The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1923-10-19
FOREST AND GAME
MEAN TOURISTS.
AFTER VISITING HERE PAUL B
RIIS TELLS MINER OF
NEEDS.

Inc following letter from Paul 3.
Riis, president of the Superior Ma
tional Forest Recreational Associa-
ton, was received by the Miner last
week and gives the impressions of
Mr.. Riis after an exhaustive trip to
all parts Of the Forest on an investi-
cation of the needs Of this "Play-
ground of a Nation" Mr.. Riis was
very favorably impressed as can be
seen by the many kind words lie
has for this section. The letter was
written in Duluth after his visit
here and on the return trip to his
home at Rockford, III.
Editor The Ely Miner:
There is little one can add to
all the beautiful things that have
been said and written on the
great natural beauty Of the Forest
as found in the interior. The
uniqueness of this lakeland forest
stands out so strongly that it is
needless to point out it's many at
fractions. 1t is easy to predict for
it a future of popularity second to
none in the United States. The
diverse forest growth of the east
and west section, spectacular typo
graphy and the varied waterscapes
lend new interest to each area visit
ed and is destined to become more
and more appreciated as more be-
comes known about it.
"The strathetical location of the
Forest to the population center will
bring a stream of tourists into the
reservation, who will find on its
countless lakes exceptional oppor-
tunities to view the forest at its
best from the lakes and rivers. AS
transportation to and on the lakes
improves, young and old may have
a chance at wilderness window
shopping, see virgin forests, its wild
life and interesting land and water
scapes and that without the hard
ships of paddle and portage. The
harder mes too may continue to
penetrate the deeper recesses of the
forest without undue trespass of
their privacy.
Transportation however, is a
comparatively easy problem, but a
bigger one is confronting us right
now, that is the preservation of this
forest, that it will continue to at
tract the tQuris. Wisconsin and
Michigan are keen competitors.
Their watering places and tourist
lakes a be reached more quickly
and are every bit as desirable as are
the nearest lakes in the Forest, in
fact o so. This handicap can
easily be overcome by a greater at
traction, IS found among your very
best wilderness types of forested
lakes. But, these lakes to benefit a
community, must be reasonably lea
it. Thus we find a number of these
within a few miles of Ely, denuded
and naked, that should have immedi-
ate attention: They will form a
nucleus for future extension into
the wilderness, with innumerable
cottagers occupying their shores and
popularizing the city as a hub. The
gateway into the Forest then is an
invitation to enter the portals to the
still greater treasures beyond. I'm
related actions on the part of land
owners always yield returns comput-
ed in terms of hurdy gurdy develop
ments.
"Fire. prevention is one of the
chief factors in a program of rehab-
ilitation. Nature will do a consider
able part to transform a hopeless
wreck into a thing of natural beauty
by reproduction. Every fire sets
that particular area back fifty years,
or, until conditions r again favor
able for natural REPRESENTATION.
Without the wholehearted and un-
divided support of every citizen,
the Forest Service is hopelessly
handicapped to cope with the situa-
tion successfully.
""Another of it's irresistible charms
is the wild life in the Forest. Local
people unfortunately. overlook wild
life as a community asset. This
has reached a dangerously low level.
A decade back, our trips into the
forest were enriched by many in
cidents of accidental sighting of big
game. We see little of it now.
The moose is practically gone. It
takes no Imagination at all to visual
ize a practical nonexistence of wild
life a decade hence, at the present