The Coconino sun., 1909-11-19
Official Paper of Coconino County Oficial Paper of the Town of Flagstaff
In another column will be found

In another column will be found
 statement of improvements , claimed to have been made by the
 Forest Service during the past year
 The article, together with another ! concerning stock grazing is issued
 from the Forest Service office.
 Many of the improvements made in
 the different forests are creditable
 especially the cabins for rangers ) and telephone lines. The state
 ment. however. that considerable
 help has been given stock interests
 will bear closer investigation, for
 the stockman can find but little to
 be grateful for. Limiting the to-
 tai number of stock on a forest and
 giving premits to stockmen which insures them. or practically assures
 them of summer range, is of benefit
 and has helped the industry for a
 number of years. The rest of the
 details uf the grazing problem are about where they were some years
 ago. In fact a penalty is practi-
 cally put upon the stockman who
 endeavors to improve the range.
 Large areas of additional range
 could be developed if the stockmen
 were given some assurance that 1t
 would not be taken from them; for
 instance, if a stockman wants to build a dam or tank he is compelled
 to secure a lease for forty acres or more of land. for which he pays eight or ten cents per acre. He may then spend four or five hund
 red dollars improving it and may get water-that is his lookout. If he does develope water for the bet ter handling of hls range, some one else may be given a permit to cover a share of it. in which event he isl looser. In the first place he must be a permit holder before he can secure the privilege of developing water--he pays for his grazing at so much per head. then for the privilege of prospecting and spend cling money on water development he must pay an additional fee for the use of the land. The land when he is through with it, with his im- proyements reyerts to the govern ment. While this is a small mat ter in itself, it is evidence that those in charge wish to make as big a showing as possible in the collec- tion of money, notwithstanding the fact that about three millions of the peoples money is given them from the treasury annually. So far. de- spite the fact that the Coconino forest has paid more money into the United States Treasury than any other forest. there has been no money spent for the development of stock water. The stockmen have l taken care of themselves as far as permitted. It would appear that | instead of helping along the devel- opment of water and extension of | range, a penalty has been placed | upon the person who is willing to spend his money for range improve ment. 1t may be taken away from | him at any time and there is little or no certainty just what action | may be taken in the way of grant ing permits each year. There is no objection made by the stockmen to paying grazing fees. even though | the great country east of the Rock les was developed by settlers who were given the privilege of using the material they found upon the ground with which to work out their salvation. The uncertainty of the rules made. changed and brok- en during each year is another fea. ture of the grazing problem very | irksome to settlers and stockmen. for they never know from one year to another how to handle their | stock in order to secure their graz ing rights.
 sh Under existing conditions the average stockman feels that it is | just as well not to complain open ly. but there is pretty general feeling among them that they are paving heavily for some one else's |