The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1926-08-20
FOR AND AGAINST ROADS IN
THE SUPERIOR NATIONAL FOREST.
Several Opinions Expressed by Those Who
Appreciate Roads Into a Wild Country and
Those Who Don't.

foresters. The forest is a prize
now as bit Of remaining frontier.
Build roads to it and you do not
reach the frontier with them. You
merely push the frontier back from
the roads, and shortly you will push
it across the borders into another
country.
The point for Secretary Jardine
to note is that it is those who know
the forest best who are most OPP
posed to road building. The super
fetal presumptions are more likely to
impress strangers in the Department
of Agriculture.
The situation is valid argument
for change in organization of the
Forest service. The arguments, both
pro and con, prove nothing so clear
ly as that our lake states have dis
tinctive forest problems. With due
regard for the fine work of the For
est service in this area it appears to
us that the lake states should COM
prise a Forest service district OF
their own. Minnesota, Wisconsin
and Michigan are long way from
Denver, to which district the three
states now belong. Our problems
of fire protection, reforestation and
now of road building differ from
those of the rest of the Denver area.
Moreover, the divergence is likely to
increase. We have in this state the
Minnesota and the Superior Ma
tional Forests. The three states
might sensibly comprise new us
trict for closer study of our peculiar
problems and easier administration
of this area.
A conference for the considera-
ton of the question of roads in the
northern part of Lake, Cook and st.
Louis counties is recommended by
Secretary Of Agriculture Jardine,
not only for the purpose of deter
filming how many roads should be
built but for the consideration of
the general administration of the
forest, according to a letter received
this week by the highway engineer,
HI. c. Hanson, says the Lake County
Chronicle at Two Harbors.
Twenty-Five thousand dollars has
been appropriated by the Federal
government to be used on the. ex-
tension of the y-Fernberg road in
Lake county. the worl to be done
by Lake county without any cost
except administrative cost, and the
use of the road building equipment.
This appropriation has been held up
on account of the protest of the fur
Their building of roads in the
Superior National Forest by the
Izaak Walton League of America.
The Ely-Fernberg road rs not within
the Superior National Forest and the
Lake county board, as well as the
county commissioners Of Cook
county. telegraphed protests to the
hold-up as being misrepresentation
of the facts. In this letter to Mr..
Hanson, Secretary Jardine says:
"The question of whether the Ely
Fernberg and nfint-Seagull road
should or should not be constructed
and opened to public use is of min
or significance as compared to the
larger question of how the Superior
National Forest is hereafter to be
administered. An answer to the lat
ter question, if necessity, be an an
swer to the other one.
"The Superior National Forest
contains a gross area of $1,268, 538
acres, of which 800,161 acres is
government land. If our plans for
the extension of the publicity own
ed area throagh acquisition through
exchange or by purchase under the
Clarke-McNary Act bear fruit. there
eventually will be approximately Ii
$50. 900 acres under National Forest
administration. This area will be
adapted to number of important
public and economic purposes, to wit
the production of timber, game and
fish, wilderness recreation, roadside
recreation, resort and summer-home
recreation, minerals, and hydro
Ielectric power, besides having an i'm
lportant general influence on the
conservation of streamfow. Tht
area presents enormous potentia
values. To a minor degree, some o.
these values are incompatible will
others. but it is believed that to
large degree all can be coordinatet
with practical success.
"The first step. then, is to worl
out the general detectives, purpose
land requirements of administration
with all parties in interest taking
part in the process and reaching
mutually satisfactory agreements
If that can be done the question O.
roads will cease to be TROUBLESOME
as it naturally will follow that
road program which conforms to tn
approved general plan of manage
ment will be Objectionable, Will
one which does not will be dis
. approved.
s'It is by this process tina
Colonel Greeley would like to az
proach the present problem. H
: feels that if eight to dozen of tn
real leaders of thought on bot
} sides of the question would 81
/ down with him around the tabl
J take the master plan and recres
tional policy which have been pre-
t pared for the Superior, study then
: analyze them, consider the possibl
tiles of coordination which they n
I sent, recognize the public purpose
f the Forest was created to serve, an
the obligations attendant upon il
q administration, iron out apparer
: conflicts betwees one use and al
e other, and finally reach mutual
= acceptable general agreement on tn
t basis of give and take, misunde
i standing would be eliminated ar
e complete unity and harmony of pu
e Ipose achieved.
= Colonel Greeley plans to speT
+ the first week of September in Mi
q nasota and lie tho Succession NEE