Boise National Forest is a federally protected area of the U.S. state of Idaho in the national forest system. Created in 1908 from part of Sawtooth National Forest, it is managed by the U.S. Forest Service. The Idaho Batholith underlies most of Boise National Forest, forming its Boise, Salmon River, and West mountain ranges; the forest reaches a maximum elevation of 9,730 feet (2,970 m) on Steel Mountain. Common land cover includes sagebrush steppe and spruce-fir forests. It contains 75 percent of the known populations of Sacajawea's bitterroot, a flowering plant endemic to Idaho. The Shoshone people occupied the forest before European settlers, and archeological sites have been found along rivers in the area. Trappers and fur traders of European descent arrived in the area in the early 1800s, starting with John Jacob Astor's Pacific Fur Company in 1811. The first settlers moved into the mountains in the 1860s after gold was discovered. The gold rush forced many of the Shoshone out and led to conflicts including the Bannock War in southern Idaho. Tungsten, silver, antimony, and gold were mined in the forest until the mid-twentieth century.

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boise_National_Forest

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

845:

Viking raiders possibly led by the legendary Ragnar Lodbrok captured Paris and held the city for a huge ransom. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Paris_(845)

1882:

The Knights of Columbus, the world's largest Catholic fraternal service organization, was founded by Michael J. McGivney in New Haven, Connecticut, U.S. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knights_of_Columbus

1942:

Second World War: The British Royal Air Force completed a bombing raid of Lübeck, the first major success for RAF Bomber Command against a German city. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombing_of_L%C3%BCbeck_in_World_War_II

1969:

The New People's Army (original flag pictured), the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines, was formed. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_People%27s_Army

1975:

Jeff Beck released Blow by Blow, his most successful album in the U.S., reaching the top five and selling over one million copies. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blow_by_Blow

1999:

The strongest earthquake to hit the foothills of the Himalayas in more than ninety years killed 103 people. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1999_Chamoli_earthquake

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

fauxtatoes: (plural only) A dish of mashed cauliflower used as an alternative to potatoes by followers of a low-carbohydrate diet. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/fauxtatoes

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

You have to imagine a waiting that is not impatient because it is timeless.   --R. S. Thomas https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/R._S._Thomas