The border vidette., 1920-01-17
FOREST GRAZING.
Supervisor Wales Furnishes Interest
 ing Facts Regarding Same

ne IOJlOWluS 6TLICl0 IS puO- lished upon request of MT. H. Basil Wales, Forest Supervisor, at Tucson:
 Denial that 'some of the fin. est ranges in Santa Cruz county would te devastated and the stock industry ruined beyond re pair by drastic rules of the For est Service," was emphatically made by local forest officers when asked as to the authenti- city of reports appearing in nu- merous papers simultaneously about December IT. They stat ed further that the local officers are unaware as to what rulings are considered unjust.
 When the Bureau of Forestry was reorganized in 1905 as the Forest Service. the value of the grazing resources was recogniz ed and under authority of Con- gross, the Secretary of Agricul- ture. with the advice of officers and members of the great Ma tional Livestock Associations, promulgated regulations for the control of grazing on the Ma tional Forests. These regula- tions were designed to establish the stock industry on a perman- ent basis. That this was ac- complished is attested by the unqualified endorsement of the grazing administration on the National Forests by the Live Stock Associations, the Arizona Cattle Growers Association and practically the entire stock in- terests of the Western Range States.
 Under these regulations the number of stock to be grazed on the several range allotments is determined by experts of the department co operating with the stockmen themselves. The number is fixed as the maximum number which can be safely car ried throughout the year on the range. Forest Supervisor Wales states that the necessity for re moving a considerable number of stock from Santa Cruz county was brought about largely thru the court decision in 1917 that the Baca Float No. 3 Land Grant was valid. This decision elected numerous settlers on the Grant and the later fencing of the north half greatly reduced the available open grazing area. The fencing of the south half will still further restrict the available open range and it was probably in anticipation of the completion of this latter fence that the stockmen have been forced to ship.
 The Forest Supervisor outlin- ed the grazing and grazing tres pass policies on the Coronado National Forest briefly as fol lows:
 Annually ip January appli cations for grazing permits are received and the privilege of grazing stock on the Forest ranges is distri buted equitably to the full capacity of the range. Primary considerations in this distribution are first, a recogni ton of the preference establish ed by long use of the forest range by the permitted number of stock and in connection with ranch property; recond. a cer- tain dependence on the range as a means of livelihood by the bona fide home builder. It was pointed out that protection was given the established stock in dustry to the extent of prefer ences gained by the stockmen through permitted use of the Forest, and at the same time the development of the country was encouraged through the grant ing of new permits to home builders.
 Notwithstanding the fact that the Forest range is limited in area and can only take care of 8 certain number of cattle, certain parties, whose names
 were withheld for the present,
 have illegally grazed stock with
 out permit, thus overstockinR
 the range to such an extent as
 to ultimately cause the very de
 vastation complained of in the
 articles referred to.
 | "The charge made as the grazing fee for stock under reg
 ular permit is $1.OO per head | per annum. Where stock graze | in violation of the Regulations