the national forests of idaho 29 



the mountain lands fringing the valley on either side form part of 

 the forest. 



The Payette Forest contains large stands of timber and is also 

 important from the standpoint of grazing. Also from its protected 

 watersheds the Payette Kiver draws supplies for watering 123,000 

 acres. The North Fork of the Payette is followed not only by the 

 railroad but by a highway and the South Fork is followed by a road 

 as far as the little settlement of Lowman. The Middle Fork and 

 most of the tributaries are at present accessible only by trail. There 

 are no serious topographic barriers to the development of this forest, 

 and the timber can be expected to become marketable as fast as a 

 demand for it develops. The fishing is good along the various 

 forks of the Payette River. 



BOISE NATIONAL FOREST 



South of the Payette National Forest lies the Boise National 

 Forest, a great area of timberland located chiefly upon the head- 

 waters of the Boise River. The region is mountainous, without 

 marked ranges except along its eastern edge where the rugged Saw- 

 tooth Range separates it from the Sawtooth National Forest. It 

 may be entered by several routes; one road leads from the old 

 mining camp of Idaho City across the mountains to Lowman on 

 the South Fork of the Paj^ette River, and another from the south 

 enters the forest by way of Rocky Bar and the mining camp of At- 

 lanta. The rest of the forest is well covered with trails. 



This forest contains a great store of timber quite accessible to 

 centers of population in the Boise Valley as well as to the general 

 market. It is also of great importance to the farmers of the region, 

 for the protection of its watersheds is necessary not only to prevent 

 dangerous floods but to insure an adequate supply of water and to 

 prevent the silting up of the Arrowrock Reservoir. 



Sheep, cattle, and horses in considerable numbers graze on this 

 forest. The more accessible parts are much frequented by automo- 

 bile campers and even the less easily accessible portions of the Saw- 

 tooth Range are visited annually by a considerable number of de- 

 termined explorers. 



SAWTOOTH NATIONAL FOREST 



Directly east of the Boise National Forest and separated from 

 it by the crest of the Sawtooth Range lies the Sawtooth National 

 Forest. On this eastern side of the Sawtooth Range begins a very 

 different set of conditions. The tree growth of the mountains be- 

 comes decidedly less. Western \ellow pine, a valuable timber 

 species, disappears. Larger open areas of grass and sagebrush oc- 

 cupy the ridges* and more exposed slopes. These changes are 

 brought about by the sudden change in rainfall on the leeward 

 side of the Sawtooth Range. Although timber values are naturally 

 less in these drier forests, grazing assumes a more important place, 

 and on the Sawtooth Forest sheep grazing especially. 



A number of small settlements are located close to the forest 

 and in spite of the somewhat inferior timber stands several small 

 sawmills are in operation cutting lumber for local consumption. 



