The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1923-03-23
MORE KICKS FOR
THE FOREST ROADS.
AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF PARK
EXECUTIVES TAKES A SLAP
AT EN-.

The following issued by the de-
partment of preservation of wild
life of the American Institute Of
Park Executives speaks for itself:
I'm the West we have Yellow
stone National park. There also we
have the Grand Canyon. And UP
| near the Canadian line in a most
we have Glacier National park. And
we own the Yosemite.
Each of these sections is of dis.
tinctive appeal. They are the best
of their kind. We have set them
aside and retained them in public
! ownership so that we may all enjoy
the natural beauties found there
| They are of inestimable value and
we treasure them.
What would we do if someone
were to destroy any portion of the
appeal of these national play
grounds? Would we not rise as
one and demand that any desecra-
ton be promptly stopped? There is
no doubt of it.
"Up in Northern Minnesota, nest
led up to Canada, lies the Superior
National Forest. We own it as
much as we do Yellowstone, Yose-
mite, the Grand Canyon or Glacier.
Title to the public lands within it
is vested in the Federal govern
ment. 1t was set aside to give the
fullest service to the people of the
nation. Its greatest and most valu-
able feature is it's present and fut-
ure service in recreation.
Like the Western scenic play
grounds mentioned, the Superior
forest is the supreme of it's type of
scenery found in the country. 1t
is as distinctive as Glacier, scenic
in its way as Yosemite. It's APP
peal to the outdoor lover is as great
as can be found.
A Vast Difference.
But there is vast difference
between the Superior and some of
our Western national Fairgrounds.
If we were to lose Yosemite, there
might be some other similar noun
tain area of similar appeal that we
now own-that could be substituted.
The same is true of some of our
other famous Western Fairgrounds.
They are all mountain play areas.
In general they all rely on noun
tain scenery for their appeal
"The Superior is the only lake
country, wilderness canoe area we
own and if we lose any part of il
we cannot replace it even with q
very inferior substitute.
There are no highways through
| the Superior forest at the present
time. That is. there are no road.
ways, but there are the old broad
travel ways of the pioneer and ex.
plorer that are today as smooth OF
surface, as magnificent in the tx.
tent as in the days of the first
white trader who invaded here
These natural highways are the
streams and lakes.
| Here is sanctuary For the
/ canoeist 1t may be possible fol
him to travel many miles, perhap:
over a thousand or so without ever
recrossng his trail Vista aftel
vista of lake country wildern es:
opens before him. A year, all the
vacations of lifetime, or a crowd
ed fortnight may be spent here il
the ideal lake country wilderness
gliding through its Businesses il
| canoe.
| Hundreds of Moose.
"The Superior forest is dhe last
great area for the vanishing moose
There are hundreds there now
Caribou are sometimes seen. Beav
er are there in uncountable mum
bers. Deer inhabit its glades ant
timber-lands. 1t is in state game
sanctuary that practically coincide.
with the forest boundary.
! stop moment and think o.
the bewildering array of place!
where one can get a vacation II
auto travel. Then think of the
few places where one can get into
the wilderness for a real outdoor
| herman time.
"The Superior today is one Of
the wilderness spots where no auto
traffic invades it. 1t is pure
type canoe country.
But there is proposed system
| of highways to be built by county
state and nation to cut the superior
| into several pieces, to invade the
touched territory. to put broad
highways through the sanctuary OF
the caroeist and the game. Such
action will ruin our one canoe play
ground and only add one more
place to the countless existing auto
vacation areas.
"Three agencies are concerned
with this program of road building
They are st. Louis county, the
state of Minnesota and the fores!
service of the United States gov.
eminent.
'But from all information it il
evident that in planning these roads
and in approving them there has
not been adequate consideration
given the values which they will
destroy.
'To those who know the Superior
it is perfectly evident that indis-
criminate road building will ruin
values that are now present there
that, once lost, can never be re-
| gained. That the wilderness spirit,
the game, the appeal of this canoe
country will vanish as the gasoline
gypsy comes into the forest fast
nesses of this magnificent distinct
i've playground.
THAT there has been this over
sight is perfectly natural The gen
eral idea is that highways will i'm
prove in every way. But in the
Superior they probably will ruin
| some of the most valuable features
found there.
"This national forest is located
within the reach of the people of
the midwest states. 1t is but an
overnight ride from the Chicago