The Glenwood post., 1906-06-02
SATURDAY. JUNE 3. 1906.
STOCkrtr1 FAVOR FOREST RESERVE

Routt county papers have recently
been printing articles and interviews
from parties complimentary to the
Forest Reserve system and landing
Supervisor Hogan of the Park Range
reserve for his fairness in dealing with
the stockmen and his disposition to
work as little hardship as possible to
the stock growers in carrying out the
reserve regulations. The Steamboat
Pilot which was especially severe
throughout the winter IN Its attacks
upon the forestry department and the
plans of the administration in carry
ing out the rules in its issue of May
is, published a column account of
conference which committee repre-
senting the Snake River Stockgrowers'
association had with Mr.. Hogan on the
reserve rules, the committeeman all
declaring after the conference that they
had previously held erroneous views
on the subject and that they were now
firm advocates to the forest reserve
system. The Pilot admits that there
is changed sentiment concerning
this matter and introduces one of the
committeeman as follows:
George Honnold has been on Snake
river over 90 years and is one of the
prominent cattlemen of that district.
While admitting that there were many
points still to be worked out Mr.. Hon
mold expressed himself to the Pilot
as a convert to forest reserve leasing.
As this is directly contrary to the pc,
sition taken by this paper, and DIS we
believe by cattlemen generally. we are
glad to give space to his views.
''Stockmen might as well recog-
nize the fact, said Mr.. Honnold,
THAT the days of free range are
about over, and while at first thought
the grazing fee.> looks like an addition
al tax, still we are going to get more
thoh ChouSh " IOul
pensate us. Take our own case.
Thousands of head of non residents
cattle and sheep have been turned loose
on Snake river and the range is prac-
tically destroyed Under the new
system the resident stockmen are given
first right. The range will not be
over stocked and will soon regain
much of ts old time value. The en-
tire Snake river slope has been leased
by our association.
The Haley and other big outfits
are to be crowded to another part of
the range. We are allowed to put
in drift fences if we desire. Some
one may say that these cattle will
come back to their old range as before
there being no herd law in Colorado
Well, state law or not, l hardly think
anyone will care to try conclusions
with the United States government.
1--WE found Mr.. Hogan more than
fair, and it seems to me that the way
the new law is being administered it
will be boon to the settler and small
stockman. When it is better under
stood and gets in working order it is
my belief that the people of the county
will acknowledge it to be the best
thing that ever happened to this part
of the state. As for myself, l wish
they would make the reserves larger
and take in some of the territory that
is now being destroyed for range pur-
poses
While the Post has never really
favored the forest reserve policy in
full we have tried to take sensible
view of the matter knowing that it
was definite policy of the govern
mcnt with view to protecting tn e
timber from destruction by careless
and unprincipled men and also for the
purpose, rs the officials believed of
protecting the range for the stockmen
to an extent which they had not done
and could not do unaided.
During the last winter there was a
lot of manufactured sentiment against
the reserve policy-manufactur in
many cases by editors who couldn'
distinguish Hereford from Dur
ham and who, out of the abundance
Of what they didn't know tried to
work up big scare among the stock.
men. In this work they we're aided
by few lawyers who knew nothing of