridges being quite generally
covered with grass The mountains
have a quite different climatic record
from the surrounding loElands. Fresh
snow has been seen on the crests OF the
Crazy mountalIs in August From
October TO June there may be snow AZ
any time, Snow drifts az the heads
OF some Of the larger creeks. when seen
IN md-July, show no signs Of ever be-
ing completely melted. Rock creek has
even a small glacier al .ts head, Snow
lies az a depth of from 10 o feet no
winter. and travel Is then possible only
ON skees. lu July and August there
are frequent thunder showers On the
peaks.
The forest Is typical Of the lodgepole
pine forest OF the Rockies and that
species grows in pure stand over three
tonths OF the timbered area Red FIR
covers two-teuths ln pure stand. aud
the remaining fvc-tenths is q mixture
o. the two species with the lodgepole
pine predominating. In scattered
growth there Is some timber pine. bal
sam hr juniper Engelmann spruce
and the usual cottonwood and willow iu
the creek bottoms Of the two main
types. the iodgepole pine will average
about 1000 feet, board measure. 20 the
acre, the red flr 5000 feet Laundering
operations on the reserve are not ex-
tcnsiye. and the mills. six IN number.
not large. Since only the larger trees
are taken, numbering would be bene.
fetal IL forest fires did not almost in.
varlably follow. There are no mines Of
importance. and the timber Is used for
ties. fuel. and ranch buildings. The
greatest Importance OF the forest. then.
Is as protective cover % conserve the
heavy snow and rainfall. since the
Crazy mountains form a natural water
supply area for growing and prosper
Gus farming country in the foothill
region around them.
Within the limits OF the reserve sheen
grazing T. the most important indus
Try the sheepmen being permanently
established on railroad lands which
they have bought. Therefore the sheep
grazing problem g. the largest one with
which the administration Of the new
reserve will have 20 deal. Perhaps
| 100000 sheep are ranged there. and
some 100 goats. There are possibly
a.Voo cattle and horses on the reserve.
Through cooperation With the stock
owners there will be definitely estate
lshed and thoroughly understood rcgu.
latiOns as TO the duration Of the graz.
ing season. distribution Of stock. and
number grazed.
The sentiment ~ the region Is gen.
orally IN favor u the reserve because OF
two things There viii be government
control of the range. assuring both
sheep and cattle men in well-dedued
rights, and O prevention Of fires. Yet.
a. a whole. the Crazy Mountains For.
est Reserve viii serve i've PRINCIPAL
uses. II VIII maintain q natural foser.
voir FOR the surrounding country. which
/ belongs 20 the important type OF sub
irrigated land. viii preserve several
excellent watcr-powcr sites: win pro.
. vent numbering waste. and insure a
permanency 90 the lumber supply. sill
/ equilably SETTLE The grazing problem
1 Viii prevent fires.
/ The total area OF the new reserve q,
234. go acres