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Show Tract Is Added to National Forests 1,116,000 Acres in Thunder Mountain Region of Idaho Set Apart. HAS LONG BEEN A MENACE Recurring Forest Fires Have Endangered Endan-gered Adjoining Portions of National Na-tional Forests Great Tract Is Difficult of Access. (Prepared by tile United States Department Depart-ment of Agriculture.) Washington, D. C. In accord with almost unanimous sentiment in Idaho and In response to considerations vitally vital-ly affecting adjoining nutional forests, congress has set apart 1,116.000 acres of land In Idaho known as Thunder Mountain region, as national forest lands.. This great tract, difficult of access ac-cess and having not over 1 -per cent of its area suitable for agriculture, has for years been the scene of destructive fires and devastation due to overgrazing. overgraz-ing. It is now to be added to the Payette Pay-ette national forest which adjoins It on the south and west, nnd the Idaho national forest which adjoins it on the north and west. The area lie? approximately approx-imately 100 miles northeast of Boise. Because uncontrolled, it lias been a recurring re-curring menace to the adjoining national na-tional forests by reason of fires that have gained great headway in Its vast unpatrolled regions. Swept by Forest Fires. What has taken place In the Thunder Thun-der Mountuin region, according to officials offi-cials of the forest service, United States department of agriculture, is typical of what would have taken place In most of the national forests had these areas net been protected. Three hundred thousand acres, or approximately approxi-mately one-third of the area, has been swept by forest fires In the past twelve years, destroying approximately 700,-000,000 700,-000,000 feet of timber.- The mining resources, re-sources, after being superficially exploited ex-ploited by miners with scant equipment, equip-ment, have remained practically undeveloped. un-developed. Much of the wild life has been ruthlessly exterminated, and the grazing lands have been destroyed by nomadic, herds. The number of sheep which have been grazing without restriction re-striction or regulation during the past year total nearly 300,000, whereas a fair estimate of the "carrying capacity" capaci-ty" of the entire country has been placed at 75,000 to 10,000 head of sheep. v There are no towns or villages In the whole region. The log buildings of the first settlement on Monumental creek still stand vacant, specter-like reminders of the boom days of many years ago. Hundreds of claim? which j. - were located during the rush of 1001 have been abandoned. Some high-grade high-grade ores have been found, and the general belief is that the region contains con-tains an abundance of low-grade ore, hut its commercial use has not been possible because of inadequate transportation trans-portation facilities. Control of the area as National Forest land, once opposed op-posed because it was feared that it might retard mine development, is now seen to be a practical step toward proper use of the mining resources, as well as conservative utilization of grazing facilities. Travel Is Difficult. At present the roads, trails, and bridges are In a sad state of disrepair, making travel over them on foot or by horseback impossible. One of the important im-portant undertakings of the forest service, now that the tract has been added to adjoining national forests, will be to supply the area with improved im-proved lines of travel. A large and important watershed Is Included in this urea, which is estimated esti-mated to supply at least 1,000 second-feet second-feet of water to the Columbia river at low-water periods. It is roughly estimated esti-mated that more than 100,000 horsepower horse-power could be generated from waters rising in the area. The region includes no natural wonders, large lakes or |