The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1912-03-29
PRACTICAL CONSERVATION
BY THE GOVERNMENT
Under Government Control the National
Forest is Improving

stock industry to the general welfare OF
the West, the forest service from the
beginning of its administration Of the
national forests, adopted constructive
policy for dealing with grazing problems.
Most of the mountain ranges which
have been included in the national
forests had been occupied by the flock
masters long before the forests were
created. With the demand for sum-
mer range in many localities greater
than the supply, there had followed
overgrazing and serious damage, while
absolute waste of large portion OF the
forage crop was taking place. Many
ranges were fast deteriorating, though
carrying no more stock than could be
permanently sustained under proper
regulation.
The first thing was to check the
damage and waste with the least posi-
BILE curtailment of grazing privileges.
Such divisions of the range were made
as would secure the use OF each portion
by the kind of stock to which it was
best adapted and give each group OF
owners, so far as possible, the use OF
the range upon which they had Gus
tomarily grazed their stock. Then it
was decided what portion should be
used only during the summer, what
ones during the winter, spring or fall,
and what portions during the entire
year, with the dates at which the graz
ing season should begin and close in
normal seasons.
These measures did much toward
stopping waste of surplus forage and
showing that better methods were worth
while. Attention was next given to
extending the area OF available range
through encouraging the development
of watering places and opening trails
to make accessible unused ranges. I'm
fortunately it has been necessary to
make quite heavy reductions on some
forests to enable overgrazed ranges to
recuperate, but such ranges have been
made gradually in order not to cause
undue business disturbances. The in
creased number of stock, however, pro-
vided for on other ranges has nearly
Offset the reductions. There were graz
ed on the forests this last year 1,442,-
900 cattle and horses and 7,450,000
sheep and goats.
The collective grazing capacity OF
the national forests is now on the in
crease. Energetic efforts have been
made by the forest service to promote
the utilization of surplus forage which
now goes to waste in northern Washing
ton, Idaho, and Montana. The re-
moval of the forage crop in a proper
way greatly reduces the danger of fire
damage.
If grazing is too close, however, the
reproduction of the forest is interfered
with. Many timber land owners are
willing to offer grazing privileges upon
extremely favorable terms because they
are not planning to grow another crop
of trees. Replanted areas must be
closed against grazing for few years,
and where reproduction is difficult cut
over areas must be protected, by re-
ducing if not excluding the stock, un-
til the young trees are out of danger
from trampling or nibbling.
Since, however, the area cut over
and that replanted each year form,
combined, less than one per cent Of
the total area of the forests, no serious
interference with the grazing of stock
is involved.
Careful investigations of the damage
done young trees by stock in the south
west showed over twenty per cent Of
the seedlings and young trees seriously
injured, and in some cases on ranges
used extensively by sheep over fifty
per cent, but the most damage was
done when feed was scarce and was
therefore largely due to overgrazing.
The immediate and urgent problem
which now confronts US is the develop
ment of the ranges to the highest pos
sible state of productivity.
The gradual increase Of the carrying
power OF the ranges will be brought
about through improved methods of
Lo,dI;oo, etocL and 0f orouin,. the for-