The new era. (Walden, Colo.) 1906-19??, 1907-05-02
Range Being Denuded
of Grass Roots by
Overcrowding.
Hon. HI. c. Chedsey Ineorpor-
ates Excellent Ideas Con-
corning Range In Letter.

Judging from the tenor of the COM
plants and the opposition to the man
agement of the Forest Reserve it would
seem that majority of western stock
men are opposed to any control of the
public range by the Federal Govern
ment.
This opposition would be natural and
perhaps we'll taken if present conditions
were satisfactory to the stOckmen them
selves but all stockmen complain that
the public grazing land is being rapidly
denuded of grass roots an all threaten
ing entire exhaustion for decades to
come. Even in favorable locations like
North Park where no sheep or tramp
herds" interiors with what we consider
local pasture rights, the grass is fast dis
appearing to return no more. The Stock
Growers are simply eating each other
up. The unfortunate condition of the
Range business is that the stock owner
il dependent upon pasture land which
he does not own, over which he has no
control, he is therefore tempted to get
all the free pasture he can while it is
going, while all admit the stockmen as
- whole would be better off with less
stock on the range, the withdrawal of
stock by any individual only makes more
room for his neighbors and SO the work
Of destruction goes on. There seems to
be NO remedy for this state of things
which the stockmen themselves can ap-
ply. Any limitation agreement by LEGAL
stock owners would have no effect
against the tramp herds"
Clearly the situation calls for inter
ference by the strong hand of the own
ers of the land-The Federal Govern
ment.
Two vital questions were presented
for solution to the department of Agri-
culture viz: The preservation of the
public grazing and the preservation OF
the Government Forests with the con
sequent conservation of the water sup
ply. The creation and control of the
Forest Reserves made opportunity for
the application of system of grazing
regulations with view no doubt to their
extensions to the whole public domain.
That the system thus far has not been
a decided success must be admitted, let
us see the reason it is hard to find.
The reserves mostly adjoip the free
range the unpermitted cattle naturally
stray over the line into the reserve the
expence of keeping them back is to
great to allow and profit in running
cattle on the range for the ordinary
Stock Grower and constant contentious
arise between the cattle owners OF the
free range and those Of the reserve or
Reserve officials, and now come the
stockmen and say it is not the reserve
we object to but we wish the govern
ment to fence its own land or leave 1t
for common pasture as every individual
is obliged to do under our state Laws.
1t would certainly be very nice for
the government to do this but where is
the man in congress with gual big
enough to ask for an appropriation for
the purpose. Has not that insignificant
part of the U. s. lying east OF the Rocky
Mountain Region a right to object to
giving Stock Growers free range and
fenceing it for them?
There seems to me only one way out
of this troublesome situation. Extend
the reserve system. over all the public
domain.
believe most of the small stockmen
do not want segregation of this alot
ment to the public range. We want
common right of pasture so we may be
saved the expence of fenceing aud be
able to move our stock from one locality
to another another as the change of se,l-
son requires
Undoubtedly those who have the ben
ifit of the range should pay for its regu-
lation. This we can afford to do if we
are protected and the range preserved.
Let the stockmen unite to co operate
with the department in perfecting a
system of rules for the government OF