Figure 16. — On peak days more than 200 campers and fishermen ring this 

 50-acre lake which, like several other heavily used recreation lakes on the 

 North Slope, is also a reservoir that is drained down during the summer. 



The issue with regard to game management is perhaps a bit more clear-cut. Some por- 

 ' tions of the North Slope are not now satisfactory for recreational use or wildlife habitat be- 

 cause of the condition of the timber. In some localities the timber growth is so dense the 

 area has become poor habitat for big game and upland game birds. Lack of access and dense 

 timber, moreover, make orderly game harvest very difficult. Likewise, recreationists other 

 than hunters find it difficult to use some of the area because the stands are so dense or 

 because the down timber has become a jungle. Thus, any timber-growing program could 

 improve recreation and wildlife management outside the Uinta Primitive Area. 



Not the least of the considerations is the opportunity to make the North Slope finan- 

 cially self-sufficient in the more distant future. Although the values involved are presumed 

 to justify the costs of administering the National Forest lands on the North Slope, the 

 cost has always exceeded the direct financial return to the Federal treasury. Timber man- 

 agement offers a means for making the North Slope financially self-sufficient one rotation 

 hence when the initial task of rehabilitation has been completed. 



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