FOREST RESERVES IN IDAHO. 59 



Idaho have not organized to secure forest protection as much as they 

 have elsewhere, where the necessity has been proved by bitter 

 experience. 



I need not argue that mining absolutely requires a sustained sup- 

 pi}^ of timber and water and that its profits are greatly affected by the 

 cheapness of both. The point is whether such favorable conditions 

 are assured to those who are spending their lives and money to 

 develop this gerat industry of Idaho. Experience has shown other- 

 wise. Countless camps have seen the timber and water, second only 

 to ore in necessity to their growth, either destroyed by fire or dimin- 

 ished so as to greatly imperil their future. And now that saAvmills 

 are becoming their active competitors, many have not long to wait 

 before the supj^ly which they confidently relied on will be cut before 

 their eyes and shipped out of the State. No industry has more 

 to gain than mining from a system which brings protection against 

 fire and, while freely allowing timber to those who need and have a 

 right to it, against waste and unfair competition. 



But while forest reserves protect the local consumer where the 

 supply is rightly his, they do not injure legitimate lumbering. On 

 the contrary, one of their prime objects is to foster and make per- 

 manent this industry. Much of Idaho, especially the northern part, 

 is ideally a timber-producing countr3\ It should maintain for all 

 time a lumber business which will employ thousands of men, bring 

 vast wealth to the State, and support a large dependent population in 

 towns and farms. It will be a great misfortune if Idaho repeats the 

 history of most other timber States. If its timber passes entirely 

 into the hands of a few syndicates, and if these emj)loy the usual 

 methods of their great wealth — immense mills and armies of men 

 intent on the greatest exploitation in the shortest time — the j^erma- 

 nance of lumbering in Idaho will be doomed. The small mill Avill 

 disappear, the price of lumber to the miner and home builder will be 

 dictated by monopoly, and in a short time even the big mills Avill move 

 away, leaving depression in every business following the temporary 

 abnormal stimulus. The timber will be cut while Idaho is too undevel- 

 oped to use much, therefore it will be shipped away. When Idaho 

 has grown to need a large supply it will be gone. 



The object of forest reserves is to prevent this. All the timber 

 which can be spared will be sold from them, and this will be enough 

 to support a large lumbering industry, but the future will also be 

 kept in mind. The young timber will be protected, fires and waste 

 will be prevented, and local demand will be insured permanent 

 supply. 



So closely allied with forest protection that separation is difficult 

 is the use of the public range. Sheep and cattle grazing is the 

 source of much of Idaho's wealth, and the summer range is usually 

 m the regions where forest reserves are recommended. Fortunately, 

 however, the establishment of reserves is an advantage, not an injury, 

 to this interest. '\Miile the early policy was not always sufficiently 

 liberal, the Government now recognizes the importance of this sub- 

 ject and desires, instead of hampering the use of the summer range, 

 to bring it to its highest permanent utility. On the public domain 

 unrestricted grazing competition has generally resulted in disadvan- 

 tage to the small stock owners and deterioration in the carrjdng 



