Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1914-01-30
FORESTREPORTREADY
SECY. OF AGRICULTURE TELLS OF
NATIONAL FOREST ACTIVITIES
DURING LAST YEAR.
MONTANA AND IDAHO ARE IMPROVED
First Part of Route From Mount Idaho
to Elk City Undertaken-PoIicy is
to Benefit Settler Rather Than
Automobiles-State Help.

10 PCHClit 0ClliCT fldlnCT nan
AutomobIes-State Help.
The secretary of agriculture recent
ly issued statement showing the re-
ceipts from the national forest activi-
ties for the year ended June 80, 1918,
and the proportion of such receipts
which have been returned to the states
within which the national forests are
located. The total net receipts from
all sources was $2,391 1920, and $685.
500 was returned to the several states
for schools and roads under the % per
cent clause. Two hundred thirty-four
thousand six hundred thirty-eight dol
lars was available under the 10 per
cent item for the construction of the
roads.
The total receipts for Montana
amounted to $312,655; s65,23S was
available to the counties within which
the national forests are located for
school and road purposes; $26,095 was
available for the construction of wag-
on roads in the state of Montana. This
fund was handled directly by the for
est service in cooperation with the
state and the several counties.
The total net receipts for Idaho
amounted to S312,655, $70,163 being
returned to counties in the state for
school and road purposes under the 25
per cent item, and 1,2b5.56 being
available under the 10 per cent item
for the construction of roads. OF this
81. TIoI ,k.,1.-
$4,000 was handled from the Missoula
office and is being expended in north
ern Idaho.
Idaho's Most important Project.
The most important project under
taken in northern Idaho is the con-
struction of wagon road from Mount
Idaho, east of Grangeville, to a point
on the south fork of the Clearwater
river, 13 miles east of Mount Idaho.
This road will cost approximately $780,
600 and will give a good wagon road
to about 20 or 20 ranchers who now
have little more than a trail upon
which to travel This is an integral
part of a larger project which will
undoubtedly be constructed at a later
date. This is the long-talked-of wag-
on road up from Mt. Idaho to Elk City.
The continuation of the road up the
south fork of the Clearwater river will
be exceedingly expensive. The next
20 miles will probably cost at least
100000 and will require the coopera
ton of the mining interests and must
secure the cooperation of federal, state
and county authorities.
In Bonner county, Idaho, the most
important work so far completed Is
the construction of the Moyie river
road between kddie and Eastport The
further construction and improvement
of this road will be continued in the
spring. 1t is the intention to connect
PASSPORT and Boomers Ferry. In thi!
work the county and forest servic,
shared the expense equally. In the
Priest river country a number of The
roads were greatly improved through
the same means. Next spring some
work will be done on wagon roads
near the south end of Lake PenC
Oreille.
An Important Park-to-Park Link.
In Montana the largest and probabl.
the most important project undertaken
is the construction of the Bitterroot
Big Hole road. When completed thi
road will connect the Bitterroot vale.
with the Big Hole valley and at tn
same time will form an important cor
Meeting link in what is known as tn
western route of the parkto-par
highway. A contract has PRACTICAL
LOT for no fr.rn ff Of oil hrl
about nine miles of this road for $50
000 The balance of the road will cos
in the neighborhood of $4,000 Pr
vate citizens in the two valleys, Bitter
root and Ravalli counties, and the TO
est service have cooperated and eac
has borne a 81 are of the expense.
present plans do not miscarry thi
: road will be completed before sno'
falls next fall. This project has bee
agitated for two years.
Work on a section of the interstat
highway in northwestern Montan
known as the Troy to Libby road
! progressing nicely. This section of tn
) road will be completed before ne'
summer and through travel from Ka
{ ispell to Libby has been well laid oil
: and the road has been well construo
T ed. 1t follows through Pleasant Va
] ley around by Loon Lake and Fish'
? river, crosses the divide into Libt
e creek and follows this stream to IL
: town of Libby. From this point Il
road follows the south side of Il
Kootenai river to the town of Tro
Between these two points is the KoC
enai gorge and canyon and the strett
is the most expensive piece of ROT
z construction c. the entire route.