STOCK ON RANGES IN NATIONAL FORESTS 219 



The object of these regulations is to prevent specula- 

 tion in permits and the handing down of grazing priv- 

 ileges from one person to another without the power of 

 the Government to control .it. 



Permits for More than One Year. On some of the 

 forests where grazing conditions are well established, 

 and there are no range controversies, applications are 

 received for a period of more than one year, usually five 

 years. While this permit is issued annually, the holder 

 is given assurance that except for certain stated reasons 

 and causes he may continue to use the same range and 

 graze the same number of stock and the annual permit 

 will be renewed each year for the term specified in the 

 application. This gives the holder of such a permit a 

 certain permanence in the use of his range and the num- 

 ber of stock to be grazed under it. 



Drifting of Stock onto Forests. Where the stockmen, 

 especially cattle-owners, are grazing their herds in the 

 vicinity of the National Forests, and the drifting cattle 

 naturally work back and forth across the open boundary 

 line, the matter is adjusted under an "on and off" per- 

 mit, which allows for a certain proportion of the cattle 

 being on the forest at all times. This obviates the neces- 

 sity of the stockman herding his cattle or erecting fences 

 to keep them from going on the forest, and has proved 

 a satisfactory method of meeting the situation. The 

 Supreme Court of the United States has decided that 

 the burden of keeping the drifting stock off the forests 

 rests on the owner of the stock and not the Government, 

 state or local laws to the contrary notwithstanding. 



Fencing Privileges. Stockmen using the National 

 Forests are also permitted to fence land for pasturing 



