MLRA 44 - Northern Rocky Mountain Valleys Idaho, Montana, and Washington 32,320 km2 (12,480 mi2)

Land Use:
Nearly all this area is in farms and ranches. As much as one-third of the land in some valleys is irrigated. Potatoes, sugar beets, and peas are important cash crops, but a larger acreageis in hay, grain, and pasture for livestock feed. In places where precipitation is adequate, the land is dry-farmed to wheat. One-third to one-half of the area is range of native grasses and shrubs. Beef cattle and sheep are the principal livestock, but dairying is an important enterprise near the larger towns. Much of the area in northern Idaho is forested, and elsewhere many steep and stony soils are in woodland. These forests are of value to the lumber industry and are also grazed.

12/16/98