RECREATIONAL USES OF THE NATIONAL FORESTS 



137 



that tip to Larch Mountain and up Eagle Creek, and is 

 developing ptiblic camping grounds at strategic points. 

 In planning and carrying out this work we have the co- 

 operation of county officials and the citizens of Portland, 

 who are in some cases giving financial aid to various of 

 the projects. The plans are 

 correlated with those of the 

 city and county in the en- 

 tire Park and parkway 

 enterprise. 



A similar plan is being 

 worked out in Denver in 

 connection with develop- 

 ment of the Mount Evans 

 region, and with other com- 

 munities which have direct 

 interests in and adjacent to 

 the Forests. 



In the eastern mountains, 

 too, we are fostering the 

 recreational use of the Na- 

 tional Forests. For many 

 years the public regarded 

 with increasing interest the 

 efforts of Mr. George W. 

 Vanderbilt to inaugurate a 

 system of forest protection 

 and conservation on Pisgah 

 Forest in North 

 Carolina, and not 

 only that but to 

 protect the natural 

 game resources and 

 t o systemati cally 

 increase them. Mr. 

 Vanderbilt went be- 

 yond this. Recon- 

 structed many 

 miles of highway 

 through the moun- 

 tains and more 

 than a hundred 

 miles of first-class 

 trails. After 20 

 j^ears of this sort of 

 care and develop- 

 ment, Pisgah Forest 

 passed to the Gov- 

 ernment and now 

 is the Pisgah Na- 

 tional Forest. Al- 

 ready it has been 

 created a national 



A NATIONAL FOREST LODGE 

 A type of small summer re.sort that is becoming popular in the National Forests. 

 It is meant especially for transient guests. 



From Biologiitil Surrey. , _^. 



A PARADISE FOR SPORTSMEN 



Good fishing can be had in most National Forest streams and lakes. Here at Lake Margarcte on the 

 Routt National Forest is found some of the best. Year by year the number of men who flock to such 

 places on the National Forests is increasing by thousands. 



game preserve m 

 addition to being 

 a National Forest, and definite plans are being carried 

 out to maintain the great beauty of the mountain land- 

 scape, to develop the land to highest timber productive- 

 ness, and to further increase the fish and game resources. 

 Under a plan of cooperation between the Biological Sur- 



vey, the city of Ashevillc, and Buncombe County in 

 which it is situated, the American Bison Society, and 

 others, a plan is being worked out by which the elk and 

 buflalo will be re-established on this Forest in large 

 enclosures. It will be the purpose of the Government as 



far as its resources will per- 

 mit to maintain and im- 

 prove the roads and trails 

 and in every way to in- 

 crease the attractiveness of 

 the Forest. 



In the White Mountains 

 the public has an interest 

 developed through many 

 years of constantly increas- 

 ing use. The point has been 

 reached where hundreds of 

 thousands frequent these 

 mountains both in summer 

 and in winter and find in 

 them unsurpassed condi- 

 tions for enjoyment and 

 recreation. The state of 

 New Hampshire has co- 

 operated in providing five 

 automobile highways lead- 

 ing through the mountains 

 and various outing organi- 

 zations have as a 

 result of many 

 years' enthusiastic 

 work constructed 

 hundreds of miles 

 of trails which are 

 freely opened to the 

 tramping public. 

 Specific plans are 

 being worked out 

 by which the For- 

 est Service will en- 

 courage still further 

 the dc\'clopmcnt of 

 facilities for the 

 recreational service 

 of this wonderful 

 region to the imblic. 

 The use of the 

 Forests for recrea- 

 tion has been fos- 

 tered by the fact 

 that term leases 

 may be secured for 

 periods up to 30 

 years for the con- 

 struction of hotels, 

 for summer cottages, and similar purposes. Man>- are 

 already taking advantage of this opportunity to establish 

 a summer home in the Forests; of special importance is it 

 to seciu-e a systematic development of hotels, rest houses, 

 and other accommodations to visitors. Sites are being 



