The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1934-06-22
COMPARES NATIONAL FORESTS
WITH NATIONAL PARKS
In 1927 the Arrowhead Association Issued Comparison
Which in View of the Agitation Being Carried by the
Superior Cuetco Council, is Timely.

The proposal to make a National
Park of that part of the country now
embraced in the Superior National
Forest and the Quetico Provincial Park
is again being agitated by the Superior
Quetico Council.
Again, as in 1927, when the Save the
Superior National Forest Committee"
agitated the closing of the Superior to
all forms of timber utilization, agricul-
ture, mining, the building of fire trails
or roads, or the development of water
power, the subject of the relative values
of the two methods of administration
should be uppermoSt in the minds of
the people of this section in particular
and the tourist public in general, and
studied with view to furnishing the
most good for the most people.
In 1927 the Arrowhead Association
had before it the matter of Forest or
Park" and made considerable inves-
tigation with the result that the then
president, James H. Harper, issued q
statement of the result of the COM
mittees investigation. The subjects in
vestigated were based on three proposals
and the report of President Harper was
based on these proposals which were:
1. To create national park in place
OF the Superior National Forest, to in
clude in it all of the land within the
present forest boundaries, to add to it
all the contiguous lands in the Superior
Forest region, and to preserve the
entire area as virgin wilderness:
2. To prohibit any commercial op-
erations in that area, to stop logging
absolutely on public or private landss on
some 100000 acres;
3. To prevent the building of rail-
road into. this territory until such time
as congress can be persuaded to estab-
lish this park, abolishing the Superior
National Forest which now constitutes
part of the land, and purchasing the
private holdings and stumpage within
the area.
Arrowhead Development Program.
This Association has four detectives.
which are now Systematically pursued
and which were adopted after deliberate
study and discussion.
These four detectives have to do with
the development of recreation resources
and the preservation of wilderness
charms; the development of industries
based on reforestation; the develop
ment of agriculture along lines of farm
husbandry associated with forest hus-
bandry; the perpetuation and extension
OF the mining industry.
This proposition to abolish the su-
perior Forest and sweep more than
2,OOO,OO0 acres into a park would re-
quire modification or reversal of each
OF these four development projects.
AT the same time it would have a
material effect on the problem of de-
linquent taxes and oppressive tax rates
IN the counties affected; on the current
revenues of these counties; on the
building up of the state trust fund from
state lands in the Arrowhead district
where 95 per cent of the remaining state
lands are situated, and on other COL
lateral interests.
1t would strike from the tax rolls at
once property which now yields more
than 100000 in taxes and would cut
off a prospective revenue of more than
100000 to be contributed annually by
the National Forest in lieu of taxes.
Reforestati0n.
Reforestation is 95 per cent fire pro-
lection. In the National Forest, fire
protection is financed from forest
revenues and assured by prospective
forest incomes. In a park, funds for
ire protection must come by recurreut
appropriations. In the forest the cost
Is largely incidental to the regular work
OF the forest service; in such a wilder
ness reserve as is proposed it would
either require full crew the year round
who would be on active duty only few
weeks, or else leave a skeleton crew at
the mercy of fire hazards.
The abolition of the forest to estab-
lish park does not promise more
adequate fire protection, if as good.
In the forest it pays to plant bare
spots; in park, planting would wait
specific Appropriation.
Recreation.
In the National Forest eyery facility
is given for recreation that could be
supplied by park, perhaps more.-in
view of the restrictions necessary In
park policy.
In the National Forest the wilderness
is preserved not in its virgin state. but
Weooed to economic development. In
Its virgin state the wilderness is i'm
penetrable without trails or roads.
Either the park must duplicate thu
facilities OF the forest service or remain
largely inaccessible.
In the forest, the removal of mature
trees perpetuates and improves the
stand, without disturbing the natural
replacement; in virgin timber, only a
cruiser or explorer can make hts way
through dead and down; in a park. the
tangle must be removed or nature win