The Winslow mail., 1926-01-01
u. S. FORESTS
OF ARIzON
REMAIN Open
70 STOCKNEN

W ~ D Vk - k@ Q
A wire was received by the Wins
! low Mail this week from Congress
man Carl Hayden, stating that Sec
retary of Agriculture Jardine had
approved the recommendation of
w. B. Greeley, chief of the forest
service, for remission of the graz
ing fees on all national forests of
Arizona du ing the first half of the
year 1926
The remi ;sion applies also to ma
tional forests of Central and South
ern New Mexico and Southern Utah
md is intended as a relief measure
4br the sections which have suffer-
ed most severely from the drought
of the last two or three years.
While of exceeding Importance to
the cattlemen and sheep men of the
southwest, it is pointed out here
that the action does not represent
a great financial loss to the govern
ment. The fees were remitted for
the present year, at loss, it is
estimated of between 100000 and
$225,O00.
The matter was taken up at the
agriculture department without any
recent urgency on~the part of the
stock grazers.
Approximately 225, 1000 head of
cattle and sheep Craze on the for
est reservations covered by the
secretary's action. 1t u assumed
remission of the fees fo4 the first
six months of 1925 had President
Coolidge's approval.
A statement to The Mail from the
forestry office at Albuquerque, fol-
lows:
In his desire to further aid the
livestock owners who have been adj
versely affected in recent years by
drouth and the depressed economic
condition of the livestock industry,
William M. Jardine, secretary of
agriculture, has waived the graz
ing fees for certain national forest
areas in Arizona, New Mexico and
Utah for the remainder of the 1925
( r'sging year and the first half of
1. . grazing year.
This waving of grazing fees for
1925 and part of 1926 is a further
effort on the part of the department
of agriculture to assist the live
stock industry in the southwest to
overcome the adverse affects of the
prolonged drouth which resulted in
heavy losses and increased operat-
ing expenses to many livestock
owners.
In commenting on the general
situation IS it relates to the graz
ing of livestock on the national for
est ranges in the states affected by
the waiver of grazing fees the sec
retary of agriculture states:
Conditions in the livestock in
stry in certain sections of Ari-
q New Mexico and southern
Utah are such that the effects of
the prolonged drouth will be felt
for some tir1e In recognition of
these prevailing conditions in this
locality and In compliance with the
authority vested in me by law the
grazing fees on the national forests
affected were waived for the calen-
dar year of 1925 in the drouth
proximately S400000.
''It is appreciated that consid-
cradle loss Will occur to the states
and counties who are vitally inter
ested in the amount of revenue the
government receives for the use of
natural reSo' rceS on the national
forests" said Secretary Jardine, "as
the law provides that 25 per cent
of the gross receipts of the national
forests be returned to the states for
roads and schools in the counties
from which the receipts were Sc
cured and 10 per cent additional to
be used in construction for roads
and trails within the national for
ests"
Through this provision of the
law the states of Arizona and New
Mexico under normal conditions
would receive about $198,5S7 each
year The total waiver of the graz
ing fees would reduce the amount
each state would receive by about
$109 $50. Under the plan announc-
ed by Secretary Jardine the waiv-
ing Of the grazing fees for the first
h4 >pf the grazing year 1926 will
req p the income which would or
dinarily go to the counties by
about $55,000
The waiver of fees covers all the
national forests of Arizona and all
the New Mexico national forests in
Guiding the Chupadera Division of
the Manzano, excepting the Carson.
Santa Fe and the remainder of the
ManZano forest. The remaining ma
tional forests covered by the waiv-
er- include the. Dixie, LaSalle and
- gen in Utah