FOREST SERVICE. 395 



f)ermits, holding that the greater freedom of operation allowed by the 

 atter class more than offsets the greater degree of exemption from 

 reduction afforded by the term permit. 



Crossing permits to the number of 2,711 were issued free of charge 

 to the applicants. These permits allowed 80,423 head of cattle and 

 horses and 4,939,589 head of sheep and goats to be driven to private 

 lands within the Forests or across the Forest lands to outside ranges 

 or sliipping points. Wliile the number of permits increased by 3.7 

 per cent, the difference in the number of stock covered by them was 

 negligible. Permits are not required where small bands of stock are 

 driven along public highways or where the stock is not grazed upon 

 Forest lands en route. Considering the large number of stock 

 involved, there has been surprisingly little abuse of the crossing 

 privilege and no injury to Forest interests has resulted. Stock 

 growers suffered no embarrassment because of the requirements of 

 these permits, and the free movement of stock was not hampered. 



In some of the districts, notably districts 2 and 6, considerable 

 attention was given to the division of the ranges by drift fences 

 erected in cooperation with the stock growers, the Forest Service 

 contributing the timber needed for the construction of the fences and 

 in some cases the wire and staples. In other districts satisfactory 

 cooperation could not be secured, and as there was pressing need for 

 all available funds to prosecute other lines of work very few range 

 improvements were constructed. At the close of the year prepara- 

 tions were being made for the removal of the sanitary drift fence, 

 located on the western boundary of New Mexico, to the western 

 boundary of the Peloncillo division of the Chiricahua Forest, where 

 it will serve the double purpose of controlling the drift of cattle upon 

 the Forest and of preventing the spread of Texas fever from the 

 adjacent quarantine area. The most important drift fence erected 

 was the Rabbit Ear fence, 15 miles long, located in the Routt Forest 

 and constructed in cooperation with the North Park Stockmen's 

 Association. A number of important fences were erected in the 

 Deschutes Forest. The boundary drift fences upon the Alamo 

 Forest, wliich by eliminations from that Forest were left upon the 

 unreserved public domain, were condemned, sold, and removed 

 during the year. The future expenditure of funds for range improve- 

 ments mil, except in extraordinary cases, be made where improve- 

 ments are needed in order to carry out the grazing working plans 

 which are being formulated for various Forests as detailed ranga 

 reconnoissances furnish the necessary basis for systematic and scien- 

 tific development of the range resource. 



Use of Private Lands. 



As in previous years, the owners or lessees of unfenced private land 

 had the privilege of waiving the right of excl"usive use of such lands 

 and securing in return a free permit for the number of stock which the 

 private lands would support under the regulations of the Secretary. 

 By exercising this privilege such owners or lessees were relieved of 

 the necessity for securing a free crossing permit, where the stock were 

 to be grazed on the Forest en route, and of so handling their stock 

 that it would not encroach upon Forest lands; consequently they 

 could utilize their holdings at a minimum of expense. In addition 



