The Glenwood post., 1923-05-17
TEN YEAR GRAZING PERMITS
FOR FOREST RANGES APPROVED


ten-year permits are to be granted to
stockmen who desire to Craze cattle
and sheep on ranges within the nation
al forests according to announcement
made today by District Forester A. s.
Peck of the United States Forest SER
vice. This new policy, as approved by
doubles the maximum period for which
grazing permits are now being issued.
The departments action was taken
from the standpoint of assisting the
live stock industry to further recover
from its depression of the past few
years, since, it is claimed by stockmen,
grazing permits for ten years instead of
five will make it less difficult to Sc
cure financial aid to carry on live
stock grazing operations.
The ten-year permits will be granted
for the full established preference of
permittees owning commensurate, de-
pendent ranch property with the un-
derstanding that at the expiration of
five years reductions in numbers, not
to exceed 10 per cent, will be made
for the admission of ne wsettlers or
increases to small owners now using
the national forest ranges.
Another condition is that reductions
in numbers for protective purposes
may be made during any year of the
permit period, but that should the re-
duction for protective purposes equal
or exceed the 10 per cent reduction
for distribution purposes then no re-
duction will be made for the latter
purpose. Readjustment of the grazing
fees, as well as other administrative
adjustments, such as changes in al
lotment boundaries, will be made at
the end of the first five years of the
ten-year permit. The forest service,
however, emphasizes the fact that all
adjustments will be kept at a mini
mum during the term Of the permit.
The new rates upon which grazing
fees are to to be based, and which are
to be arrived at after appraisals Of
the national forest ranges, will also go
into effect beginning in 1925. These
new grazing fee rates were to go into
effect during 1924, but action was
postponed SO that the live stock indus.
try would have time to partially re-
cover from the period of depression.
The new system of ten-year grazing
permits and the new grazing rates will
go into effeo' OF the same time.
Secretary of Agriculture Wallace,
in statement concerning the decision
to grant the ten-year grazing permits,
said: eat the conference of national
forest Officers and representatives Of
the live stock industry held last
March at Ogden, Utah, the discussion
conferred around ways and means by
which greater stability in the use of
national forest ranges could be Sc
cured.
"It was the unanimous decision of
the stockmen that more stability in
the live stock business would exist if
the forest service of the United States
department Of agriculture issued ten
year permits instead Of being limited
to the five-year permits now being
granted.
"The principal argument in favor
Of the stockmen's contention was that
the industry could rehabilitate itself
more quickly if longtime permits were
issued.
"The department Of agriculture
agrees with this argument, and in
keeping with its policy to give all
possible assistance to the agricultural
industry Of the country, it has been
decided to issue ten-year grazing per-
mits for the ranges within national
forests beginning with the year 1925.
"These permits will be subject, of
course, to such provisions that will
amply safeguard the government in se-
curing surplus range at the end of five
years for the admission of new appli-
cants or increases to small established
permittees. They will be subject, also,
to provisions relating to remedial
measures in the event of overgrazing,
damage to reproduction or watersheds,
or other violations of forest protec-
tion policies.