Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1912-10-07


forests, which this government has
wisely reserved. But the Appalachian
mountains, which include the White
mountains, are to remarkable extent
without such protection. Because OF
the steepness and altitude of these
mountains and Of the scantiness Of for
est cover. rivers which originate in
them stand in class by themselves
In their need for the protection au-
thorized by the Weeks law.
The national forest reservation COM
mission has begun and plans to con-
tinue an aggressive purchasing cam
paign for lands In these areas. The
1910 and 1911 appropriations. except
for the $55, 900 paid for the North Caro-
lima land, have been allowed to lapse.
Six million dollars will be available for
purchase of land between July l. 1912,
and 1915, the Weeks law having been
amended at the session of congress
just closed. so as not to require that
the annual appropriation be used in the
year 1t is made.
With this and with whatever fur
Their appropriations it may secure from
congress, the commission plans to pur-
chase wide areas in the White noun
tains and in the Appalachians to form
what will be known as the Appalachian
national forests. AS is the case in the
great national forests of the west, all
the areas purchased to form this for
est will not be Immediately contigu-
Gus. OF the gross area Of the national
forests Of the west, approximately 13
per cent has been alfenated to states
and individuals The commission will
require, however, that the areas of the
Appalachian forests be sufficiently
near together and OF such size individ-
ually as to permit of their economic
and successful administration for the
purpose recognized.
Besides the Mt. Mitchell tract in
North Carolina, the commission has
approved to date 2SS,352 acres on which
it holds options. 1t has fixed the price
of this land at $1,60o.0oo. The ap-
proved areas lie in North Carolina. vir-
g1nia, Tennessee. Georgia and New
Hampshire. In North Carolina the to-
tai area approved is $685. acres. This
lies in what is known as the Mt
Mitchell and Nantahala districts. The
NIL hlttItll ulSlT1Ct lICluucS parts Oh
Mcdowell, Buncombe, Yancey and
Mitchell counties. The Nantahala dis
trict lies in Clay, Macon, Swain, Ora
ham and Cherokee counties. The area
approved in Tennessee is 1928 acres
and is wholly in the Smoky mountain
district, which takes in parts OF Mon
roe, Blount, Sewer and Cooke coun-
ties.
Virginia Lands in Districts.
In Virginia the lands approved lie
in three districts: the Massanutten
district, in Shenandoah. Rockinham,
Warren and Page counties: the Nat
ural Bridge district. In Rockbridge,
Amherst, Bedford and Botetourt coun-
tics, and the White Top district, in
Washington, Smyth, Wythe and Gray
son counties. The three districts make
up S1,149 acres. In Georgia 31,S76
acres have been approved for purchase.
What is known as the Georgia district
lies in Rabun, Hambersham, White,
Lumpkin Union and Towns counties
The White Mountain district. In
New Hampshire, which consists of 72,-
252 acres, lies in Coos and Grafton
counties.
VI Lie lOilON lnS Classes Only
have been considered for purchase by
the commission:
"a Timbered lands, including both
land and timber, or the land with the
timber reserved to the owner under
rules laid down for cutting to be agreed
upon at the time of the sale. (2) Cut
over or culled lands. go Brush or
burnt lands, not bearing merchant
able timber in considerable quantities,
but covered with growth of brush
which may be useful for watershed
protection. and burnt land whether
covered with young timber growth or
not. o. Abandoned farm lands, wheth-
ed remaining cleared or partially COW
cred by timber growth. 60 Lands val
liable for agriculture have not been
considered and when such lands occur
within areas designated by the COM
mission. they have not been recon-
mended for purchase except where
they occurred in such scattered areas
that their exclusion would be imprac-
ticable. Only cheap lands have been
considered.
The Appalachian national forests will
act as great storage reservoir for
rain water. which it will feed gradu-
ally to the rivers protected by it. 1t
viii be enabled to perform this func-