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NATURALIST'S GUIDE TO THE AMERICAS 



the advent of the white man. The 

 prairie areas were burned by the Indian 

 as a part of his system of hunting the 

 larger game animals. 



Except as specifically mentioned the 

 flora as described in this paper is today 

 much the same as originally found by the 

 early settlers. However, it has not 

 been practicable to discuss all of the 

 floristic changes in the state due to 

 settlement.— IF. E. L. 



III. NATURAL AREAS 



1. Federal Preserves {T. T. M.) 



A large part of the state is likely to 

 remain in its present virgin condition 

 for many years to come. The virgin 

 forest both east and west of the Cascades 

 is being cut relatively slowly, and much 

 of the desert and semi-arid country will 

 remain in its natural state for an in- 

 definite time. It may be said that every 

 type of natural condition that originally 

 occurred in the state is still to be found. 

 In certain types, definite steps to 

 preserve natural conditions are now de- 

 sirable. Certain areas are now ade- 

 quately safeguarded, such as the Bull 

 Run division of the Mount Hood Na- 

 tional Forest, and Crater Lake National 

 Park; and there may easily be segre- 

 ^ gated for preservation by administrative 

 action as much more of the National 

 Forests as it may be deemed best to 

 leave in a natural condition. 



There are in Oregon 13,178,023 acres 

 of National Forest land distributed 

 over the mountainous timbered portions 

 of the state. Most of these lands are 

 in their natural condition, except in so 

 far as accidental fires, stock grazing 

 and the slight occupancy of man have 

 changed them. They are subject to 

 timber cutting, as the economic demand 

 requires, e.xcept that where conditions 

 of such scientific interest exist that they 

 should be left in their natural condition 

 action can readily be secured to preserve 

 such areas. Several such areas have 

 already been preserved when timber 

 sales were being made in the neigh- 



borhood, primarily because of their 

 aesthetic or recreational value. Fur- 

 thermore, at least half the National 

 Forest acreage of the state is so inac- 

 cessible on the high mountains that 

 commercial exploitation (except for 

 stock grazing) is practically out of the 

 question. It seems assured, therefore, 

 that every set of natural conditions 

 which occurs within the timbered por- 

 tions of the state may be perpetuated 

 under Government control on the 

 National Forests, 



Federal game and bird refuges in Oregon 



*Cold Springs of 2520 acres, created 

 in 1909 on a Reclamation Service project 

 to protect waterfowl. 



*Klamath Lake of 81,619 acres in 

 Klamath County created in 1908 on a 

 Reclamation Service project to protect 

 waterfowl, pelicans, gulls, waders and 

 shorebirds. 



*Lake Malheur of 88,960 acres in 

 Harney County created in 1908 on 

 federal land to protect waterfowl and 

 marsh birds. This is recognized as 

 one of the most remarkable places in 

 the United States for study of water 

 and marsh bird life. 



* Three Arch Rocks off the coast of 

 northwestern Oregon reserved in 1907 

 as a breeding place for seabirds and 

 regarded as a very wonderful place for 

 ornithologists' study. 



*A dune region on the Oregon coast. 

 (In the Sinslaw National Forest.) 

 Sand dunes border the ocean continu- 

 ously for a distance of about 50 mi. 

 from Marshfield on Coos Bay northward. 

 The area of most active dunes is from 

 one to four miles wide, and the transition 

 is gradual through less active dunes to 

 the very old inactive ones now covered 

 with forest. On the newer dunes the 

 following plants were found: A rush 

 that holds small areas of sand by means 

 of its abundant rhizomes and roots, a 

 wild strawberry, a beach pea, and 

 scattered willows and lodge pole pine. 

 The willows grow fast enough to keep 

 their tips above the incoming sand, 

 and the pines live even when almost 



