EXTENSION OF NATIONAL FORESTS IN COLORADO 



401 



such bodies as the Boulder County Metal Mining Asso- 

 ciation, thus bringing the mining interests back into line 

 for a measure formerly bitterly opposed. 



And no wonder that pressure was brought to bear 

 for this legislation. The region affected, which consti- 



NEAR THE COLORADO NATIONAL FOREST 



This is taken on the Estes Park auto road, and shows part of the proposed addi- 

 tion to the Colorado National Forest. The forest and cliffs may be seen in the 

 distance. 



tutes the level plains bordering the foothills, is one of 

 the richest orchard and fanning communities in the 

 State. Sugar beets, alfalfa, apples, and many grains are 

 produced in abundance, provided only that the land re- 

 ceives water for irrigation. Boulder Creek, Left Hand, 

 the St. Vrain, the Big and Little Thompson, and the 

 Cache La Poudre are all utilized to the last bucketful in 

 fostering the great agricultural wealth of the region. 

 Many thriving towns are located on the plains close to 

 the foothills, among which are Boulder, Ward, Estes 

 Park, Longmont, Berthoud, Loveland, Lyons, Fort Col- 

 lins, and Greeley, all of which get their domestic water 

 supply from the streams flowing east from the Conti- 

 nental Divide across this foothills region. The sugar 

 factories alone produced in 1916 an output of 319 million 

 pounds of sugar from 86,000 acres of sugar beets, and 

 the by-products, or refuse, from these factories fattened 

 25,000 cattle and over 1,000,000 sheep. More than half 



a million acres are irrigated from the streams heading in 

 the Medicine Bow Mountains, and the crops produced 

 are worth over $10,000,000. Municipal water plants al- 

 ready represent over $3,000,000 invested, with 20,000" 

 horsepower developed and several additional plants under 

 construction. 



These are the communities whose insistent demand 

 finally overcame the bitter opposition of States rights ad- 

 vocates and champions of unrestrained private exploita- 

 tion. In 1916 a bill was introduced, which became a law 

 in September of that year, by which the President was 



OLD MAN RANGER STATION 



This is one of the most picturesque stations in District 2. It is near Estes Park 

 and on the proposed addition to the Colorado National Forest. 



authorized by Congress to proclaim as National Forest 

 land any portion of an area of 524,478 acres adjoining 

 the Colorado and Pike National Forests. 



This was promptly followed by the withdrawal of 

 these lands from all forms of private entry, through an 

 order of the Secretary of the Interior. The lands have 

 been since examined and classified, and the addition of 

 this area to the adjoining National Forests now awaits 

 the President's action. 



Although on the entire area 252,840 acres are alien- 

 ated lands belonging or claimed by private parties, or 

 nearly 50 per cent of the total, yet these claims repre- 

 sent an almost negligible area of cultivated or cultivatable 



