Payette National Forest

The Ranger and His Job

THE FOREST RANGER is not simply a guardian, he is the manager of a great timberland domain. His district of a quarter of a million acres or more presents a hundred and one problems of resource management. To protect these resources, to perpetuate them, to use them wisely, to make his district render the greatest possible service to the county, State, and Nation demands careful planning, much executive ability, untiring effort, and devotion to the highest ideals of public service.

One of the big jobs of the rangers on the Payette Forest is to supervise the maintenance and protective improvements, including 450 miles of telephone lines, 150 buildings, 350 miles of roads, 60 miles of pasture fence, and 1,380 miles of trails.

TIMBER MANAGEMENT AND USE

The Payette Forest is in the heart of one of the most profitable timber-producing areas in the Intermountain Region. For more than a generation its timber stand of approximately 5 billion board feet has contributed much to the lumber industry of southern Idaho.

Under proper management this forest can produce, for generations to come, 60 million board feet of logs each year without depleting the timber stand or disturbing the watershed cover. At the present time, from 10 to 12 million board feet are cut annually.

Under the Forest Service sustained-yield program of cutting, the oldest stands of timber are selected to be cut first. Ripe or defective trees are marked for cutting; the younger trees are left to grow. This wise policy of tree selection prevents harm to the watershed, accelerates growth by providing room for the remaining trees, and improves the condition of the forest generally.

Besides supplying many local sawmills with timber for local and national use, the Payette rangers sell and give away large amounts of green and dead timber to hundreds of farmers in the valleys. Farmers and settlers may also purchase timber from the national forest for their own use at about the cost of administration.

Dominant Tree Species.

Eight species of so-called evergreen or softwood trees are found on the Payette Forest. The principal species and the one most valuable for lumber is the ponderosa pine, formerly known as the western yellow pine, which occurs normally at elevations of from 3,000 to 6,000 feet. It is estimated that of the 5 billion board feet of timber on the forest, 1-1/2 billion is in ponderosa pine stands.

The second most important species is Douglas fir, with a stand of 1/4 billion board feet. The six other species are: Lodgepole pine, Engelmann spruce, white fir, larch, alpine fir, and white bark pine.

There are also a few hardwood trees, such as the aspen and the cottonwood, but they are of no commercial importance and occur only in very small quantities.

HARVESTING A MATURE FOREST GIANT. THIS OLD PONDEROSA PINE WILL PRODUCE VALUABLE, HIGH GRADE LUMBER. F—369526

MEASURING THE TIMBER CROP IS ONE OF THE MANY JOBS OF UNCLE SAM'S FOREST RANGERS. F—369572

WATER FOR IRRIGATION

The Payette Forest is drained by tributaries of the Salmon and Snake Rivers. The Warm Lake country is drained by the South Fork of the Salmon River; Pen Basin by Johnson Creek, a tributary of the East Fork of the South Fork of the Salmon; and Bear Valley by Elk and Bear Valley Creeks, both tributaries of the Middle Fork of the Salmon. The remainder of the forest is drained by the North, Middle, and South Forks of the Payette River, a tributary of the Snake.

Water is perhaps the most important resource of the national forests in southern Idaho. Success or failure of the agricultural industry in the valleys is almost wholly dependent upon irrigation water from streams rising in the high mountain country, and protection of the watersheds is a primary objective of the management program of the Forest Service.

Snowfall is heavy on the thickly timbered slopes of the Payette Forest and furnishes much of the water stored in Black Canyon, Deadwood, and Sage Hen Reservoirs, and used on the irrigated farms along the lower reaches of the Payette River and the adjoining rich areas of the Snake. It is of vital importance, therefore, that the watersheds of the Payette be kept at their best. All uses made of the forest are so directed as to prevent the impairment or destruction of the cover of timber, brush, or forage on the mountain slopes.

CONVERTING THE FOREST TREES INTO USEFUL PRODUCTS. TIMBER ON THE PAYETTE HELPS TO SUPPORT AN IMPORTANT LOCAL INDUSTRY. F—373690

FORAGE FOR LIVESTOCK

Other assets of the Payette Forest valuable to southern Idaho are its alpine meadows and grassy slopes, covered with verdant forage, that provide summer and fall pastures for flocks of sheep and herds of cattle owned by residents of the nearby valleys. Here literally thousands of tons of grass are converted into fat beeves and lambs, since much of the forest area of 2,100 square miles is used for grazing.

During the usual grazing periods approximately 83,000 head of sheep and 6,000 head of cattle use the forest. Seasonal use varies, but cattle graze an average of 5 months per year and sheep about 3-1 2 months. Generally, the lower ranges are allotted to cattle and the higher and more rugged portions to sheep. Numbers and seasons of grazing stock are adjusted as necessary by the owners and the Forest Service to balance use with the amount of available forage.

Management of the range is one of the big jobs of the Payette rangers, the primary objective being to maintain the watershed cover in good condition and, at the same time, give stability to the livestock industry through the utilization of the valuable annual forage crop.

MINERALS FOR THE PROSPECTOR

Prospectors still roam the hills of the Payette seeking elusive pay dirt on placer claims or rich minerals in the mother lode, and there is considerable mining development.

The same mining laws apply in the national forests as elsewhere. There are no restrictions on prospecting or other mining activities so long as the mining claimants comply with provisions of applicable laws. Timber and forage products on claims may be used for the development of the claim, but may not be sold or used elsewhere prior to obtaining patent.

Rangers report on claims proposed for patent and often cooperate in the construction of roads for mining developments.

WILDLIFE AND FISH ABUNDANT

Wildlife is plentiful on the Payette Forest. Its streams and lakes are the delight of fishermen; its cloistered recesses are a laboratory for naturalists; and big game, including elk, deer, goats, bear, cougar, and mountain sheep, supply adventure for thousands of nimrods. Hunters come to the Payette Forest not only from Idaho but from all parts of the nation.

Herds of deer winter on the ranges of the South Fork of the Payette and Middle Fork of the Salmon Rivers, and during the summer they scatter to all parts of the forest, principally to higher elevations.

During the early part of the open season the best deer hunting is on the drainages of the South and Middle Forks of the Salmon, and on the East Fork of South Fork of the Salmon in the vicinity of Yellow Pine and Stibnite. After the fall storms, the best hunting is on the drainage of the South Fork of the Payette River between Garden Valley and Lowman. There are no open seasons on elk at present.

HEADWATERS OF SOUTH FORK OF SALMON RIVER, TYPICAL OF HUNDREDS OF MILES OF PAYETTE NATIONAL FOREST STREAMS, WHERE FISHING IS EXCELLENT AND FORESTED WATERSHEDS ASSURE A STEADY FLOW OF WATER. F—389974

DAYBREAK ON WARM LAKE. F—389998

The Payette is also the home of beaver, fox, martin, badger, ermine, and muskrat. Under permit from the State these animals are caught by trappers, who spend the lonely winter months traveling their trap lines between overnight cabins.

Sparkling mountain streams furnish the best fishing in central Idaho. To insure perpetuation of this sport, heavily fished streams are stocked each year by the Forest Service with fingerling trout grown at State and Federal hatcheries. Only the more expert anglers may expect to catch their limit on the streams easily accessible from the highway. Others not so skillful must travel less used roads or take mountain trails to waters where trout are more abundant, less wary, and more easily tempted.

Years ago salmon runs were common in almost all of the tributaries of the Salmon River, but today they are confined largely to the Middle Fork of the Salmon and its tributaries, such as Elk Creek and Bear Valley Creek.

Steelheads run in April and May. At that time of the year roads are not usually open, but an occasional party of sportsmen will fly to the Middle Fork of the Salmon for this early fishing.

The chinook salmon runs from about July 10 until the latter part of August. Each year hundreds of persons come to the Bear Valley region to witness this phenomenon of nature or to try their luck at landing a few choice chinooks.

MUTTON CHOPS IN THE MAKING. GRAZING UNDER CAREFULLY PREPARED MANAGEMENT PLANS AND HANDLED BY EXPERIENCED HERDERS, SHEEP UTILIZE MUCH OF THE RICH FORAGE ON THE MOUNTAIN RANGES. F—389980

Following are some of the choicest trout fishing spots on the Payette Forest:

CRAWFORD DISTRICT.—Raft and Skein Lakes; North and South Forks of Gold Fork; Big Creek; South Fork of Salmon and tributaries; Cabin, Warm Lake, and Curtis Creeks; Warm, Long, Summit, and Roaring Lakes.

THUNDER MOUNTAIN DISTRICT.—Johnson, Sand, Trout, Rustican, Burntlog, Trapper, Riordan, Sulphur, Bear Valley, and Elk Creeks; Riordan, Knight, Hidden, Black, Caton, Marion, Pistol, Honeymoon, Morehead, Bernard, and Lost Lakes; Middle Fork of Salmon and Deadwood Rivers.

Middle Fork, one of the best fishing spots on the Payette Forest and one of the best in the West, may be reached by pack trip from Snowshoe Cabin, a distance of 20 miles down Pistol Creek, or from Bear Valley, where pack stock may be obtained from Hanson's Dude Ranch on Bruce Meadows.

GARDEN VALLEY DISTRICT.—Garden Valley along South Fork of Payette and Middle Fork of Payette, Silver Creek, Lower Deadwood River, and Big Pine Creek, tributaries of South Fork of the Payette.

Rangers cooperate in the enforcement of game laws and give careful consideration in all their plans to the protection, use, and development of wildlife resources on their districts.

CATTLE GRAZING LAZILY ON RICH FORAGE AREAS. NATIONAL-FOREST RANGES ARE VITAL TO THE IDAHO LIVESTOCK INDUSTRY. F—398436