8 FOREST EESERVES IN IDAHO. 



It is partially covered with timber. It serves the purpose of keeping' 

 the stock out of the headwaters of the streams and from the defilement 

 of the waters constituting that city's supply. 



The Coeur d'Alene Forest Reserve, withdrawn on August 14, 1903, 

 contains 138,240 acres. It is not located upon the headwaters of 

 streams so as to conserve the water supply, and there is no occasion 

 for the withdrawal of this reserve, except to protect the Government 

 timber against depredations, but there are already laws enacted for 

 that purpose that only need to be enforced; it works the greatest 

 injury to that section of the country to withdraw it from settlement. 

 There is no arid region upon any stream depending upon the water 

 supply of this section, and furthermore this timber reserve covers one 

 of the best mineral regions of northern Idaho, in which prospectors 

 are engaged in locating and developing mining claims every summer. 



It is now suggested by the Department to very much extend this 

 reservation, and according to the map submitted it would appear that 

 the proposed extension will be more than double the area of the pres- 

 ent withdrawal, and will include the mines of the Coeur d'Alene 

 country, which have produced more than $200,000,000 in wealth, and 

 which are to-day producing one-half of the lead product of the 

 United States, besides millions of dollars in silver and gold. Men 

 will not invest capital in mines or in the development of a country 

 under the forest reserve rules and limitations. 



Henrys Fork Reservation was withdrawn on April 30, 1902, con- 

 taining about 50,000 acres. This reservation lies in eastern Idaho 

 near the Yellowstone Park, and if it is confined to the watershed 

 lying along the Bitter Root Mountains dividing Idaho from Montana, 

 and covering the headwaters of the streams of Henrys Fork and 

 Camas Creek, it might serve a useful purpose, but in no instance 

 should these reservations along the watersheds be extended down into 

 the valleys where the land is desirable for settlement. 



The Meadow Creek Reservation, containing about 138,240 acres, 

 withdrawn on September 5, 1902, and restored on November 26, 1903, 

 only resulted in tying up that section of the country from settlement 

 for the period of a little short of a year. 



The Sawtooth Reserve, withdrawn December 2, 1902, the boun- 

 daries being changed on September 1, 1903, still stands. It contains 

 an area of about 1,084,480 acres. 



The reservation to which I particularly directed your attention on 

 the occasion of my recent interview with you is the Little Salmon 

 Reservation in Washington County, Idaho, containing about 681,200 

 acres, withdrawn on November 14, 1902, and the addition thereto in 

 purple color, to which I directed your attention, was withdrawn on 

 February 1, 1904, only a month since. 



These two reservations comprise 30 townships and cover one 

 of the most valuable mining regions in Idaho, and, in addition 

 thereto, many valleys most desirable for settlement, convenient to a 

 railroad. It will be observed from an examination of the map that 

 the railroad which is under construction from Weiser, in Washing- 

 ton County, north to connect with the railroad coming down from 

 the north at Harpster, in Idaho County, is closed in on either side 

 by these forest reserves in such way as to practically tie up the 

 country on which this railroad must depend for its resources, and if 



