44 FOREST RESERVES IN IDAHO. 



THE PKOPOSED IDAHO ADDITION TO THE YELLOWSTONE FOREST RESERVE. 



I am quite familiar also with this country, which is near my home. 

 It contains 174,720 acres, which embraces the forested portion of the 

 Snake River Range, in Fremont and Bingham counties, between the 

 valleys of the Teton River and the South Fork of the Snake. It is 

 unsurveyed, and is from 7,000 to 13,500 feet above sea level, and of 

 absolute^ no value but for the pasture, timber, and w^ater supply 

 which it furnishes the surrounding arid but fertile plains and valleys. 



The only cultivable land is a tract of 51 acres covered by an unim- 

 proved claim. Grazing and irrigation farming are practically the 

 only industries of this part of Idaho. Teton Basin on the north of 

 the proposed addition, and Swan Valley on the south, contain agri- 

 cultural settlements entirely dependent upon it for timber, and they 

 use practically all the water rising therein, except that which during 

 floocl seasons finds its way to the Snake and becomes of value farther 

 south. The object of the proposed addition is to protect these dis- 

 tricts from the injury to their Avater range and timber supply, which, 

 through fire and excessive overgrazing by alien sheep, has alread}^ 

 assumed alarming propositions. 



Remote from market, the residents of the region dispose of their 

 irrigated crops largel}^ by winter feeding of cattle; therefore the 

 destruction of both summer range and water supply constitutes a 

 double and ruinous attack on their present welfare, besides preventing 

 'future development. Fire and sheep have already destroyed the 

 forests on the northern end of the Snake River Range so apparently 

 beyond redemption that this portion of the area petitioned for is not 

 included by the recommendations. The necessity of preserving the 

 remainder from such permanent injury is urgent. 



Since to do this will require the total exclusion of sheep from about 

 half the proposed addition, and a reduction to about half the number 

 now occupying the remainder, opposition from the sheep interest is 

 inevitable, but the petition for the reserve to the Department of the 

 Interior by 169 residents of the region, dated July 6, 1903, represents 

 the unanimous local sentiment, and asserts that, aside from the irri- 

 gation question, unless reproduction is protected the available local 

 wood supply will not last more than fifteen years. 



I do not recall having seen any protest from Senator Ileyburn 

 against this proposed addition to the Yellowstone Reservation. If 

 he has made such a protest, giving reasons, it has not yet been filed 

 and become official. 



THE PROPOSED SAWTOOTH FOREST RESERVE. 



The total area which is recommended for this reserve is 1,918,480 

 acres. Of this, 13,040 acres have passed wholly or in part to private 

 owners, as follows: (1) Homestead entries, 1,200 acres; (2) timber 

 and stone entries, 2,240 acres, and (3) school lands, 9,600 acres. This 

 is exclusive of mineral lands. 



The above entries, almost without exception, have been made along 

 rivers and streams where there are lands that can be irrigated, or in 

 easily accessible bodies of timber. The larger part of the area of 

 this reserve forms much of eastern Boise and northern Elmore coun- 

 ties, with a narrow strip in western Blaine and Custer counties and 

 southern Idaho County. 



