The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1923-09-07
DIG WRITES ON
SUPERIOR FOREST.
PRESIDENT OF ISAAC WALTON
LEAGUE GIVES HIS OPINION.

Following a trip in the Superior
National Forest in company with
Al. Evans of the st. Paul Dispatch
B. l.. Brown, photographer of ST..
Paul, Charles Heddon, president Of
James Heddon's Sons, fishing tackle
manufacturers of Dowagiac, Mich
and Donald Hough, outdoor editor
of the st. Paul Daily News, Will H
Dig, presidest of the Isaac Walton
League of America, gave his views
of the Forest through the news
papers as follows:
I'm the northeastern corner OF
Minnesota lies one of the greatest
virgin forest areas in the country
and the finest canoe country in the
world. 1t is the Superior National
Forest.
81 had heard of the Superior for
est for several years, both as a great
recreation area, and as the center
of one of the largest potential for
est growing regions in America.
But now / truly know what / am
talking about, for / have just re-
turned from two weeks canoe trip
through the heart of the Forest re-
gion-and for the rest of my life,
not a year shall pass that shall not
visit this playground of the Middle
West.
''The Forest is at present merely
nucleus of what it should, and
will be. 1t comprises the heart of
region which is naturally unit,
and a movement has been started to
have the boundaries extended to in
clude the natural area. This move
ment, which has been started by the
Superior National Forest Recreation
association must have the support
of the outdoorsmen of Minnesota.
1t will have the very active support
of the Izaak Walton League of
America, and of the Izaak Walton
League Monthly. These agencies
will do all in their power to assist.
''The forest as it now stands COM
prises 1,250,000 acres in the heart
of rocky, northland country,
peculiar in itself, extending from the
north shore of Lake Superior to the
Canadian boundary in Minnesota,
and for hundred miles or so north
into Canada. On the Canadian side,
is the Quetico Provincial PARK, wise
ly set aside by the Canadian govern
ment. The Superior Forest, on the
Minnesota side of the boundary,
while it includes a million and a
quarter acres, is very irregular in
shape, and is made up of four sep
arated areas-that is, the Superior
Forest is divided, by its boundaries,
into four parts. This leaves large
areas along the international bound
airy outside the Forest, and also
leaves out the areas between the
separate parts of the Forest.
"The entire region is naturally a
unit. Part of it, including the
heart of the Forest, is virgin stand
of trees, and the rest of it has been
burned or cut. All of it is adapted
to the growing of trees, and to
nothing else, according to every for
estry expert who has seen it.
Extension of the boundaries to
include these 'in between areas and
also the natural parts of the region
lying outside the farthest boundaries
of the Forest, is advisable from
every standpoint. Hundreds of
thousands of acres now absolutely
wasted, fitted only for growing
trees, and lying as left by the lum-
bermen, burned and cut, would come
under national jurisdiction and
would undoubtedly be replanted and
devoted to the practice of forestry
under the great program of refor-
estation which is being considered
by the national government and
which will undoubtedly be launched
before long.
at is very difficult for the state
forest department to properly ad-
minister the outlying, almost segrat-
ed, areas of state lands lying be-
yond the Superior Forest boundaries,
and the result is that fires on these
lands not only are burning up part
of Minnesota's last forests but are
constantly menacing the national
forest. One such fire, raging be-
tween two sections of the \Superior
forest, burned over about $50 square
miles northeast of Ely this spring.
"The state forester. Mr.. Cox, Col