538 JOURXAI. OF rORKSTRV 



As I know them, the lands supporting the type are low ridges-, wide 

 mesas or sometimes prairielike, cut up by deep rocky canons, with a 

 scattering of small knolls which appear from a distance as islands. 

 The soil, which is largely the result of the decomposition of sandstone 

 or shale, mostly the former, has poor moisture retaining ability. 



At present, the type is in very poor condition. Because of its 

 altitudinal limits it does not receive as much precipitation during the 

 summer months, but is subject to more drying winds than the other 

 forest types of the region. The winter precipitation does not do it as 

 much good because the snows usually melt rapidly and the resulting 

 water runs ofi instead of going into the ground. 



Very heavy overgrazing has been done especially by sheep and 

 goats, and this grazing has seriously injured any reproduction that has 

 become established and destroyed much that has started. 



Crown fires have occurred that have totally destroyed many acres 

 of trees and countless ground fires have run in past years that 

 destroyed reproduction and injured the larger trees, allowing fungous 

 diseases to get a hold and spread with great rapidity. The greatest 

 part of the farming of the region is done on lands located in this type. 

 Much of the fuel and pole and post material that is used on the 

 farms is obtained from the type, and unregulated, injurious handling 

 of the stand has resulted. Large openings have been made that have 

 allowed erosion of the soil to go on unchecked and the drying winds 

 to get a better entrance to the stand. These factors have not only 

 hampered the natural progress that should have occurred in the type, 

 but have seriously impaired its condition, so that now it is losing 

 ground, and, in time, if its present treatment is continued, will be 

 entirely eliminated. 



In order to determine whether or not all of the lands making up 

 the type should be used for forest purposes, it becomes necessary 

 to analyze the present use of any lands that are not now so being 

 used. For the sake of this analysis, I will consider grazing to be a 

 use for forest purposes, leaving agricultural and forest purposes as 

 the only two uses for which the lands making up the type are valuable. 



Throughout the region with which I am familiar, almost all of the 

 level areas and the stream valleys have lieen or are being devoted to 

 some kind of farming. Fruit, hay. and grain are the principal crops 

 produced, and with the exception of the fruit farms, the lands are 

 used entirely in connection with the live stock industry. All of these 



