Southern Appalachian Digital Collections

Western Carolina University (21) View all

Secretary of Agriculture report on watersheds

items 30 of 41 items
  • wcu_great_smoky_mtns-14410.jpg
Item
?

Item’s are ‘child’ level descriptions to ‘parent’ objects, (e.g. one page of a whole book).

  • 30 APPALACHIAN AND WHITE MOUNTAIN WATERSHEDS. AREAS OF ESPECIAL IMPORTANCE. Owing to the high price that would have to be paid for virgin forest land, but little of such land can be bought. Certain small areas of virgin forest should, however, be preserved, surrounding places of particular importance, as recreation grounds. The destruction of the forest upon them would almost completely destroy their value. These places are frequented by thousands of people annually, and their preservation is of great importance. On invitation, representatives of the Appalachian Mountain Club, the Massachusetts Forestry Association, and the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests cooperated with the Forest Service in locating five such areas. Their combined area will not exceed 5,000 acres. One area is located on the north slope of the Presidential Range around the ravine of the Cascades and extends from an area that has been recently logged over up to the limit of merchantable timber at an elevation of 4,000 feet. It includes the slopes on both sides of and above the Cascade Falls. These falls are much frequented by campers and vacationists, and this would be the only area of virgin tim- berland left on the north slope of the Presidential Range. Another area is located around the Glen Ellis Falls and extends in a narrow strip from here, on both sides of the trail, up through Tuckermans ravine on the slopes of Mount Washington to an elevation of 4,000 feet, the limit of merchantable timber. Another area is situated on the East Branch of the Pemigewasset River, where Cedar and Shoal Pond brooks come in. This is a popular camping spot for parties crossing from the Crawford Notch region through the Pemigewasset Valley to North Woodstock, and is very much used for camping. Another tract is situated 7 miles west of North Woodstock on the Mousilauke Brook. At this point, about 1 mile from its source on Mount Mousilauke, the brook disappears underground and flows through a series of caverns for a distance of nearly half a mile, being here called "Lost River." This underground stream is one of the remarkable natural features in the White Mountains. Some twenty or more caverns make the whole place one of unusual interest. Still another area is Eagle Cliff, which is a combination of six mountains, ranging in height from 2,400 to 3,100 feet, all combined in one massive group, in the Franconia Notch. The south side of this cliff is very steep and overlooks the Profile House, but on the opposite (north) side it is more sloping in character, extending down to the wild bed of Lafayette Brook, and is covered with a forest growth, mixed spruce and hardwoods, of remarkable evenness and beauty. It is the most prominent forest on the Franconia Range and one of the most prominent to be found on any of the mountains. AREA AND LOCATION OF LANDS NEEDING PROTECTION. In order to determine the extent of the lands primarily available for forests in the Southern Appalachian and White Mountain regions, a reconnaissance survey has been made, as a result of which the accompanying maps have been prepared. Maps I and II show for the two regions the lands to be classed as distinctly mountainous and nonagricultural.
Object
?

Object’s are ‘parent’ level descriptions to ‘children’ items, (e.g. a book with pages).