The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1920-01-08

| Need for Federal Funds for Improv-
ing Range Conditions Upon National
Forests" in which statements made
by j. s. Case of Paradise Valley be-
fore the meeting of the Nevada Live
stock Association, held in this city a
short time ago, are further COM
mented upon:
One of the timely suggestions
made during the recent sectional
meetings was that by Secretary
Case of the Paradise Valley Cattle
mems Protective Association during
the session at Winnemucca, to the
effect hat the State Livestock As
ISOLATION should take up the matter
of having more funds made available
for range improvement work upon
the national forests of Nevada. Re-
ferring particularly to the Santa
Rosa division of the Humboldt ma
rional forest, which is the summe
range for the ranchers in Paradise
Valley, Mr.. Case directed attention
to the forest service plans for bring
ing this range, which vas badly over
grazed prior to its inclusion within
a national forest, back to a satisfac-
lime to take care of the largest pos
sible number of stock each year. He
mentioned a plan which they were
how ~endeavoring to carry out of hold
ing their cattle off certain designated
portions of the range each year un-
ill seed maturity, Illus giving certain
Dortunity for plant life to recuperate.
IN this case there are no natural or
artificial barriers to prevent drift of
eattle from the open areas 10 the
closed areas and therefore it is nee
| essary for the stockmen to hire herd
srs to hold the stock back. He pointed
out the saving which would be eff
lected both in expense of handling,
.oss of meat from excessive handling,
as well as loss of feed from trampling
turing the handling, and Their told of
The difficulty of securing government
assistance in the construction of such
improvements owing to the small
AMOUNT of money available for such
work upon the national forests
The situation with regard to funds
for this work is understood to be
about as follows:
Appropriations for the administra-
ion. protection and Improvement of
he national forests must, of course,
De made by congress. In connection
With the appropriations for what are
known as range Improvements. con-
gress has drawn exceedingly tight
strings. For the last several years,
the appropriation act has stipulated
hat $4,000 was available for this
work. The restrictions are that this
amount must not be exceeded even
though funds may be available which
are not, under the conditions which
happen to exist. needed for other lines
of improvement work. There are
around one hundred and sixty-five
national forests among which to ap-
portion the $4,000. 1t is under
stood hat the forest service dis
tributes this sum among the seven
districts somewhat according to the
amount of grazing use made of the
forests within the districts. AS dis
trict four. the headquarters of which
are at Ogden. Utah. and within which
most of the Nevada forests are stu
ated. is n of the main grazing dis
tricts. it usually gets a little more
than a proportionate share. The
amount is around $4,000 annually.
District four has about thirty forests.
Divided among them evenly, each
would get $500 a year for range inn
provement work. This would go no.
where. The usual plan, ii is under
stood. is to consider all the needed
projects in the district according to
their Importance. 1t can be readily
seen that if a four or five thousand
dollar project is undertaken on any
one forest. several forests must go
absolutely without range improve
ment funds while that project is I'M
der way. Even with cooperation up
on the part of the stockmen on a
fifty per cent basis, it can be seen
that the total sum available annu-
ally for so many forests and upon
areas of such vast extent. will v
allow of improvements being con-
structed with sufficient rapidity to
relieve the situation. As a matter
of fact. with such progress as has
been made. ii takes each year a
larger percentage of the 10000 fol
the maintenance of the improvements
already constructed, thus leaving an