REPOKT OF THE FORESTER. 171 



The receipts from grazing, $1,202,304.61, show an increase of 

 $77,627.17 over 1915. A part of the increase came from a readjust- 

 ment of grazing rates between cattle and sheep, which resulted in a 

 slightly higher rate for cattle. The major portion, however, came 

 from the increased numbers of stock grazed. 



Cooperation between live-stock permittees and the Forest Service 

 materially increased. At the end of the year there were 254 live- 

 stock associations cooperating with the Forest Service, as against 

 202 one year previously. The increase was mainly due to the very 

 satisfactory results secured through cooperation in the erection of 

 range improvements and the enforcement of special rules authorized 

 by the regulations. These rules cover the question of salting of live 

 stock, the handling of the stock on the ranges, the grade and number 

 of bulls to be used, and other matters of management. 



FREE USE OP RANGE. 



The number of live stock using the National Forest ranges free 

 continues to increase. In some portions of the Forests, noticeably 

 in the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California, the demand for range 

 for work, pack, and riding animals of campers and tourists has become 

 so great that it was necessary to set aside considerable areas for their 

 use, from which all other live stock is excluded. The allowance of 10 

 head of milk, work, or saddle animals free to each settler naturally 

 increases as the homesteaders in and adjacent to the Forests increase. 

 A large number of live stock belonging to the various Indians residing 

 in or adjacent to the National Forests is also grazed free. A large 

 amount of Forest range, in most instances suitable for grazing, has 

 been withdrawn from all kinds of grazing use to protect the sources 

 of water supply for towns and cities in and near the Forests. Other 

 areas have been set aside as game preserves or refuges upon which 

 grazing is either prohibited or restricted. The areas devoted to the 

 above-mentioned free-use purposes exceed 6,000,000 acres. 



RANGE PROBLEMS IN THE APPALACHIAN REGION. 



During the year grazing administration was put into effect upon 

 nearly all of the eastern Purchase Areas on which the title to the lands 

 has passed to the Federal Government. Practically the same graz- 

 ing regulations and instructions are being enforced on these lands 

 as on the far western Forests, and so far no complications or difficul- 

 ties have developed. The ready compliance by stockmen and 

 farmers in this region with the regulations of the department and the 

 instructions of the Forest officers indicates that these regulations 

 are not onerous or burdensome. While it will doubtless be necessary 

 to restrict or entirely forbid grazing on some of the eastern Forests 

 in order to protect young forest growth, it is still evident that the 

 income from grazing will always be considerable, and that the 

 opportu lity to use the ranges for their live stock will be to the benefit 

 of the near-by farmers. 



72412°— agr 1916 12 



