As the U.S. Forest Service’s budget continues to shrink, program managers keep looking for novel ways to trim expenses. One tried and true method is to trim the labor force, asking remaining personnel to be more flexible and work across district boundaries. Recently re-organization plans of the National Forest Service combined the Salmon River and Clearwater ranger districts into one office.
   When communication methods paled a century ago, Idaho established hundreds of Ranger Stations to look after the state's 20 million acres of forestland. Admitted as a state in 1890, by 1915 the U.S. Forestry Bureau in Idaho was doling out 75,000 dollars a year to create forest infrastructure. And at the time, only five percent of the state's forests were surveyed.
   Near the base of Idaho's panhandle, the Nez Perce National Forest was created in 1908. In 2013, the adjoining Clearwater was linked with the Nex Perce forest. The traditional home of the Nimi'ipuu (Nez Perce) Indians, President Theodore Roosevelt set aside 2.2 million acres of forestland across the Idaho panhandle. During this time Senator W.B. Heyburn of Wallace led a nasty fight to restrict the fledgling Forest Service. Even a century ago it was common to trim costs. Heyburn's bill limited the expenses of any ranger station cabin to no more than 300 dollars. Known as contribution time, rangers would gather together after work hours to build a new station.
   A historic remnant from the early 20th century, the Slate Creek Ranger Station cabin was used up until 1959. Built by a homesteader about five miles up Slate Creek around 1900, the cabin became headquarters of the Slate Creek Ranger District in 1908. By 1917, the district office was moved and the Slate Creek cabin housed work crews. The cabin was then dismantled piece by piece in 1975, and moved to the Slate Creek Ranger Station on U.S. Route 95 between White Bird and Lucile, creating this century old museum.

    Area Map