The evening herald. (Klamath Falls, Or.) 1906-1942, 1920-01-24
LARGE IDAHO
TRACT BECOMES
FOREST RESERVE

OGDEN, Utah, Jan. a. Idaho's
Thunder Mountain area, comprising
1,11G,000 acres, lying approximately
100 miles northeast OF Boise, the
capital, by act Of Congress has been
created national forest reserve.
For administrative purposes, which
will be governed by the forestry
headquarters in Ogden, approximate
ly 100000 acres will be added from
the new reserve to the Idaho national
forest, which borders 1t on the north
and west, and approximately 500, 900
acres will be Joined to the Payette
forest on the west and south.
The Thunder Mountain area is a
high, rough, mountain region, dis
sected by deep canyons. The ex-
tremes OF elevation run from 1000
to 9,400 feet. or the entire region
80 per cent consists of rocky peaks,
ridges and slopes, and approximately
80 per cent sustains forest cover Of
mature timber or reproduction. The
remaining 20 per cent is barren rock.
Only about 1880 acres Of the A.
10000 are privately owned, leaving
net area Of approximately 1902
900 acres of public land.
Not to exceed 5000 acres, or less
than one-half OF one per cent of the
whole district, according to surveys,
has soil or topography suitable for
agriculture. Practically the only
agricultural possibilities are in the
river bedsriver beds and where allu-
vial soils are found at comparatively
low attitudes.
In 1902 the Thunder Mountain
area was the scene Of great mining
activity and. thousands of miners and
prospectors located in the north
western part. The mineral deposits,
however, did not prove to be large
and of high quality. In many places
the district is honeycombei with
abandoned mine shafts. Since the
collapse of the mining boom the
population Of the area has been
steadily decreasing and it is estin,-
ated not more than 100 persons now
live in the entire area.
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At present there are no habitated
settlements in the Thunder Mountain
district. The log buildings Of the first
town. Thunder Mountain. are today
standing for the most part, but NO
one has lived in them for years. Ed
wardsburg, another settlement dur
ing the boom days, is also abandoned.
The town of Roosevelt was establish
ed in 1901 on Monumental Creek. In
1907, however, landslide damned
the waters of the greek and now the
site is covered by lake: Many of the
more substantial buildings of Roose-
welt are now floating around in it.
The region contains fully three bill
pine, douglas fir, englemann spruce
and lodgepole pins, it is estimated.
The best ofDthe commercial timber
lies in the northwestern portion of
the new reserve which is as yet quite
inaccessible. LAUNDERING is an un-
known industry despite the great
amount of timber. There has never
been any commercial mills but
there are few, run-by the settlers
for their own use.
1t is estimated that a total area of
100000 acres of timber having val
ue of at least S1,OO0,0OO has been
destroyed by repeated forest fires.
The worst of these swept the district
last year. The forest service plans to
take fire prevention steps next year
The region, according to local for
estry officials, includes no natural
wonders, large lakes or features of
special scenic interests. Deer and
trout, however, are plentiful, and
there are said to be a few mountain
sheep and goats.
At present the roads are in bad
shape but the forest service is to i'm
prove them and restore bridges, many
of which have fallen down due to
years of neglect. 1t is estimated ap-
proximately 100000 will be needed
to open up the country to modern
travel. First improvement steps, ac-
cording to present plans, will begin
in the early spring.
Sheep to the number of 100000
head have been grazed on the area
without restriction during recent
years but the forest service plans to
decrease this number to about 1907
900 as they believe the land over