PUR CULTURE ON THE NATIONAL FORESTS 595 



In the early days the Government refused to limit the competition 

 which did more than anything else to decrease fvir production. Of 

 later years as some States passed laws controlling the taking of fur- 

 bearing animals nothing has been done to define fur production areas 

 or to stabilize production by ascertaining that amount of fur of the 

 different kinds which a given region should produce. That such action 

 was entirely possible is shown in the experience of Canada, where the 

 strife of rival companies bid fair to destroy a vast resource when steps 

 were taken to limit the activities of one company to a given region. 

 This act alone, aside from any laws controlling the catch, did much to 

 stabilize the industry through permanent interest in prodviction from 

 a given region over a long period of time. The trappers dealing with 

 the companies were encouraged to leave animals for breeding. Later, 

 I believe, laws were enacted to enforce this very point. 



In many of the States where there are National Forests trapping 

 beavers is prohibited, though provision is made to take such animals 

 as destroy property. Little interest is taken in the protection of fur- 

 bearing animals, with the result that applications to take beavers on 

 the grounds of active damage are not investigated, resulting in much 

 taking of beavers without compliance with the laws for protection. 



Where there are closed seasons or where trapping fur can be carried 

 on only under permit, no attempt has been made to ascertain the pro- 

 ductive capacity of the region, with the result that, even with the 

 closed seasons upon some of the more important animals, in many of 

 the States, the fur resources of the United States have steadily dimin- 

 ished during the last half century, far beyond any justification. Pres- 

 ent conditions point beyond a doubt to further shrinkage. The de- 

 crease has been in the quantity of the better pelts and not in the total 

 value of the catch. 



Beavers, otters, martens, and fislurs have disappeared from much of 

 their former range, and even minks, raccoons, and skunks have become 

 scarce in some localities. The result is that many kinds of thinner 

 furs have come into the market with an almost prohibitive price upon 

 beaver fur. The following statement is taken from Chittenden's His- 

 tory of the Fur Trade in the Far West : 



"The great importance of the beavers in the life of the hunter and 

 trapper arose almost entirely from the commercial value of its fur, 

 which is one of the finest that nature produces. At this early period 

 in particular it was in great demand. An average price was four 



