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Cache National Forest records, 1898-2008

Overview of the Collection

Title
Cache National Forest records
Dates
1898-2008 (inclusive)
Quantity
4 linear feet, (8 boxes)
Collection Number
UUS_COLL MSS 491
Summary
Primary and secondary source documents dealing with the Cache National Forest.
Repository
Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library, Special Collections and Archives Division
Special Collections & Archives
Merrill-Cazier Library
Utah State University
Logan, UT
84322-3000
Telephone: 4357978248
Fax: 4357972880
scweb@usu.edu
Access Restrictions

No restrictions on access, except: not available through interlibrary loan.

Languages
English
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Historical Note

Beginning in the late 1850s, Mormon settlers in Cache Valley, Utah, overused the natural resources found on the Bear River Range. By the turn of the 20th century, unregulated logging and grazing resulted in serious watershed decline. Logan River (which originates in the Bear River Range and is the largest supplier of water to Cache Valley) became polluted and ran low. In response to water shortages, in February 1902, a small group of conservation-minded intellectuals and businessmen in Cache Valley convinced local farmers and stockmen to petition the federal government to set aside the Bear River Range as a forest reserve. During July 1902, government grazing officer Albert F. Potter surveyed the range, writing much of what he saw in his diary. In the end, Potter recommended that the range be protected. On May 29, 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt officially created the Logan Forest Reserve. The original Logan Forest Reserve totaled 182,080 acres and consisted of roughly nine townships including what is today the Logan Ranger District. The reserve stretched from Logan Canyon east to Bear Lake Valley and from Blacksmith Fork Canyon north to Richmond, Utah.

In 1906, the Logan Forest Reserve was renamed Bear River Forest Reserve and was expanded to include forested lands near Marsh Creek and Malad, Idaho. In 1907, the reserve was temporarily renamed Portneuf Forest Reserve. On July 1, 1908, forested lands in Northern Utah and Southern Idaho were consolidated to create the Cache National Forest. In 1973, the Cache National Forest was merged with the Wasatch National Forest to form the Wasatch-Cache National Forest. Then, in August 2007, the Uinta National Forest in eastern Utah was merged with the Wasatch-Cache to create the current Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest. Totaling 2,169,596 acres, this national forest (of which the original Logan Forest Reserve was a part) covers large sections of northern and north-central Utah, and southwestern Wyoming.

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Content Description

This collection houses a variety of primary and secondary sources dealing with the Cache National Forest. Among the most interesting documents are early Forest Service reports, memoranda, grazing permits, and maps. Also included are short histories of Cache National Forest employees and the Logan Hotshot Crew.

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Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Use

It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain any necessary copyright clearances.

Permission to publish material from the Cache National Forest records must be obtained from the Manuscript Curator and/or the Special Collections Section Head.

Preferred Citation

Initial Citation: Cache National Forest records USU_COLL MSS 491. Special Collections and Archives. Utah State University Merrill-Cazier Library. Logan, Utah.

Following Citations:USU_COLL MSS 491, USUSCA.

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Administrative Information

Acquisition Information

These materials were donated to USU Special Collections and Archives in 2012 by Scott Bushman.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Agriculture and Natural Resources
  • Forestry and Logging
  • Ranching
  • Water and Water Rights

Geographical Names

  • Cache National Forest (Utah and Idaho)

Finding aid created by Heather Housley and Bradley P. Hansen
April 15, 2025

CC Attribution
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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