The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1916-12-26
PROBABLE RAISE
IN GRAZING RATES

Inc returns from grazing will rise
as more stock uses the forests in
consequence of range Improvement
and the development of new ranges
Ihere is now in contemplation an
increase in the grazing fee which
would result in marked further ad-
dition to the receipts fund. When
regulation of grazing on the national
forests began low scale of charges
was adopted. This was necessary at
the outset, both to prevent undue dis
turbance of the live stock industry.
which has been accustomed to using
the ranges free of charge, and to ia
cil1tate the working out of a system
OF control which would secure the
best use of the range and restoration
OF lts productiveness. During the past
ten years of grazing regulation the
value OF the range to the stockmen
mas materially increased. Improved
methods of managing both the range
and the stock have been introduced.
Losses are fewer, production is great
er and the product is of a higher
quality. At the same time the out
side public range has been greatly
reduced, while the demand has grown.
Although there have been some re-
adjustments of grazing charges. there
mas been no general advance In the
rates. Present users of the national
forest ranges are paying much less
than the prevailing local rates ON
private, State and Indian lands. This
may be illustrated by some typical
examples. In Montana, lands of the
Northern Pacific railroad leased for
sheep grazing bring the equivalent of
twenty-five cents per head, as against
charge of five cents on adjoining
national forest lands. On the Crow
Indian reservation, in the same State,
competitive bids realized 81 cents for
sheep, while cattle grazers bid So;
on adjoining national forests the
sheep rate is 1874 cents and the cat
tie rate fifty-four cents. On the White
Mountain and San Carlos Indian res
ervations, in Arizona, cattle pay $2.4O,
horses SO and sheep fifty cents; on
adjoining national forest lands quite
as good, cattle pay forty-eight cents,
horses sixty cents and sheep twelve
cents. In California the seuthern Pa
cific Railroad Company Obtains five
cents per acre for land leased for
sheep grazing, while similar and ad-
joining national forest lands yield
one and four-fifths cents per acre.
The present demand for grazing
privileges on majority of the for
ests far exceeds the carrying capac-
ity, and the demand is on the increase.
Under these conditions, the stock
men using the national forest ranges
are enjoying special advantages over
those who must pay for range on a
competitive basis or do without. The
value of ranches and stock is mark
edly increased, as is well recognized
in current commercial transactions,
by virtue of preference privileges to
use the national forest ranges. 1t is
an established principle of national
forest administration that the man
who is accorded a privilege of ex-
elusive use of land or material for
commercial profit shall pay the pub
lie in proportion to the value of what
nc ISC6lfSS. L HIS 10 just, DUlu lIOut
the standpoint of the public as own
ers of the forests, and from the stand
point of other individuals over whom
otherwise the holder of the privilege
would be unduly favored. 1t has be-
come plain that increase of the bene-
fits derived by stockmen from ma
tional forest administration without
commensurate increase in the
charge for the grazing privilege has
created a situation which calls for
readjustment. The proposal under
consideration involves a moderate
annual advance for three years. Be-
fore final action is taken an oppor-
tunity will be given for all parties
interested to be heard. II the plan
is made effective it will be put in
operation on March 1, 1917, and
should eventually bring the grazing
receipts to more than $2.000,000 a
year.
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