174 OUR USE OF THE LAND 



ship of land is as mixed as it is in the range states, some method 

 had to be found to achieve this single control. 



For this reason the Taylor Gracing A ct gi ves the Secretary 

 of the Interior the power to exchange public lands for private 

 land if any unit of government or individual asks for such 

 an exchange. If a block of private or state land is in some 

 important part of a block of federal gracing land, the Sec 

 retary of the Interior can trade some of the outlying land 

 on the edge of the federal land for the intruding private or 

 state land. In the case of small bits of isolated federal gracing 

 land, the Secretary of the Interior may sell blocks of 760 acres 

 or less of such land. If it is not sold, it may be leased to stock 

 men with the condition that it be properly graced. 



Under the Taylor Act, the ten range states each form a 

 region. This region is supervised by a regional grader who is 

 appointed by the Secretary of the Interior. The regions are 

 divided into districts. Each district is an area within logical 

 boundaries that can be efficiently managed. The district bound 

 aries are determined at public hearings and may include both 

 public and private land. 



Each district, once it has been established, elects from among 

 the local stockmen who are going to grase cattle or sheep in 

 that district a local advisory board. This board is supervised 

 by the director of gracing in Washington and the regional 

 grader. These boards recommend that certain areas be leased 

 to individuals or groups. These recommendations must have 

 the approval of the director of grazing. The boards may also 

 propose rules governing the use of the range, but the Secretary 

 of the Interior alone can put such rules into effect. In all cases 

 he is the final authority with the power to make or change any 

 rules affecting federal gracing land. 



Only people who have used the government range for live 

 stock for two consecutive or three non-consecutive years before 

 the passage of the Taylor Act may use the range controlled by 



