166 OUR USE OF THE LAND 



to graze so many cattle on its land at a cost of about 1 5 cents 

 a head per month. At the same time, the number of cattle graced 

 was limited. This program started in 1905. In spite of the fact 

 that most of the range controlled by the Forest Service was in 

 bad condition from overgrazing when it was taken over, prac 

 tically all of it had been restored to first class condition by 1917. 



Then came the World War, and the Forest Service had to 

 permit the ranchers to run more stock on its land. The country 

 needed the meat and wool for its armies and those of its allies. 

 The barriers against overgrazing on the Forest Service ranges 

 were taken down. But what happened to their ranges was noth' 

 ing compared to what happened to other range land owned by 

 private individuals and other government departments. 



Immediately after the war, the Forest Service decided to 

 limit grazing on its land again. But here it ran into another 

 problem. The ranchers had expanded their herds to meet the 

 demand for meat during the war. The cattle were security for 

 the loans that paid for this expansion. That is, the owners 

 promised to turn the cattle over to the lenders if they did not 

 pay back the money borrowed. 



The Forest Service could forbid the ranchers to graze large 

 herds on forest land. But before the rancher could cut his herd 

 to the number the Forest Service required, those who had lent 

 money on the cattle had to give their consent. This the lenders 

 usually would not do. Besides, the ranchers argued that they 

 could make money with big herds, but not with small herds. 

 They did not want to reduce their stock even if they could. 



To get over this hurdle the Forest Service and committees 

 of ranchers worked out quotas of stock each owner should be 

 allowed to graze in the National Forests. These quotas were 

 gradually reduced. Thus a rancher was allowed to put a large 

 herd on Forest land at first, but he had to reduce that number 

 each year until his cattle would no longer be a drain on the 

 grass. When the rancher sold his ranch, which frequently 



