The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1916-06-15
HUGE LOCAL TIM
BER SALE LOOMS

With the probable sale by the fores-
try department this summer of q
7,340 acre area Of virgin Douglas fir on
the headwaters of the West Fork of
Hood river. the lumber industry the
coming year. with three other large
mills, the average daily capacity OF
each reaching approximately 80. 600
feet. and some half dozen lesser plants
in operation, bids fair to be stimulated
to a record mark in Hood River.
According to Logging Engineer w.
T. Andrews and Assistant District
Forester F. e. Ames. who were here
Monday, the total stumpage of the pro-
posed FIR sales reaches an approximate
800. 600. 900 feet. Application to have
the forest area opened and offered for
sale was made the past winter by j.
w. Palmer, a West Side orchardist who
formerly resided in Portland and who
has had many years Of experience in
the lumber business on the lower Co.
lumbis. Mr.. Palmer is a prospective
bidder on the huge contract.
According to the government repre-
sentatives the advertisements for bids
on the acreage win be placed in the
near future.
The mission of Messrs. Andrews and
Ames here Monday concerned a letter
from the Commercial club. The mis-
sive. written several weeks ago asking
for information on the proposed sale,
expressed the fear that the denudation
of so large an area might be a menace
to irrigation systems of the valley and
was considered by the department as
an indirect protest against the sale.
I'VE have been told." stated the let
ter. "that the fir forests will be logged
clean, leaving desert waste. Will
not this cause food menace from the
melting of deep SHOWS in the early
spring season and later in the year cre-
ate lack of sufficient waters for irri-
cation purposes?"
Mr.. Ames explained that the timber
would be cut after the usual manner of
logging in Douglas FIR regions. 1t will
perhaps take from 10 to IL years to
cut the entire acreage, and once or
twice each year the slashings will be
burned over, every precaution being
taken to guard against damage to ad-
joining national forest acreage, as well
as patented timberlands.
1--WE find," said Mr.. Ames. that
reforestation of fir takes place most
readily after burning. We anticipate,
from experience that we have had in
other similar locations, that reseeeding
will be ample and that within short
time the acreage will not only be COW
cred with young frs, but also dense
underground that will tend to conserve
rainfall as we'll as the forest trees that
will be taken off. By the time the
last of the timber is removed refores-
tation Of the first burned slashings will
have taken place"
MIR. Ames further showed that the
area embodied in the proposed sale
does not extend to the source of the
West Fork of Hood river. which in fact
is fed by glaciers and would in no way
be affected by cutting of the timber.
"The entire watershed of the West
Fork is comprised of 18, 780 acres, said
MIR. Andrews. "In addition to the T.
$40 acres to be sold in the contem-
plated deal, 1860 acres are patented.
This will leave, after all possible cut
tings are made. 8, 480 acres around the
source of the stream
The government officials explained
that rs percent of the funds realized
from the proposed sale will be appor-
toned among Hood River, Clackamas
and WascO counties, proportionate to
the area of the national forest within
their bounds. Ten per cent of the re-
turns will be spent in building roads or
trails in the national forests of the
state.
Following the explanation of the for
estry officials, the Commercial club
members. assembled at the specially
called meeting, voted unanimously in
an approval of the timber sale.
The forestry officials leave every as
surance that the timber will be sold on
the completion of the formalities of ad.
vertising and operations In the virgin
fir forest district will be begun on a
large scale. 1t will require a mill of
$50, 900 feet daily capacity to handle
the tract according to specifications
that the government will require the
successful bidder to fulfill. The Ore
gon Lumber Co. has extended its log
ging tracks to point within 10 miles
of the new borders of the district to be
cut, to tap its own tracts of timber. A
logging road will be extended from the
terminus of the existing line of the
West Fork.