REPORT ON THE PROPOSED BLUE MOUNTAINS FOREST RESERVE
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Langille, H. D. 1906. Report on the proposed Blue Mountains Forest Reserve.
Abstract: This important report describes conditions on approximately 3,000,000 acres that were contained in a proposed Blue Mountains Forest Reserve. The following topics were discussed: boundaries and topography; climate, including average annual precipitation amounts for 12 locations in Oregon and Washington; agricultural settlements; alienated lands; timber; the stock industry; mining camps; roads and trails; examination; public sentiment; the miner's objections; recommendations (eliminations, additions); future management of the reserves; and placer mining in the proposed Blue Mountain Forest Reserve. A short transmittal memorandum to the Secretary of the Interior, from Langille, dated April 30, 1906 is also included with the report. According to that memorandum, the report was accompanied by two maps: a map of the reserve, and a map of the mining district. Neither of those maps were contained on the microfiche material from the University of Washington, or in the report's folder at the National Archives in College Park, Maryland. The report also references some photographs (perhaps a half dozen or so), and they also were missing from the microfiche and National Archives copies. Unfortunately, the microfiche version of this report was scratched near the bottom, resulting in several instances where one or more lines at the bottom of a page were unreadable. The version at the National Archives is very ledgible, but it was not copied – unfortunately, I forgot about the unreadable portions and didn't copy the Archives one because I knew we already had a copy. This report offers a wealth of interesting insights, as demonstrated by the following quotes: "During a number of years past the Grande Ronde Lumber Company has been operating along the Grande Ronde river and the destruction of the forests which has followed this cutting is deplorable indeed. The hillsides have been wiped clean of every thing large enough for saw timber of any kind. In many places fire has followed the cutting and the destruction is complete." "The Company's mills are located at Perry, and the logs are driven down the river. At the time of my visit millions of feet of logs were being banked along the small streams which form the headwaters of the Grande Ronde. A very few years of such work as is being done by the Company would denude the entire watershed of this stream." "During the past 20 years this Company has been actively engaged in acquiring title to timber lands, not only in this part of the State but elsewhere. It is common knowledge that their employees have been supplied with funds with which to purchase lands under the Timber and Stone Act, and it is a matter of record that these claims have been transferred to the Company on the same day or the day following receipt of patent." "Sheep from Wasco, Crook, Sherman, Gilliam, Umatilla and Morrow Counties are driven to the mountains early each season and ranged up to the very doors of the actual settlers and cattle owners. There has been some trouble in the past resulting in bloodshed, but nothing as serious as that which threatens to come about in the near future." "A few years ago Eastern Oregon was one of the best range sections of the West. The rich bunch grass waved knee deep on hill and plain in such close growth that it was mowed with machines for hay." "At high elevations there are numerous tracts of a swampy nature in which different grasses and weeds of characteristic species occur and on the hills and in old burns peavine and other forage plants grow in greatest profusion. I was told by an ex-sheepherder that about 15 years ago he drove a band of sheep into these hills and camped 40 days in one place." "The timber and water supply of the Blue Mountains is invaluable to the entire surrounding country. As I have shown the timber is in demand from points 150 miles distant; the streams flow through semi-arid plains in all directions and the latent resources of these distant lands can be developed only by the application of the waters from these mountains."

 

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