SURVEYS OF FOREST RESERVES. 93 



FORICST MANAGEMENT. 



Aside from protection of the reserve against fire and illegal cutting, 

 no measures of forest management should be undertaken until an ade- 

 quate study of the forest has been made. 



BOUNDARIES. 



I am not suiBciently acquainted with this reserve to suggest changes 

 in its boundaries. 



PRIEST RIVEE FOREST RESERVE. 



SUMMARY. 



Situation: Northern Itlalio and northeastern Washington. Acres. 



Area within jjreseut lines 645, 120 



Adverse holdings, approximately 285, 000 



Exclusions p^opo^ed, approximately 4, 000 



Inclusions proposed, approximately 425, 000 



Area within proposed lines, approximately 1, 065, 000 



Increase, api)roximated 421, 000 



Adverse holdings, approximated 200, 000 



Per cent of 

 Present lines : total area. 



Area of forest land 80 



Area marked by fire 75 



Area badly burned 40 



Standing merchantable timber, 4,830,000,000 board feet. 

 Force recommended: One ranger, 3 guards, 15 fire watchers. 



Sources of information : Report and statements of J. B. Leiberg, special field assistant, 

 United States Geological Survey. Personal examination, .July 16-26, 1897. 



A mountainous region, partly undulating, partly broken, of great natural adapta- 

 tion for the growth of forests. 

 Fire is rapidly destroying that part of the forest which has hitherto escaped. 

 Questions of water supply are less important than elsewhere. 

 Mining: Little present, but much prospective importance. 

 Agriculture : No special mbasures are required. 

 Grazing : Not important. 

 The commercial development of this reserve is not imperative at present. 



The Priest Eiver Forest Reserve is situated chiefly in Kootenai 

 County, northern Idaho, with a small portion in northeastern Wash- 

 ington, and is bounded on the north by the British line. It includes 

 within its boundaries an estimated area of 645,120 acres. To reach 

 the sum of lands held by the Government this total must be diminished 

 by the non mineral part of 290,230 acres of land within the primary and 

 indemnity limits of the ISTorthern Pacific Railroad, and an unknown 

 area covered by squatter claims on lands alleged to be agricultural. 

 Mining claims have been located chiefly in the northern and western 

 portions of the reserve. The total area owned by the Government 

 within the boundaries probably does not exceed 360,000 acres. 



From north to south the reserve extends about 55 miles, with an aver- 

 age breadth from east to west of 25 miles. Except for a small portion 

 tributary to the Pend Oreille, almost its whole area is included within 

 the Priest River watershed, by the limits of which it is bounded on the 

 east and west. It contains two considerable bodies of water — Priest 

 Lake, with a length of 18 miles, and Upper Priest Lake, with a length 

 of somewhat over 2 miles. Streams are numerous, and the reserve as 

 a whole is very, well watered. The Priest range of iDountains, which 

 bounds the reserve on the east, rises to a height of 8,000 feet, and in its 

 upper portion is exceedingly rugged and broken. The ridges which 



