A NATIONAL PLAN FOR AMERICAN FORESTRY 145 



Although forest lands are usually grazed by the livestock of local 

 residents, these residents seldom own them or lease the land from the 

 large timberland owners. Characteristically, the land has been 

 burned annually, especially since turpentine operations began. The 

 turpentine operator has burned in winter to safeguard the trees he is 

 operating against accidental summer fires which cause great damage. 

 The native cattle owner burns in the belief that he will improve the 

 forage. Such burning on cut-over lands may damage timber repro- 

 duction or even kill it, as in the case of slash pine. It is also apt to 

 slow down the growth of the larger trees. 



In the Central States region, characteristic of the woodland pasture 

 type of range, about a half of the commercial forest land is farm wood- 

 land, of which over a half is grazed. Outside of the "blue grass" 

 regions of Kentucky and Tennessee where the forest has been inten- 

 tionally opened up to provide better pasture, farm woodlands are 

 grazed with a view to producing such supplemental revenue as can 

 be obtained. In the four Corn Belt States Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, 

 and Iowa over three fourths of the timbered area is in farm wood- 

 lands, and nearly three fourths of this area is grazed. In this region 

 the forested lands are used more for shade, shelter, and incidental 

 roughage than for the primary purpose of forage production. 



Under sound forestry practice grazing may, generally speaking, be 

 exercised in coordination and harmony with the other major forest- 

 land uses; in some types, however, grazing may have to be tem- 

 porarily suspended during forest regeneration. At all times it should 

 be practiced conservatively, not only to avoid impairing forest-pro- 

 tection values, but also to avoid the depletion of the forage resource 

 itself. 



On certain municipal or other intensive domestic water-supply 

 areas grazing has been excluded altogether. Where certain types of 

 wild life are the object of management as, for example, deer it 

 may be desirable to restrict or eliminate grazing. On certain areas 

 heavily used by recreationists all the forage may be required for the 

 grazing of pack stock. 



Probably the most extensive and noteworthy example in the world 

 of regulated grazing use coordinated with the other forest-land uses 

 is to be found on the national forests. Efforts, effective on the whole, 

 have been made to obtain efficient use of the forage, to prevent deple- 

 tion, and to rehabilitate ranges previously depleted. Forage use is 

 adjusted to meet the requirements for timber use, protection, recrea- 

 tion, and game. In varying degree similar coordination of grazing 

 with other uses is secured on other publicly owned or managed lands. 



Such control and coordination are not secured on the public 

 domain forest lands nor as a rule upon privately owned forest range 

 in the West. Consequently the forage resources of these lands are 

 usually depleted and at least the protective functions rendered less 

 effective. In much of the East the forage resource is less susceptible 

 to overgrazing, but in many woodland pastures within the hardwood 

 types constant grazing has been responsible for the nonestablishment 

 of young forest growth, and the progressive deterioration of the forest 

 stand. 



