Ul',6 COORDINATING GROUSE PRODUCTION WITH OTHER PRIMARY LAND USES 



When livestock are fenced out of a woodland as a measure in animal husbandry, grouse 

 may be benefitted just as much as though it were done delilteralcly for their ititurests. Shrub 

 borders that are planted (or developed by cutting) and maintained for woodland protection, 

 for crop field protection, or simply for their beauty may be just as useful to grouse as though 

 they were planned for them. By educating farmers and woodland owners to good land man- 

 agement practices, much improvement of grouse cover may be accomplished. 



Lands Owned by' Corporations 



Private land has been discussed as a problem of individual ownership. Much of this land 

 today, especially large forest lands, is owned by corporations or other similar groups. Here 

 one cannot a])i)eal very strongly to personal interests for the land to them is an impersonal 

 matter. Things which are not good business, that is, economically profitable, are not likely 

 to demand their attention. Since grouse are a somewhat undependable crop at best, and in 

 any case are owned by the State and may not be connnercialized, grouse management in 

 itself has not to date been considered a profitable enterprise. 



Attaining grouse production on corporate lands may best be developed through practices 

 that are desirable for either timber, livestock or crop production as well as for grouse. Over 

 and above this group of agricultural and forestry operations, some modifications in favor 

 of grouse may be promoted through the public spiritcdness of the organization. More and 

 more companies are realizing the value of good public relations and those operating large 

 land areas should certainly find adequate reason for catering to the hunting fraternity. 



Soil Conservation Districts 



The history of conservation endeavors on private lands shows clearly the need of technical 

 assistance on the ground if owners are to become practicing conservationists. The coimnon 

 educational methods are not enough. Formal schooling, written articles, bulletins and books, 

 public demonstrations, radio talks, and the like, invaluable as they are, have not succeeded 

 in stemming the tide of destruction of our natural resources the land and its products. Ad- 

 ditional assistance to private owners has been provided in a number of ways in recent years. 

 The furnishing of tree planting stock for reforestation is a good example. These seedlings 

 are grown by state nurseries and sold to tlie public for a very nominal fee to encourage 

 proper use of lands not suited to growing farm field crops. Farm foresters and district 

 game managers provide technical advice tailored to the specific needs of each property so 

 that the planting stock may be most effectively used. 



The growth of the national soil conservation program has helped to clarify some of the 

 principles that are essential for successful conservation work on private lands. Four of the 

 cardinal points are: fl) conservation ]>lamiing should be based on an accurate physical in- 

 ventory of the land. By mapping the area according to its inherent capabilities, the proper 

 use can be determined; (2) the various sciences must be coordinated to produce best re- 

 sults. As an example, the needs for growing wood jnoducts and wildlife in the same wood- 

 land require the harmonious fitting together of the sciences of forestry and wildlife manage- 

 ment; (3) the complete land ownership enterprise should in- |ilanned as a unit. All parts 

 of a farm are interrelated as portions of a single business. Only by planning the entire farm 

 at once can the proper land use and needed conservation practices be assured; (4) relations 

 among private landowners and conservation agencies must be democratic. 



This principle of a democratic approach to the conservation job on jirivate lands de- 



