Northwest History. Forest Service. General.

• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1936
• Subjects: United States; Forest Service; National Forests; Land Donations; Forest Development Company; Lewiston; Idaho; C. L. Billings; Clearwater National Forest; St. Joe National Forests; Northwest; Pacific > History > 20th Century; United States > Forest Service > 20th Century; Clearwater River; North Fork; Pacific; Beaver Creek
• Online Access: http://content.libraries.wsu.edu/cdm/ref/collection/clipping/id/141811

Forests Benefit By Contribution Of Lewiston Firm. Forests Benefit By Contribution Of Lewiston Firm Through a donation by the Forest Development company, Lewiston, C. L. Billings, president, an addition of 6,317 acres of land has been made to the Clearwater and St. Joe national forests, it was announced yesterday after notice of acceptance of title by the government. The donated lands, all in Clearwater county, in the Beaver creek, Bertha hill areas, and north of Elk creek, will be administered in the same manner as other national forest lands to assure the greatest sustained productivity possible. The lands are parcels intermingled with other tracts previously donated by the Lewiston company as additions to the forests of region No. 1 and lie outside the existing boundaries of the forests. The Forest Development company has been the largest donor of land to the region, its previous donations totaling some 131,000 acres distributed among most of the northern Idaho national forests. Other lands donated in northern Idaho by individuals, lumber companies and counties total an additional 130,000 acres, title to a portion of which has not been accepted by the secretary of agriculture, but no doubt soon will be, Major Evan W. Kelley, regional forester, announced yesterday at Missoula. Some 200,000 acres of the total received through these gifts is concentrated in closely intermingled holdings in drainages of the St. Maries and north fork of the Clearwater river. "Clearwater county will be benefitted as a result of the donation of these lands, which are cut-over properties," it is pointed out by Major, Evan W. Kelley. "Under national forest administration the lands will be brought to the highest level of production of which they are capable, under a multiple land-use plan which includes timber production, recreation, grazing and Improvement of wild life resources. "Protection and administration of these lands requires expenditure of federal funds locally to the direct benefit of the county. Twenty-five per cent of all receipts from the lands is returned to the county for its roads and schools and 10 per cent is set aside for construction by the government of forest development roads which will benefit communities. "Eventual production of another timber crop will bring to the community the returns arising from employment of men for harvest of the crop, and benefits arising therefrom, to business and industry. This new. production will be on a sustained annual basis so that employment and other aspects of community activity resulting will be on a stabilized basis."