NATURAL AREAS AND REGIONS 



251 



ores. This, with its need for clearings 

 for the settlements, timber for build- 

 ings, fuel, and the mines, has thinned 

 the forests, while the sewage from the 

 settlements, the wastes from the mines 

 and the fumes of the smelters polluted 

 land and stream and killed plant and 

 animal life for miles around. Lumbering 

 has been the third factor in the with- 

 drawal of the biota in the north. In the 

 wake of cutting has followed agriculture 

 which has still further restricted the 

 natural areas. In the same areas in 

 central and southern Idaho irrigation 

 and reclamation have gone hand in hand 

 and turned many arid sage-brush prai- 

 ries into fertile farms and orchards. 



III. POLLUTION 



On the whole Idaho streams have 

 suffered relatively a slight pollution. 

 There are streams, notably in the mining 

 regions of the north, east and southwest, 

 that receive considerable waste and 

 refuse from the mines. Thus, the Coeur 

 d'Alene and Clearwater Rivers of 

 noirthern Idaho, before they pass into 

 Washington, receive both sewage and 

 mine refuse from the small cities along 

 the lower stretches of the streams. 



IV. NATURAL AREAS 



1. Idaho State Game Preserves 



The Idaho State Game Preserves are 7 

 in number and cover an area of over 2000 

 sq. mi. or approximately 1,500,000 acres. 

 In these preserves all game animals are 

 protected. Hunting is prohibited ex- 

 cept by the game wardens and duly 

 authorized persons. 



*Preserve on South Fork of Payette 

 River. (B2.) About 456 sq. mi. 

 292,000 acres. Located in northern 

 portion of the Boise National Forest 

 at the base of the Saw tooth Range. 

 All hunting, trapping, and killing of 

 any species of game and birds is for- 

 bidden. 



Game animals protected: bear, lynx, 

 wolverine, fox, otter, beaver, marten, 

 mink, and fisher. 



Predatory animals permitted to be 

 destroyed by game wardens: mountain 

 lion, timber wolf, coyote, wild cat. 



* Black Lake Game Preserve. (A3.) 

 About 350 sq. mi. 225,000 acres. Lo- 

 cated in north portion of Snake River 

 Section of the Nez Perce National 

 Forest. Since it is very inaccessible, 

 this promises to continue as a perma- 

 nent preserve. All animals protected 

 here. Beaver, otter, marten, fisher, fox, 

 mink, wolverine. 



Predatory animals; cougar, bear, lynx, 

 wolf, coyote, and wild cat may be 

 destroyed by game wardens only. 



*Lewiston Orchards Preserve. (C3.) 

 About 19 sq. mi. 12,000 acres. Located 

 in Nez Perce, and covering the depres- 

 sion in which the Lewiston Orchards lie. 



In this preserve birds of all kinds are 

 protected, including game birds, water 

 fowl, and song birds. 



*Big Lost River Game Preserve. (B2.) 

 About 432 sq. mi. 290,000 acres. Lo- 

 cated in north and northeastern portion 

 of Sawtooth National Forest. 



Birds include grouse, wild geese, wild 

 ducks, pheasant, partridges, quail, 

 prairie chicken, sage hen, swan, snipe, 

 plover, eagle, mourning dove, hawks, 

 crow, and magpy. 



Mammals include: deer, elk, caribou, 

 moose, mountain goat, bighorn sheep, 

 pronghorn antelope, beaver, otter, mar- 

 ten, fisher, fox, and mink, cougar, black 

 bear, lynx, wolverine, wolf, coyote, wild 

 cat, rabbits, badger, weasel, and skunk. 



*Selway State Game Preserve. (A2.) 

 About 725 sq. mi. 460,000 acres. Lo- 

 cated in northern part of Selway Na- 

 tional Forest. 



*Big Creek Game Preserve. (B2.) 

 About 192 sq. mi. 125,000 acres. Lo- 

 cated in Salmon National Forest. 



*Pocatello Game Preserve. (B2.) 49.5 

 sq. mi. 61,680 acres. Located south- 

 east of Pocatello in Cache National 

 Forest. 



Owyhee County. (Cl.) (Bl.) An 

 available Game Preserve, of about 5000 

 sq. mi. 



This county constitutes the south- 

 western corner of Idaho, comprising 



