CONSERVATION OF GAME IN THE NATIONAL FORESTS AND PARKS 141 



In a program for rehabilitating the game resources of 

 the National Forests, where there is abundant room for 

 an enormous number of game animals without seriously 

 interfering with the present livestock industry, three 

 things are essential : 



(1) A series of national game preserves located in favor- 

 able situations and distributed in National Forests through- 

 out the West in order to provide breeding sanctuaries where 

 game may increase and supply the surrounding areas. 



(2) Cooperation between the Forest Service and the 

 states wherein National Forests are located, whereby the 

 Forest Service shall designate the parts of the forests 



park there is a superabundance of summer grazing where 

 several times the present number of elk can find almndant 

 forage for all time to come. The high altitude of the park 

 and the severity of the winters there are such that winter 

 grazing is Hmited, particularly in severe weather, neces- 

 sitating that a large proportion of the elk pass outside the 

 limits to secure sufficient forage. The park is surrounded 

 on all sides by National Forests on which the forester is 

 authorized to grant grazing permits for Hvestock. The 

 increasing settlement of the West and the growing demand 

 for grazing permits indicate that within a comparatively 

 short time there will be a call for every acre of grazing 



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Photograph by Leei. 



HOW SHALL THESE ELK BE FED IN WI.NTER? 



The Forest Service and the National Park Service are now making a census of the elk in the Yellowstone Park with a view to providing winter feed for them 

 when the grazing on which they have been depending in the winter is so depleted that it can no longer maintain them. This photograph was taken in early 

 winter at Jackson Hole, Wyoming. 



where hunting may be done and the number of animals 

 that may be killed in any particular forest or section of 

 forest each season, the states meanwhile to have full 

 control over issuing hunting licenses and to receive all 

 fees therefrom. The states would thus benefit by the 

 services of the trained force of forest rangers and guardians 

 acting as Federal game wardens to guard the game re- 

 sources from spoliation just as they now protect the trees 

 and the grazing in the interest of the country at large. 



(3) A cooperative arrangement between the Forest 

 Service and the National Park Ser\Tce whereby the game 

 service in the National Parks and the National Monuments 

 shall be coordinated with that of the Forest Service to 

 the same end, that the game supply may be increased 

 and perpetuated. 



The necessity for this mutual cooperation is evidenced 

 in the elk situation in the Yellowstone Park. Within the 



available up to the very limits of the park. Should per- 

 mits to this extent be granted and the range stocked to 

 its full capacity the areas now available to elk for winter 

 grazing would be eliminated. As a result of this only one 

 or two severe winters would be sufficient to decimate the 

 Yellowstone elk herds. The Forest Service has wisely 

 foreseen the approach of this danger and for several years 

 has been planning to safeguard the future of the elk in 

 this area by reserving a sufficient area for their winter 

 grazing. In order to do this intelligently, however, it is 

 necessary to know the ntunber of elk in the park and the 

 location of the ranges to which they naturally drift in 

 winter. Sc\-eral counts of the elk herds in the Yellow- 

 stone have been made, and an arrangement effected 

 whereby the Forest Service and the National Park Sers'ice 

 will make a joint census this month, when the elk 

 are on their winter range, the park and forest rangers 



