Weekly Arizona journal-miner. [volume] (Prescott, Ariz.) 1903-1908, 1908-04-22
SHEEP AND GOATS
MAY BE PASTURED7

WASHINGTON, -. G., April II. -
Correspondence having most import
ant bearing on both grazing and irri'
CATION interest, m the west nave been
made public by Secretary Wilson, OF
the department of agriculture. CUES
tions relating 90 the proposed prohibi.
ton Of grazing on streams supplying
water for irrigation have occupied the
attention of the departments Of agri-
culture and the interior for some weeks
and "A cooperative investigation has
been agreed upon with the hope that
the problem may be- settled to the sat
isfaction Of all interests concerned. In
giving out the two letters bearing on
the investigation, Secretary Wilson
said:
"a recent addition to the southern
! division of tue Touio national forest
| in Arizona made ~ the request of the
United States reclamation service to
protect the watersheds of the Verde
aud salt rivers and subsequent order
to close the area 10 sheep anl goat
grazing after April l. 1909, have
brought up questions which have u
most important hearing ON two great
industries of the west. stock raising
and farming on irrigated lands.
"Rcqucst, from irrigntor, and OH.
cials Of the reclamation service that
efforts be- made 10 restrict grazing by
sheep on the watersheds of streams
used for irrigation. on one hand, and
protests 10 tue forest service 10y the
stockmcn, ON the other. have given
rise 10 u situation which eau only he
settled 10y very careful investiga.
ton. which has been agreed upon by
the secretary of the interior and my
self The Investigations will be made
with the one end in view, that the use
Of every resource must be for the great.
est good to the greatest number.
"The investigation of the land to
consider whether it is necessary to re.
strict the grazing Of sheep and goats
on the watersheds will be made by the
officers of the reclamation service and
the forest service in cooperation, who
will meet the stockmen ON the ground
during the coming summer and thrash
out the whole problem. IL il is found
that n limited number of sheep and
goats can be allowed TO Craze on any
Of the ranges ON the watersheds Of the
streams in question, the order prohibit.
ing grazing will be modified so as to
protect the interests Of the shcepmcn
and mt the same time check any ten.
dcncy there may be to overgraze the
forest or damage water supply used for
irrigation. Because Of the important
bearing of the problem on grazing mat.
tiers in the west deem il wise 10 make
the correspondence public ut this time
in order that there will be no chance
of misunderstanding on the part of
any interest.
"The protection Of the watersheds
and streams supplying irrigation rcser.
voirs rcpends primarily upon the pos.
sibility of giving full protection to all
areas whore grazing is allowed. The
fewer forest officers there are To ut.
tend to the grazing business on the ma.
tional forests the more land will have
to be closed to grazing. IL must be
remembered, therefore, that any re-.
'fuction in the force Of the forest ser.
vice would necessarily be an attack
on the entire grazing industry Of the
west. Past experience has proven that
stock can be allowed to Craze, under
proper regulation, on areas from which
II would be necessary 10 exclude IL il
tue range could not be properly patrol.
ed. The same situation is true regard.
ing the permanent improvements. The
more water that is developed, the more
division fences that are constructed.
the more roads, trails and bridges TINT
are built, the more permanent the
range Will be and the more stock il
x..n