42 FOKEST RESEKVES IN IDAHO. 



quote literally his objections, which objections he has caused to be 

 published very generally and to become his official objections. 



THE PROPOSED LAKE HENRY FOREST RESERVE. 



- The proposed Henrys Lake Reserve is in the northwestern part of 

 Fremont County, south of Montana, and on the eastern edge of the 

 Yellowstone National Park. It contains about 752,320 acres, 52,000 

 of which are withdrawn. I am particularly familiar with this entire 

 section, having gone over it many, many times. The area embraced is 

 mountainous and rough, consisting of a narrow strip along the upper 

 southern slope of the Continental Divide between Idaho and Mon- 

 tana, in which rises Camas Creek, an important irrigation stream, 

 and a projection southerly in the mountains bordering the national 

 park to afford protection to the North, or Henrys, Fork of Snake 

 River. The valley of this stream contains the only cultivable land 

 within the proposed boundaries, and most of this is excluded from the 

 reserve, as the area adjoining and south of Henrys Lake is to be 

 exempt. There are only about 6,000 acres of agricultural land in the 

 entire reserve. This has been practically taken up, and the creation 

 of the reserve will not prevent its use or occupation by its present 

 owners. The entire region supports no industries but grazing, except, 

 as I have indicated, farming along streams. The timbered land com- 

 prises forests of inferior lodge-pole pine, with occasional bodies of 

 red fir. They are not valuable for lumber, but are exceedingly val- 

 uable to protect the very important streams which I have mentioned, 

 which go to form the headwaters of the Snake River. Whatever sup- 

 ply of merchantable timber there is should be carefully guarded, as 

 it w^ill all be needed in that section. There is constant danger from 

 fire and overgrazing, and the importance of the streams for irriga- 

 tion makes immediate protection very desirable. All of the water in 

 this part of Idaho is utilized, and there is no possibility for increasing 

 the acreage except by irrigation. The North Fork of Snake River 

 already waters about 230,000 acres of land south of the proposed 

 reserve in Fremont County, and the Reclamation Service has surveyed 

 and planned several reservoirs, the creation of Avhich will be of great 

 benefit in the reclamation of arid lands. The success of these reser- 

 voirs depends largely on forest protection. Sheep and cattle from 

 oil over southeastern Idaho and from adjoining States contend for 

 this grazing country, with the result that it is overstocked and the 

 ranges and water flow suffer in consequence. No local interests wnli 

 be disturbed, and those who are living on the proposed reserve are 

 anxious for relief and from grazing competition. I suppose the 

 large sheep owners in southeastern Idaho, who disapprove of all for- 

 est reserves because they have a tendency to restrict their privileges, 

 object to this particular reserve. If they are residents of the region 

 proposed to be reserved, they will be protected and the gainers, as 

 they will be the first who are allowed to take permits for grazing. It 

 is the policy of the Administration everywhere and at all times to 

 permit a reasonable amount of grazing. 



The greatest irrigation project which will be undertaken anywhere 

 in the United States, in my judgment, will be the one which contem- 

 ])lates the storing of the headwaters of the Snake River. Jacksons 

 Lake will be made into a great reservoir, into which will be emptied 



