The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1938-08-04
Questions and
Answers Thereto
By George HAYES

Question: What is the purpose of
the forest service in having SHOW
ME trips?
The forest service during the past
few years planned few SHOW
ME trips in order to acquaint lead
ers of the cities, towns and COM
munities with the natural beauties
and value of the timbered lands.
The forests belong to the people
and they should know more about
what their custodians are doing.
Question: What is the most scenic
trip in the vicinity of Libby?
There are so many beautiful spots
in this locality that it would be diff
ficult to name the most scenic trip.
However, if one wants to hike, it is
our belief that the Scenery noun
tain trail would not disappoint the
most extensive world traveller.
Scenery mountain is one of the high
est points in this district located at
a place where visibility is unusually
good in any direction. You can
look directly down upon Kootenai
the Kootenai river for miles-you
can see the majestic peaks to the
south and the numerous lakes nest
led thereln-you can see nearly all
lookout towers in the district-in
fact you can really feel how in
significant you really are as com
pared to what you see.
If you should take the Scenery
mountain "trip there are few things
you ought to bear in mind. The
average hiker would require about
four hours to reach the lookout
from the Cedar creek road If you
went on around the ridge from the
lookout, it would require another
three hours to reach the Cedar
creek trail and an hour and a half
more to return to your car. If you
60 be sure to carry canteen Of
water with you-there is not a
dropfof water along the trail except
what you might get from Look
out Harry Cooper and he carries his
water good mile and half-much
of that nearly straight up,
Question. If lightning causes fires
why was not this country all burned
off during the early days.
We might dispose of this ques-
ton by simply stating that IT WAS.
The evidence is irrefutable. Any
one who travels the forest area can
see the evidence The point we wish
to make is this nature usually
maintains her own balance. In 9TH
er words nature could take care of
fires caused by lightning just as
wild game could live and multiply
in the face of predatory animals and
natural diseases. When man comes
in and destroys the balance set up
by nature, then protective measures
must be inaugurated in order to
maintain the balance. Man has been
slashing away at the American for
ests for some hundred and fifty
years. He has also been responsible
for causing more fires than has
lightning. Common sense tells lis
that nature needs some assistance
in the face of these odds Let's get
back of the sustained yield program
and be careful with our fires and
America will always have timber
1t is reasonable, sensible and it even
seems practicable.
Question: What is the most I'M
scenic trip in this district?
Believe it or not-from Loon lake
on Pipe creek down to the Yak
river on the Seventeen Mile creek
That is exactly how this country
would look without protective pro-
gram. 1t really looks like bit oil
hell down that way-drive down anc
seel
Question: Don't the forest service