FOREST RESERVES IN IDAHO. 47 



within the proposed reserve, and the same is true of Custer County. 

 It is safe to say that there is not more than one person for every 5.000 

 acres, of the present population on the proposed reserve, and these 

 settlers mostly live in mining camps. 



Boise City is the only important tovn tributary to the Sawtooth 

 I'egion, and it is 15 miles from the proposed boundary. One good 

 , Avagon road, known as the " State road," crosses the main area from 

 I Idaho City on the west to Bear Valley on the northeast. Boise, to 

 I the southwest, and Hailey, to the southeast, are the nearest railroad 

 ! points. Both of these towns are within 20 miles of the lower corners 

 of the proposed reserve. Another good stage road runs in from the 

 south through Rockybar to Atlanta. Several townships on the east 

 are crossed by the stage road north from Idaho City and Placerville. 

 These are the only passable roads in the region, because they are the 

 only roads that are kept in repair. There are good trails everywhere, 

 and any part of the reserve can be quickly reached on horseback. 

 For the proper development of the timber and mining resources more 

 roads will be required, and these roads will of necessity be very expen- 

 sive. The National Government will assume the responsibility of 

 making and caring for these needed roads. The cutting of mining 

 timbers does not seem to have seriously injured the forests, as only 

 the larger and better trees have been cut. If the cutting were con- 

 trolled by reserve restrictions, as to diameter and location, the supply 

 could in many cases be maintained, if not increased, to the immense 

 advantage of the mining industry. This is also true in regard to 

 the lumbering industry. If lumbering in the region could be con- 

 trolled by the forest reserve administration the results to all parties 

 concerned would be of great advantage. 



The region is very rich in minerals, as is shown by existing mines, 

 and it is greatly hoped that it may become in the future much more 

 important as a mining district even than it has been in the past. Xo 

 ore is shipped out because of the roughness of the country. Conse- 

 quently stamp mills have to be taken in and set up at the mines. 



Xext to lumbering sheep grazing is the great industry in this pro- 

 posed reserve. There are probably not more than 500 head of cattle 

 in the entire area and these along the southern border. The question 

 of grazing cattle will never be an important one. The fact that the 

 altitude is too high to allow successful farming operations makes the 

 region especially adapted for grazing. 



Because of the selfishness of a few sheep owners, who object to pro- 

 posed forest reserves because they practically control them Avith their 

 own bands of sheep, and because of the short-sighted and inconsid- 

 erate opposition of other sheep owners to forest reserves in general, 

 the impression has gone out that the sheep men are the ones who are 

 chiefly opposing the creation of forest reserves throughout the West. 

 The most intelligent and far-seeing sheep owners understand fully 

 that the creation of forest reserves within proper limits will be tre- 

 mendously to their advantage. I am quite certain that the few 

 sheep owners who object to tlie creation of properly designed forest 

 reserves do not fairly represent the opinion and best judgment of the 

 sheep owners as a class. 



I can not do better than by giving the report of the forestry 

 department on sheep grazing in this proposed Sawtooth Reserve. It 

 5245— No. C)7— 05 M i 



