FOREST AND RANGE RESOURCES OF UTAH 57 



JACK BABBITS AND HABES 



Three species of hares (Lejms and its relatives) are found in Utah. 

 These are commonly termed the white-tailed jack rabbit, the black- 

 tailed jack rabbit, and the Rocky Mountain snowshoe rabbit. Black- 

 tailed and white-tailed jack rabbits range over valley and desert 

 areas and often become so numerous as to threaten all crops on large 

 cultivated tracts. 



A close relative of the hares is the native cottontail rabbit. How- 

 ever, it rarely becomes so numerous as to cause serious damage in the 

 agricultural areas in the State. 



In considering the economic relation of rabbits or hares to forest 

 areas, the snowshoe rabbit is of chief importance. This rabbit has 

 great tufts of hair that pad its large hind feet and assist it in 

 moving about over the snow during the winter. Its brown pelage 

 of summer turns completely white as winter approaches. The chief 

 damage that it does is the cutting of young conifer seedlings either 

 in natural reproduction areas or artificial plantations. Where the 

 black-tailed jack rabbit occurs it may do serious damage to range 

 forage. 



THE WESTEEN POECUPINE (EBETHIZON) 



The porcupine does not hibernate, nor does it migrate extensively, 

 though there may be well-marked seasonal movements, but spends 

 its somewhat solitary life in rather small areas, feeding upon the 

 bark of trees, making forays into gardens or cultivated fields, or 

 hiding away in some crevice at the base of a rock slide. It is when 

 dusk falls that the porcupine sallies forth on nightly tours, especially 

 on evenings when the moon is up. 



The single young one is born in May and remains for some time 

 about the den, which is generally to be found in some rocky slide 

 high on the mountain slope. 



It is apparent that the porcupine is on the increase in Utah. 

 This is especially noticeable in forest areas, where the animal shows 

 a preference for the bark of conifers. The pine seems to be prefer- 

 red to other species, and the damage is widespread. (Fig. 27.) 



USE AND MANAGEMENT OF TIMBER RESOURCES 

 HISTORY OF THE LUMBER INDUSTRY IN UTAH 



Sawmills were built the first year after the pioneers came to Utah. 

 By 1848 there were three mills in Mill Creek, east of Salt Lake, and 

 three in a canyon 10 miles north. The first lumber was manu- 

 factured by up-and-down (whip) saws, operated first by man power 

 (Fig. 31), and later by water power. Then came the circular saw, 

 operated first by water power and finally by steam. By 1852, there 

 were sawmills at City Creek, Cottonwood Canyon, Tooele, and 

 Provo. In 1853, there were a hundred or more mills in operation 

 in various parts of Utah. 



Smith Bros, cut saw timber from Pine Valley, Provo River, about 

 1882, and ran the first drive of timber from upper Provo River. The 

 logs were landed near the mouth of Provo Canyon, where Smith 

 Bros, had a sawmill, 



