The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1935-09-05
SUPERIOR National Forest
Radio Address WEBC
U. OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES

tlonal Forest at Cas- Lake. His subject
pertained 10 the Chippewa National
Forest. We again return TO discuss fur
ther the Superior National Forest, and
in the talk today will summarize brief
ly the accomplishments made by the
seventeen CCC camps on this Forest in
the past two years.
Prior to the inception of the present
CCC program it was generally conceded
that European countries were about
three hundred years ahead of the
United States in forestry practices. The
past two years have gone a long ways
towards bridging this gap.
In well managed European forests.
severe fires are rare. During the past
two years, forest fires of a severe ma
ture have disappeared from the Superior
National Forest. In this regard we are
beginning 10 meet European standards.
The reason for our present control over
the fire situation is not entirely due to
increased man power from the CCC
camps. Two Of the principal reasons
Tor disastrous forest fires are lack of
early detection, and inability TO reach
the fire before it reaches uncontroll-
able proportions. Under the present
program Of intensive forest develop
ment these two factors are being well
taken care Of. -Four new lookout towers
have been erectd since April, 1893,
when the project began, and three
hundred miles Of roads have been con-
structed with one large steel bridge and
nearly forty small ones. These roads,
built outside of the Primitive Area in
the more intensely managed parts of
the forest, also aid in the general ad-
ministration of the forest and in trans
porting the crews TO work. The tim
berS for the bridges were taken out Of
the forest by the CCC crews, hewn
and fitted under the supervision of
bridge foremen.
Telephone systems are an integral
part Of the fire fighting organization.
Every lookout tower and every work
camp is connected with the Rangers
station by telephone, and all side
camps in the interior are in communi-
cation by our own radio broadcasting
system. Rapid communication is es-
Sential to the efficient management of
the forest for the purposes other than
reporting fires, and since April Of
1888, four hundred miles Of new line
have been set up, and the maintenance
Of thees lines is a constant require
ment.
Improved methods Of transportation
-1ly ~t,a
entire credit for the control over the
constant fire danger. The immediate
areas around every camp in the forest
has been put in fire proof condition.
In addition to this, 5000 acres have
been cleared of al dead and down ma
teTial to act as fire breaks. The in
fammable debris on strips 400 feet
wide along most Of the roads and trails
has been disposed of to the extent Of
40 miles. The telling of snags, which
are an important factor in the spread
ing Of fires, has been accomplished on
1900 additional acres.
Supplementing road development is
the construction Of trails and portages.
The 40 miles Of trail recently built are
essentially for the purpose of facilita-
ting forest travel and transportation.
The forty miles Of portage construction
are probably Of primary interest as a
recreational resource. Forty miles of
portageS may not seem like a large
amount, but when one considers that
they merely represent the short trails
between bodies of water and recognizes
the fact that they connect and make
reasonably accessible nearly 300 miles
OF water, the value and importance of
this work becomes evident.
All three of these modes of travel and
transportation-by motor vehicles, by
foot and by canoe-have increased the
value Of the forest to the public at
large-not only as a public investment
which will facilitate a Sterilization of
future resources, but in increasing the
recreational value of the forest, en-
abling a greater number Of people to
enjoy the additional privileges hereto
fore not available The hundreds Of
new docks at the portage landings were
built for the accommodation of those
people who venture into the Primitive
speed up the travel Of fire fighting
crews. Back Of all this work and plan
ming hes the inestimable value of reduc-
ing the danger Of disastrous forest
fires
In the majority Of the CCC camps in
the forest certain boys stop at the tool
room every morning during the sum-
-, f,s T11o i'm
provement Of the trout streams IS a
major summer project, which neceSSi-
tates wading in the water while the
stream beds are being dug out, the
banks rebuilt, the dams and shelters
constructed. Fifty miles of trout
streams have been improved, and a
large rearing pond has been established
for the propagation of the trout which
will turn out nearly 10000 three and
four-inch trout into the adjacent
streams this fall
Prior TO these Improvements, the
trout streams were surveyed. In con-
nection with this work is the survey OF
the lakes. much of which was done by
crews working in the winter, in order
TO determine their productive capacity
for beaver, muskrats, duck foods and
the various species Of fish In an
area possessing the high recreaaonal
values found in the Superior forest,
game MANAGEMENT deserves high prt-
ority among the many work projects.
Hundreds Of CCC workers have gained
an intimate knowledge Of game man
agement by working under the direct