Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1911-03-28
NATIONAL FOREST RANGE
REGULATIONS APPROVED
BY SECRETARY wilson

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secretary of agriculture has approved
revised form of the grazing regula,
tions which govern the use OF the Ma
1ional Forest ranges. In the opinion
of the department officers, the most
important departures from the old
regulations are found, first, in the fact
that provision is made for recOgni-
ton of permanent national advisory
board representing the sheep and cat
tie interests, which will confer an
nually with the secretary Of agricul-
ture concerning grazing matters; and
secondly, in the laying down OF rule
that on forests where the quality of
range and advantages for raising cat
lie and sheep are equal. the year long
rate for sheep after the season OF
1911 will be thirty per cent of the
year long rate for cattle.
The new regulations have been
made the subject of extended and
most careful consideration and are
promulgated at the present time as
the result of a general revision made
of all the regulations governing the
use of the national forests. Before
deciding on the grazing regulations,
Secretary Wilson inviteu representa-
tives of the two great national organ
izations of stockmen, the National
Wool Growers Association, and the
American National Live Stock Asso-
citation, to present their views to him
on grazing matters, and to make any
suggestions which they might wish to
offer concerning the proposed regu-
lations.
The proposed regulations, as they
had been drafted by the Forest service
were submitted to delegates of the
two associations who came to Wash
ington in response to Secretary Will
sons invitation. This action on the
part of Secretary Wilson is declared
TO be in accordance with the estab-
lished policy of the Forest Service
in seeking cooperation with organ.
lied bodies OF stockmen who make use
of the national forest range. Secre-
tary Wilson recognizes that the one
and one-half million cattle and seven
and one-half million sheep which are
annually grazed on the forests, hear
An important relation to the price of
beef and mutton in this country, and
that the public need of increased food
supplies no less than the best inter
ests of the stock industry call for
careful methods of regulation to pro-
mote the full use of the grazing re-
source. In his view, cooperation with
the advisory boards of local livestock
associations has contributed material.
ly to the adjustment of range prob
lens in way satisfactory both to the
livestock men and to his department.
Regulated grazing on the national
forests seeks not only to make avail.
able, to the fullest degree, consistent
with proper protection of the range
itself and of forest growth and stream
flow conditions, the annual forage
crop, but also to allot the grazing
privilege equitably. BY giving the
themselves chance to be
heard with regard to the rules estab.
lished, and by securing their help in
the adjustment OF disputes between
claimants for use Of the range, the
officials consider that the
task of administering the range sat-
'"factorily has been made much cas-
i've. 1,
Ter. !
While no radical changes in the
regulations have been made, Secretary
Wilson has carefully considered all |