42 FOREST RESERVES I^' IDAHO. 



quote literalh' his objections, which objections he has caused to be 

 published very generally and to become his official objections. 



THE PROPOSED LAKE IIEXRY FOREST RESERVE. 



The projoosed Henrys Lake Reserve is in the northAvestern part of 

 Fremont County, south of ^lontana, and on the eastern edge of the 

 Yellowstone National Park. It contains about 752,320 acres, 52,000 

 of which are withdrawn. I am particularly familiar with this entire 

 section, having gone oA^er it many, many times. The area embraced is 

 mountainous and rough, consisting of a narrow strip along the upper 

 southern slope of the Continental DiA^ide between Idaho and Mon- 

 tana, in which rises Camas Creek, an important irrigation stream, 

 and a projection southerly in the mountains bordering the national 

 park to afford protection to the North, or Henrys, Fork of Snake 

 River. The A^alley of this stream contains the only cultivable land 

 Avithin the proposed boundaries, and most of this is excluded from the 

 reserA^e, as the area adjoining and south of Henrys Lake is to be 

 exempt. There are only about 6.000 acres of agricultural land in the 

 entire reserA^e. This has l)een practically taken up, and the creation 

 of the reserA^e will not preA^ent its use or occupation by its present 

 owners. The entire region supports no industries but grazing, except, 

 as I haA'e indicated, farming along streams. The timbered land com- 

 prises forests of inferior lodge-pole pine, with occasional bodies of 

 red fir. They are not valuable for lumber, but are exceedingly val- 

 uable to protect the A'ery important streams AA'hich I haA^e mentioned, 

 which go to form the headAvaters of the Snake RiA^er. AMiatcA'er sup- 

 ply of merchantable timber there is should be carefully guarded, as 

 it will all be needed in that section. There is constant danger from 

 fire and OA^ergrazing, and the importance of the streams for irriga- 

 tion makes immediate protection A'ery desirable. All of the water in 

 this part of Idaho is utilized, and there is no possibility for increasing 

 the acreage except by irrigation. The North Fork of Snake River 

 already waters about 230,000 acres of land south of the proposed 

 reserve in Fremont County, and the Reclamation Service has surA^yed 

 and planned seA'eral reservoirs, the creation of AAdiich Avill be of great 

 benefit in the reclamation of arid lands. The success of these reser- 

 voirs depends largely on forest protection. Sheep and cattle from 

 all OA^er southeastern Idaho and from adjoining States contend for 

 this grazing country, with the result that it is OA^erstocked and the 

 ranges and Avater flow suffer in consequence. No local interests will 

 be disturbed, and those who are living on the proposed reserA'e are 

 anxious for relief and from grazing competition. I suppose the 

 large sheep oAAiiers in southeastern Idaho, who disapproA'e of all for- 

 est reserA^es because they haA^e a tendency to restrict their priA'ileges, 

 object to this particular reserA^e. If they are residents of the region 

 proposed to be reserA^ed, they will be protected and the gainers, as 

 they AA'ill be the first who are alloAved to take permits for grazing. It 

 is the policy of the Administration CA^erywhere and at all times to 

 permit a reasonable amount of grazing. 



The greatest irrigation project Avhich aa'III be undertaken anyAvhere 

 in the United States, in my judgment, will be the one which contem- 

 plates the storing of the headwaters of the Snake RiA^er. Jacksons 

 Lake will be made into a great reserA'oir, into which Avill be emptied 



