60TH CONGRESS, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. ( REPORT 2d Session. No. 2100. GLACIER NATIONAL PARK. FEBRUARY 9, 1909.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed. Mr. PRAY, from the Committee on the Public Lands, submitted the following REPORT. [To accompany S. 5648.] The Committee on the Public Lands having had under consideration the bill (S. 5648) to establish the Glacier National Park west of the summit of the Rocky Mountains and south of the international boundary line in Montana, and for other purposes, report the same back with amendments with the recommendation that the bill as amended do pass. Amend by striking out all after the enacting clause and inserting the following: That the tract of land in the State of Montana particularly described by metes and bounds as follows, to wit: Commencing at a point on the international boundary between the United States and the Dominion of Canada at the middle of the Flathead River; thence following southerly along and with the middle of the Flathead River to its confluence with the Middle Fork of the Flathead River; thence following the north bank of said Middle Fork of the Flathead River to where it is crossed by the north boundary of the right of way of the Great Northern Railroad; thence following the said right of way to where it intersects the west boundary of the Blackfeet Indian Reservation; thence northerly along said west boundary to its intersection with the international boundary; thence along said international boundary to the place of beginning; is hereby reserved and withdrawn from settlement, occupancy, or disposal under the laws of the United States, and dedicated and set apart as a public park or pleasure ground for the benefit and enjoyment of the people of the United States under the name of "The Glacier National Park;" and all persons who shall locate or settle upon or occupy the same, or any part thereof, except as hereinafter provided shall be considered trespassers and removed therefrom: Provided, That nothing herein contained shall affect any valid existing claim, location, or entry under the land laws of the United States or the rights of any such claimant, locator, or entryman to the full use and enjoyment of his land. SEC. 2. That said park shall be under the exclusive control of the Secretary of the Interior, whose duty it shall be, as soon as practicable, to make and publish such rules and regulations not inconsistent with the laws of the United States as he may deem necessary or proper for the care, protection, management, and improvement of the same, which regulations shall provide for the preservation of the park in a state of nature so far as is consistent with the purposes of this act, and for the care and protection of the fish and game within the boundaries thereof. Said Secretary may, in his discretion, execute leases to parcels of ground not exceeding ten acres H R-60-2-Vol 1-44 in extent at any one place to any one person or company, for not to exceed twenty years, when such ground is necessary for the erection of buildings for the accommodation of visitors, and to parcels of ground not exceeding one acre in extent and for not to exceed twenty years to persons who have heretofore erected or whom he may hereafter authorize to erect summer homes or cottages; he may also sell and permit the removal of matured or dead or down timber as he may deem necessary or advisable for the protection or improvement of the park. The proposed park contains about 1,300 square miles. It is bounded on the north by the Canadian Northwest Territories, on the east by the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, and on the south and west by the Flathead River. Included within its boundaries are to be found over 60 glaciers, 250 lakes, immense forests of pine and cedar, innumerable streams and waterfalls, and mountain peaks rising from 6,000 to 10,000 feet in height, together with nearly every variety of fish and game known in that latitude. The principal entrance of the park is by way of Belton, on the Great Northern Railway, and by a drive of 4 miles along the Flathead River and through the forest to Lake McDonald, which extends in a northerly direction toward the center of the park a distance of about 12 miles. Well-known artists and writers who are frequent visitors here have described Lake McDonald as one of the most beautiful lakes in the world. The editor of Forest and Stream says, in writing of Lake McDonald: There is every scenic beauty here of an Alpine lake, with a far greater choice of game and fish. Prof. John H. Edwards describes Lake McDonald and the region surrounding it as follows: In the heart of the Rockies, in the northern part of Montana, surrounded by mountain peaks in bewildering varieties of form, lies beautiful Lake McDonald. Not quite so large as Yellowstone Lake, it surpasses that loftiest of American mountain lakes of approximate size in grandeur of scenery. From this lake 12 miles of bridle path lead on to Avalanche basin, a deep recess shut in between a horseshoe sweep of granite cliffs that rise 2,500 feet above the turquoise lake in its center, while all around the mountains lift their heads to the height of 2 miles above sea level. These lakes and rivulets are all fed by the melting glacier above. This neighborhood furnishes the best opportunity to study living and dying glaciers to be found within our national boundaries, Alaska excepted. John Muir, whose name is borne by the finest of Alaska glaciers, has written in ardent appreciation of this region. Six thousand five hundred feet above sea level and 7 miles from the head of Lake McDonald is the Glacier camp, from which an hour's climb leads to Sperry's glacier, named after the explorer and lecturer, Prof. L. B Sperry, of Oberlin. The serrated edge of this interesting ice formation measures in width over 2 miles, and from its upper edge to the end of the longest finger is a stretch of 5 miles of blue ice. At one time this ice sheet extended a mile farther down and plunged over the abrupt precipice that walls the Avalanche basin. Its deserted track furnishes to-day an open page whereon the process of glacial erosion and deposit may be studied even more plainly and instructively than in the days of its greatest extent. Nearly every glacial phenomenon described in the books, it is said, found illustrated in this unique body of ice. may be A further description of this attractive region will be found in Senate Report No. 580, which contains the letters of the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior, an article by Robert H. Chapman, of the Geological Survey, a map of the territory embraced, and views of some of the principal lakes, cascades, mountain peaks, and glaciers. The Senate report, exclusive of map and views, is hereto appended, as follows: The Committee on Public Lands, to which was referred Senate bill 5648, reports the same back with the recommendation that it do pass. This bill proposes to create a national park, which will be fittingly called "Glacier National Park." The territory embraced contains about 1,400 square miles, with approximately equal areas on the east and west of the summit of the main range of the Rocky Mountains immediately south of the international boundary line. The park will embrace about forty glaciers and a large number of lakes and streams. From this area waters flow to the Hudson Bay, Gulf of Mexico, and the Pacific Ocean. The mountain scenery is of unparalleled grandeur and beauty. Mount Cleveland, the highest peak, reaches an elevation of 10,434 feet above the sea, and there are numerous rugged mountains in the proposed park ranging from 6,000 to 10,000 feet above sea level. There is practically no agricultural land and no mineral-bearing formations of any significance or commercial value within the exterior limits of the area described in the bill. Mountain goats, mountain sheep (Bighorn), black bears, deer, elk, and moose abide in the country proposed to be embraced in the park as well as a great variety of birds, and it is believed that these game animals and birds will increase in numbers, if protected by law from interference, to such an extent as to furnish in the overflow from the park a tempting supply to sportsmen for all time to come, whereas in the absence of such protection of the breeding ground many of the animals, particularly the sheep and the goats, will become practically extinct within a very short time. In order to open this region of superb and unique scenery for the public a few main roadways will be required along the streams, together with horse trails to points of especial interest. Lake McDonald, near the southwestern boundary of the proposed park, is a sheet of water of an unmatched beauty, surrounded by scenery of such signal grandeur as to make a roadway along its eastern shore extremely desirable; but the question of making the region accessible will be the subject of future consideration by Congress. By a majority vote of the committee the boundary of the proposed reservation is changed so as to bring the west boundary of the proposed park down the middle line of the Flathead River, as the majority of the committee believe that unless some natural boundary line be established there that it will lead to much confusion as to the territorial limit of the proposed park and the result in the slaughter of the elk, deer, and other animals that might use this country as a feeding ground during the summer months. Amend the bill as follows: Page 1 strike out all of lines 8 to 13, inclusive. Page 2 strike out all of lines 1 to 9, inclusive, and all of line 10 down to the word "to," and insert in lieu thereof the following: "Commencing at a point on the international boundary between the United States and the Dominion of Canada at the middle of the Flathead River; thence following southerly along and with the middle of the Flathead River to its confluence with the Middle Fork of the Flathead River; thence following the north bank of said Middle Fork of the Flathead River." Page 3, line 16, after the word "dead," insert "or." Page 3, strike out all of line 17 and the word "states" in line 18. Page 4, after the word "power," in line 3, insert the following: And provided further, That the Secretary of the Interior is hereby authorized to grant a right of way for the construction of railroads under the provisions of the acts of Congress authorizing and permitting the construction of railroads over and across the public lands within the limits of forest reservations to any person or corporation who may desire to construct such railroads along the said Flathead River or any of its tributaries within the boundaries of said Glacier National Park." The letters of the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture in relation to the proposed bill are as follows: DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, SIRS: I am in receipt of your request that you be furnished with such facts and information as may be in the possession of this department touching the subject-matter of S. 5648, entitled "A bill to establish the Glacier National Park west of the summit of the Rocky Mountains and south of the international boundary line in Montana, and for other purposes." In reply I have the honor to state that the lands embraced within the boundaries given in this bill aggregate 915,000 acres, of which 15,000 acres have been surveyed and the remainder are unsurveyed. This Department can not advise you as to the area within the boundaries given which may be embraced in valid locations under the mineral laws or within valid settlement claims initiated under the agricultural land laws, but existing entries embrace about 6,000 acres. Since the land embraced in the proposed park is also embraced within the Lewis and Clark National Forest, I have consulted the Department of Agriculture before submitting this report, and learn that the area lying within the limits of the park and west of the Continental Divide is covered with a heavy growth of timber, much of which is mature and should be removed for the good of the forest; also that much of this timber is practically accessible for market, and that there will probably be a great public demand for its use in the near future. I do not believe the citizens of Montana and near-by States should be deprived of the use of such mature timber as may be removed without injury to the forest or without interfering with the purposes of the proposed park, and that the Secretary of Agriculture should be given power to authorize the removal of such timber. The bill (S. 5648) does not permit the use of mature timber and restricts the use of it by lines 16 and 17, page 3, to actual settlers in the adjacent country within the United States. It seems to me that the privilege should be enlarged to include mature timber and extend to all citizens of the United States. I believe that section 2 of your bill should be amended by striking out all beginning with the word "said," in line 10, to and including the word "power," in line 3, page 4, and by inserting in lieu thereof the following: "Provided, That any use of the products, land, and resources of the park in aid of or not inconsistent with the objects of its creation and reservation may be permitted by authority of the Secretary of Agriculture, on such terms of payment, tenure, and other conditions as he may by rules and regulations prescribe; but the said Secretary is not authorized to permit such use for a longer period than fifty years, except by extension for similar recurring periods, to be granted in his discretion upon the readjustment at times, if necessary, after the expiration of the original permit." I believe that the provision in the bill leaving this particular park to supervision of the Secretary of Agriculture is proper, because he has a supervisor, rangers, and other necessary officials all ready to care for the area. For that reason the park would be fully protected without extra exp expense to the Government. Unless the bill is amended as I have suggested, I do not think it should become a law, The COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC LANDS, United States Senate. Secretary. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, DEAR SIR: Senate bill 5648, with the indorsement of the clerk of the committee, is received. The area which the bill purposes to include within the Glacier National Park is in the Lewis and Clark National Forest. The forester informs me that the lands lying within the proposed park and west of the Continental Divide are covered with a heavy growth of timber, much of which is mature and should be removed for the good of the forest. He also informs me that the flow of the streams and topography of the country make this timber accessible for market and, in his opinion, there will be a great public demand for its use in the near future. He also says there is a large amount of available water power throughout the park and that this can not be properly utilized unless timber may be cut from some of the proposed reservoir sites, and unless other timber may be taken from land in the park near to the sites of proposed dams and flumes for the construction of such dams and flumes. The forester thinks, and I agree with him, that the bill should permit the use of timber necessary for the construction of such reservoirs and dams, and that the citizens of Montana and nearby States where such mature timber will soon be needed should not be deprived of its use, especially since it would contribute to the good of the forest to permit its removal and since such removal would not, if properly made, interfere with the purpose of the park. The bill (S. 5648) does not permit the use of such mature timber and restricts the use of the dead, down, and decaying timber permitted by lines 16 and 17, page 3, to "actual settlers in the adjacent country within the United States." Since the public demand for the timber will not be confined to actual settlers, I believe that the privilege to use the timber which may be removed without injury to the forest or park should be extended to citizens of the United States. I therefore recommend that section 2 of the bill be amended by striking out all beginning with the word "said," in line 10, page 3, to and including the word "power," in line 3, page 4, and inserting in lieu thereof the following: "Provided, That any use of the products, land, and resources of the park in aid of or not inconsistent with the objects of its creation and reservation may be permitted by authority of the Secretary of Agriculture, on such terms of payment, tenure, and other conditions as he may by rules and regulations prescribe; but the said Secretary is not authorized to permit such use for a longer period than fifty years, except by extension for similar recurring periods, to be granted in his discretion upon the readjustment of terms, if necessary, after the expiration of the original permit." The forester also informs me that he has learned that the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railroad, a branch of the Canadian Pacific Railroad, will probably be extended down and west of the Flathead River to develop the country west of such river and west of the proposed park. He says that he is informed that this railroad is projected to be built through Kishenehn Pass, north of the proposed park, and down Kishenehn Creek to and across Flathead River, and that there is some doubt whether or not that part of the route down Kishenehn Creek is practicable, and it may become necessary to build such road down Starvation Creek to Flathead River. I do not think the construction of the railroad down Starvation Creek would in any way interfere with the park and, in my opinion, if such route becomes necessary it should be made available, since the country lying west of the Flathead River should not be deprived of the means of transportation which it would afford and which is necessary for proper development of such country. The amendment which I have suggested would enable a railroad company to secure a right of way under which it might construct a road down Starvation Creek. Unless the bill is amended as I have suggested, I do not think it should become a law. I have the honor to be, sir, very respectfully, Hon. KNUTE NELSON, JAMES WILSON, Secretary. Chairman Committee on Public Lands, United States Senate. Description of the area of the proposed Glacier National Park. [By R. H. Chapman.] The area of the northern Rocky Mountains which lies to the north of the Great Northern Railway and to the south of the Canadian boundary is one of the most beautiful mountain regions in the world. To the east of the mountains the plains region, drained by the Missouri and Saskatchewan river systems, stretches mile upon mile of open grass land, practically treeless. In sharp contrast to the plains rise the mountains, which, seen from the distance, present a rock wall of great steepness, extending apparently unbroken for miles. This, the eastern face of the range, is actually cut by long, deep U-shaped canyons, which have been largely formed by the great glaciers which once flowed from the mighty snow-covered peaks and ridges forming the divide between the waters of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. In the canyons are roaring streams, which head in the melting ice and snow, flow into placid lakes and eventually into the arroyos of the plains. Between the canyons the long finger-like ridges rise to considerable heights, the timber-covered foot sloping steeply until a region of brush-covered broken rock is reached, which in turn leads to the base of precipitous cliffs. The canyons at the head usually terminate in great amphitheaters, rising cliff over cliff in a stairway of tremendous proportions, many steps of which retain an ice mass slowly flowing across it, each fed from a large ice field above, until a region of huge snow banks is reached. The main Rocky Mountain mass is actually made up of two principal ranges, generally parallel, with axis in a northwesterly and southeasterly direction, the easternmost of which is the Lewis Range, which extends but a short distance across the Canadian boundary. The western, or Livingston, range, persists much farther northward. At a point about 11 miles south of Canada it becomes the watershed of the Continental Divide, which has previously followed the ridge of the Livingston Range. These ranges are the remnants of what was once a much wider plateau-like region of rock which has been carved and shattered by the forces of erosion, principally those of the glaciers. Upon this great mass are the higher peaks, huge pyramids and blocks, with cliffs and precipices hundreds and sometimes thousands of feet plunging away to the roaring streams of the valleys, or ending in the great crevasse at the head of some glacier. |