324 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OE AGRICULTURE. 



themselves, who are prepared to assist, through local cooperative 

 associations, in working out a reasonable plan of public-range regula- 

 tion. The principle of local option might well be followed in under- 

 taking a plan of this character, basing the need for its application 

 in particular localities upon the judgment of the range users them- 

 selves. The economic difficulties which the livestock industry of the 

 Western States is now seeking to overcome have emphasized more 

 clearly than before the weakness of the industry at this point. And 

 in its efforts to aid the livestock industry in attaining a more stable 

 and profitable footing it is doubtful if there is any one thing on the 

 part of the Federal Government which would accomplish more in the 

 long run than to provide some flexible plan for regulating the use 

 of the open public ranges in cooperation with the stock growers 

 directly concerned. 



RANGE IMPKOVEMENT FUNDS NEEDED. 



Additional funds are needed for the equipment of national forest 

 ranges with boundary and division fences, the development of water, 

 and the eradication of poisonous plants. Because of the urgent need 

 of improvements for fire control it has been possible hitherto to 

 devote only a relatively small sum to range improvements. Such 

 improvements as have been erected have been largely paid for by 

 grazing permittees, but it is doubtful if much further assistance can 

 be obtained from them, at least without substantial cooperation 

 from the Government. Furthermore, to facilitate the best manage- 

 ment of the ranges, it is urgent that the Government itself own at 

 least a major interest in the improvements built on Government land. 

 Many national forest ranges can not be adequately protected or con- 

 served without the construction of boundary or division fences. 

 Other ranges can not be utilized without developing water or eradi- 

 cating poisonous plants. An ultimate expenditure of from two to 

 three million dollars will be needed to obtain full use and economic 

 returns from the national forest ranges without subjecting them to 

 deterioration. The urgent projects which have been surveyed and 

 which should be pushed immediately will cost approximately 

 $170,000. 



RECREATION AND GAME. 



The national forests, because of their public character, great 

 scenic attractiveness, widespread distribution, and proximity to the 

 centers of population of the States in which they are situated, have 

 alwavs been the natural recreational fields for large numbers of 

 people. In earlier years, however, their relative inaccessibility, due 

 to the lack of roads and trails, kept the number of visitors down, and 

 consequently recreation offered few problems of management or pro- 

 tection. The results of the successive Federal road acts and the 

 phenomenal growth in the use of motor vehicles have now made 

 recreation in the national forests a major activity which, though 

 relatively unproductive of money returns, is of outstanding public 

 importance. The number of people resorting to the national forests 

 for health and pleasure has borne almost a constant relation to the 

 increasing mileage of constructed road and the number of personally 

 owned motor cars. 



