The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1913-04-11
Mr.. Riley Speaks

wi. IillUJ OpuuhO
Mr.. Riley District Forester of
Denver, Col. who recently made
trip of inspection over the Superior
National Forest on his return wrote
as follows to the Forest Ranger
published in this city by the forest
rangers:
AS result of my short visit to
the Superior Forest 1 should say
that the two problems that should
be given the greatest attention are
fire protection and forest extension.
With the completion of the trunk
telephone lines east and west from
Ely with branch lines to the
stations and lookout towers
that are well distributed to give
complete observation over the entire
area, and with the completion of
the tote road or trail that will
follow as near as possible the trunk
telephone lines for getting supplies
and men into those portions of the
Forest that cannot be reached
readily by the water or canoe
routes, a good system of COM
munication over the Forest will be
completed. There should be CO.
operation with the State and such
private individuals as own lands
within the Forest, looking to just
as complete a protection and fire
preventive measures for such lands
as exist for the National Forest
lands. In other words, the Forest
administration cannot afford to
have private or State lands in the
Forest so handled as to increase the
fire risk, since this not only en-
dangers Government property, but
detracts from the work done upon
the Forest lands that will serve as
an example of protective measures
upon timber holdings. No little
emphasis should be placed upon
the necessity of keeping before the
public the fire hazard and the
necessity of action upon the part
of everyone, looking to greater
caution that the fire loss may be
decreased to the minimum.
AS these preventive measures are
taken the fire hazard will have de-
creased to such an extent that
forest extension which is such an
important question upon this Forest
can be taken up upon an entirely
practical business basis. There is
every indication that these lands
which have been so repeatedly and
severely burned oyer viii produce
the best grades of white and Nor,
way Pine. Therefore, steps should
be taken to determine just what
acreage of the Forest is so wanting
in reproduction that reforestation
is advisable. This means careful
observations to ascertain the extent
of satisfactory reproduction and
the extent to which the valuable
species are coming in upon the
different types where there are seed
trees. Of course consideration
must be given to the frequency of
mast from these seed trees. The
character of the surface growth will
undoubtedly play a large part in
the possibility of getting reproduc-
ton through natural means upon
the different classes of soil. In
other words, the surface growth
may be so dense as to take up all
the surface moisture at a critical
time in the summer months, or be
so dense as to prevent the seed
coming in contact with the mineral
soil where this is necessary, or to
starve the small trees for want of
light after they have received
good start. Upon the other hand,
a certain amount of surface growth
may be absolutely necessary to
offer shelter from the direct rays of
the sun during drouth periods.
Rodents will play large part in
the game of seeding, either natural
or otherwise. Therefore, careful
observations must be made to
determine to what extent rodents
exist upon the areas, and the
extent to which they take the seed
and what steps must be taken to
rid the areas of them at nominal
cost that will make such seeding
work practical. Seeding and plant
ing are not simple problems.
There are a thousand and one
factors which enter into the ques-
ton in either case; it must be re-
membered, therefore, from the start
satisfactory conclusions cannot be
reached from superficial observa-
tions. There is no question about |
the possibility of getting results by