The Ely miner., 1938-08-04
sUPERIoR-QUET.
GROUP CON TINUE
President Roosevelt Extends
Committees Service Four
More Years.

According to an Associated Press dis
patch, sent out last week, extension by
four years by President Roosevelt OF the
Quetico-Superior committee, created by
executive order in 1884, was announced.
Ernest c. Oberholtzer, president OF
the Quetico-Superior Council, in speak
ing of the extension of the COM
mittee's time stated the presidents or
der is an indication of continued sup
port from the national administration
for the proposed international forest
that would embrace the Quetico Park
and the Superior National Forest in
Minnesota.
Mr.. Oberholtzer further stated that
mo change in jurisdiction or admins
tration on either side of the boundary
is contemplated. The two countries are
simply to agree by treaty upon certain
simple principles of conservation under
which existing agencies are to protect,
restore and make freely available the
forest and water resources of the border
region in Minnesota and Ontario"
1T is hoped to establish one con-
tinuous international forest extending
from Rainy Lake east to Lake Superior
and encompassing the border lakes and
their principal tributaries in both
countries, a total area of about ten
million acres" said Mr.. Oberholtzer.
Much opposition to the plan has de-
veloped and in the eyes of many, the
move is considered one to turn the
whole acreage into a national park
This opinion is based on the report
of the committee made to the president
several weeks ago in which the plans
were set forth in the following para
graph:
"Recreational facilities, of the type
and on scale that permits complete
escape from industrial conditions, are
a vital necessity at the present time.
Increased leisure and cheaper and
Speedier transportation are rapidly aug
menting this public requirement. Only
the government, by foresight and bold
planning, can provide adequately for
these wilderness needs. The existing
national and state parks do not fully
meet them. They are too small, and
lack opportunities for isolation and real
adventure. They provide only partial
change or relief from mechanical civil
ization. What is more important, the
central portion of the United States,
which is most in need of this type of
recreational advantage, has no national
park except the newly established park
Of 123,500 acres on Isle Royale"
The opposition to the plan as promul-
gated by the Quetico-Superior Council
is based on the national park idea
which calls for complete escape from
industrial conditions and relief from
mechanical civilization" While the
committee report calls for keeping the
lakes and streams, with their islands,
rapids, waterfalls, beaches, wooded
shores and other natural features un-
disturbed in a state of nature" the op-
position is asking how the wild state is
to be maintained when the committee
further recommended ito administer
the forests under modern forestry prac-
tices for sustained yield"
The timber companies operating in
this section of the country are perturbed
lest the immense territory be withdrawn
from the production of timber to keep
their plants in operation. The owners
of lands object to the isolation on ac-
count of the potential mineral deposits
in the territory.
Others again ask the question what
is the object Of the new set-up when it
is clearly stated that mo change in