The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1909-12-10
FORESTS MAIN
GRAZING PLACE

Reports on the National Forest busi-
ness for last year show that i.449 cat
tie and horse permits. and 1888 sheep
permits were issued, allowing the
grazing OF 1lS,059 head of cattle, c.,
799 horses, and $685. sheep, In
Utah.
Accepting the last yearbook issued
by the Department of Agriculture as
an authority. this means that nearly
twenty-nine per cent OF all the cattle,
over five per cent Of all the horses
and mules, and twenty-nine per cent
of all the sheep owned in Utah on
January l, 1853, were provided with
this state during the period men
toned
In connection with these privileges,
other special uses of government land
were allowed where such privileges
were essential TO a proper control of
the stock, such as TIC enclosure Of
limited areas of land for pastures. the
building of cabins. drift and division
fences, corralS, excavation OF stock
tanks, and construction or reservoirs
Twenty-slX such permits were Issued
during the year covering 25G5 acres
of land, and three and one-fourth
miles of rieht OF way. The total num-
her In effect Is forty-eight the area
inyolverd being $50 acres, and the
rights OF way eleven miles. OF these
permits thirtv-five were issued on the
basis of nominal rental for the use
of the land, the remaining thirteen
without charge
The use of the range in the Manti
forest is more complete and intensive
than In any other National forest in
the United States, and ii Is typical of
the Utah forests. Consequently, the
experimental work has been largely
confined TO this forest.
AS q side issue the forest officers
kllled eight bear, one mountain lion.
32l coyotes andltweDty-two Wildcats.
This number, while not large means
considerable reduction in the
amount OF stock destroyed by such
animals. and helps compensate the
stock owner for the fees paid by him.
AT present seven associations of
stock growers are cooperating With
the forest service in its admlnistra-
ton of the forests as it affects their
interests. but there is room for many
more. 'A
The chief problem that the Utah
stock growers has had TO meet is
tina: of providing summer range for
his stock. or winter range Utah has
an abundance. the large deserts
alone being enough to support the
sheep OF the state in normal win
ter. In addition. Utah is thlcllly dot.
ted with prosperous farming commun-
tiles where the quantities of forage
produced are oftencr In excess of the
demand than otherwise. and where In
many cases the feeding Of livestock
affords the only means of disposal
This condition created keen demand
for spring and summer ranges, a de-
mand complicated by the strong com
petition between the stockowner who
winter grazed his stock al points re-
mote from the summer range, and the
owner who winter fed his STOCK upon
the products OF his ranch adjacent to
the summer grazing lands. The re-
suit was not hard TO forecast Ranges
became poorer and less productive
each year. stock deteriorated in
weight and quality, and losses were
heavier. This was the condition that
existed when the National forests
were placed under the present system
of grazing control.
Extensive Investigations arc being
conducted for the purpose of impYov-
ing ranges by artificial and natural
reseeding; to discover means of Grad
icating poisonous plants. or TO pre-
vent loss of stock Forest officers are
assaigned to the work of detroying
predatory animals I'm localities where
the loss of stock warrants such work
Range improvements are constructed
wherever required to facilitate the
handling Of livestock or 10 protect for
est interests. All of this work has
tended toward a solution of Utahs s
chief grazing problem, and toward the