Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1921-11-17
STATIONS FOR
EXPERIMENTS
L. S. FORESTRY DEPARTMENT
WOULD CONTINUE REFOREST-
ALTON WORK IN THE WEST
NEED BETTER FIRE PROTECTION
Bulletin Says That Three Stations Are
Needed In Western States.

WASHINGTON, Nov 14.-The u. S.
forest service is DESTROYS of estab-
fishing three experiment stations in
the Rocky mountain region, TO work
on problems bearing ON the perpetual
ton and care of the forests in that
mountain country extending from
northern Idaho and Montana south
ward to the Mexican border. The for
est resources of these states are re-
garded as OF high value, not alone to-
day, but for the future, and dependent
upon them is the timber supply of
vast area, as well as the preserva-
ton of waters for irrigation. In
bulletin just issued the need for these
three stations is discussed briefly.
In part the bulletin says:
The forests of this large region
vary from the western white pine
stands of northern Idaho, of extremely
rapid growth under climatic condi-
tons approximately those of the Pa
cific coast, to the yellow pine stands,
which thrive on much smaller precipi-
tation, and finally, to the pinon and
juniper woodlands of Arizona and New
Mexico, which mark the lower alti-
tudeinal limits of tree growth. The
region embraces a forest area of 6I.-
100000 acres.
1T will require for the satisfactory
solution of it's problems three great
experiment stations, the first cover
ing central and northern Idaho, east
ern Washington and western Mon
tana; the second the central Rocky
mountain region, and the third, Ari-
Maui Maviaa
the Rockies still contain almost 49,
100000 acres of virgin timber, in
which the reckless methods of cut
ting which have been followed
throughout the east should not be per-
mitted. Artificial reforestation will
probably be necessary to put timber
upon approximately 100000 acres of
waste land. Slightly less than 10000
acres contain partially productive
stands of young timber.
THE northern Rockies, together
with the west coast forests, form the
only timber regions of the United
States which promise to be more than
self-supporting in lumber cut in 1890
IL is of obvious Importance to keep
the region at full growing capacity,
not only from the standpoint of the
general market, but also from the
of local requirements. The
various mining districts of the north
ern Rockies-Butte, Occur d'Alene.
and others-are important consumers
of timber and further agricultural
development will be dependent in no
small degree upon cheap and abund
ant timber supplies.
Northern Idaho and northwestern
Montana grow at its optimum the
western white pine, very similar in its
to the eastern white pine,
which was once believed to be mex
but is now rapidly disap-
pearing from our markets. The north
ern Rockies also support stands of
such species as Engelmann spruce,
which are suitable for pulp and paper
Because of the favor
able climatic conditions and the ex-
tremely rapid timber growth which is
possible, it is one of the regions in
which the forest service would like to
it's efforts at reforesta-
ton.
1.-THE fire problem in the heavy and
extremely sensitive western white
PiAO AOA Nobo 10 OtlC VI lLC llOoJ Cllll-
cal in the United States, and in fact
in the entire world. Investigation of
factors which underlie more effective
fire protection must therefore be
greatly emphasized in the work of a
forest experiment station.
"a small forest experiment station
maintained in the region prior to July
l, 1920, which was reopened on July
l, 1921. has already demonstrated it's
value by working out reasonably sue
cessful methods of artificial reforest-
alton for such important species as
western white pine. Enough informa-
ton as basis for fire protection has
been gathered to emphasize the need
for continuing and greatly charging
this class of work. There is work
ahead in the determination of the best
of cutting. Brush disposal,
because of the large quantities left in
logging operations, is as difficult and
as in the Pacific northwest.
The northern Rockies contain much
larger private holdings than either the
central or southern portions, and the
results of forest Investigations are
therefore needed as a basis for private
as we'll as national forest practice"
Resolutions of CondoIenca