598 JOURNAL 01' FORESTRY 



trolling the upper waters of all the principal streams in the mountain 

 country are the natural culture grounds for these creatures. Besides, 

 the nature of the administrative units creates an obligation for the 

 complete production from the lands. 



The beaver conditions in the Cochetopa National Forest in Colorado 

 is an excellent example of what can be done in the average mountain 

 region suitable for beaver culture. It is estimated that this Forest 

 which covers some f)00.000 acres contains 13,000 animals distributed 

 over about half the available water area suitable for production. As 

 the animals were causing damage to ranch property in one locality 

 near the Forest boundary, steps were taken to draw up a plan for co- 

 operative trapping with the State game department. The plan had in 

 mind the elimination of the beaver where they were actually committing 

 damage to private property, but at the same time maintaining them in 

 the streams of the Forest as a continuous source of revenue ; in other 

 words, the placing of the beaver in the light of an asset rather than a 

 detriment. It provided for the extermination of the beaver where they 

 were committing actual damage ; allowing them to increase unmolested 

 in streams of the Forest not fully stocked ; and finally the transplanting 

 of the beaver to streams where they do not at present exist, and where 

 food and other conditions are thought favorable for their propagation. 

 The trapping was done on Cochetopa Creek. This stream, about 15 

 miles in length within the Forest boundary, has an almost continuous 

 series of dams from the boundary to above timber line. Below the 

 Forest there are several ranches where the beaver are causing damage. 

 The damage consisted in flooding hay meadows and obstructing irri- 

 gation ditches, and was investigated by the local forest officers before 

 submitting a recommendation for the trapping. The stream, therefore, 

 afforded a combination of both conditions under which trapping was 

 justified; that is, a full stocked stream and also a locality where the 

 ranchers were suiTering actual damage. 



Upon the recommendation of the Forest Service, a trapper was sent 

 by the State with instructions to work under the direction of the forest 

 supervisor. When he arrived the latter part of April, the work was 

 outlined to him as follows: (1) To try to completely exterminate the 

 beaver on the ranches below the Forest where the owners desired this 

 to be done, and for a distance of half a mile within the Forest to pre- 

 vent interference with a big irrigation ditch; (3) to reduce the number 



