THE NATIONAL FORESTS OF COLORADO 



25 



of several million dollars. It is said to be the longest irrigation 

 tunnel in the United States. 



Timber production on the Gunnison has always been necessary 

 to the mining activity of this region. Although precious metals 

 were mined in the early days of settlement here, there is little left 

 now except coal, which is found at Somerset, Crested Butte, Bowie, 

 and Baldwin. These communities require large numbers of mine 

 timbers annually, most of which are supplied from this forest. 



The numerous resorts on the Gunnison River provide accommoda- 

 tions for those who have neither time nor facilities for trips to the 

 higher, more remote fishing streams, and there is much travel over 

 the Taylor Park road, which has recently been completed. Two 

 other main roads cross the forest, one from the town of Gunnison 

 across Black Mesa to Crawford and Hotchkiss and another via 

 Crested Butte over Kebler Pass via Somerset to Paonia in the valley 

 west of the forest. 



F-1 96294 



Fig. 17. — Open herding of sheep on the Gap allotment of the Anthracite district, 

 Gunnison National Forest 



THE GRAND MESA NATIONAL FOREST 



The Grand Mesa, created by proclamation by President Benjamin 

 Harrison in 1892, was the first national forest in Colorado. It lies 

 west of the Holy Cross National Forest and northwest of the 

 Gunnison. 



The geological formation of Grand Mesa, as indicated by its name, 

 is that of a great high table-land, a large part of it above timber line at 

 an average elevation of 10,500 feet. The area of the mesa alone is 

 nearly 35.000 acres. The rim is almost perpendicular, like that of 

 the Flat Tops in the White River Forest, and the more gradual, lower 

 slopes are well timbered. 



A similar plateau, Battlement Mesa, makes up the northwest 

 portion of the forest. Between these two mesas is the broad valley 

 of Plateau Creek. The lower portion of the valley is eliminated 

 from the national forest as agricultural land, but the upper slopes 

 are good timber and grazing land, and are included within the 



