A NATIONAL PLAN FOR AMERICAN FORESTRY 457 



Present logging methods ordinarily do not seriously injure water- 

 shed values except where logging is followed by fire. On national- 

 forest lands, cutting usually is more or less selective and leaves an 

 understory of young trees and underbrush. On private land, also, 

 cutting is seldom so severe at the present time as to have serious 

 effects on watershed values except on some western white-pine areas. 

 On certain large areas, however, for example in Idaho, the timber has 

 been practically clear cut and burns to clear the slash have seriously 

 delayed restocking to timber, thus materially reducing protection 

 values. 



Overgrazing is or has been an important factor in unsatisfactory 

 watershed conservation throughout the basin. On some areas, especi- 

 ally in northern Idaho and western Montana, demand for grazing is 

 so light that watershed values are not greatly endangered by grazing 

 use. On many forest areas in southern Idaho, eastern Oregon, and 

 central Washington, however, because of easily erosible soils, steep 

 slopes, open tree cover, and semitorrential rains, overgrazing has 

 created a critical erosion problem. On large private holdings grazing 

 is usually leased without restriction on use. Because of overgrazing 

 in the past and even at present, the vegetative cover on many private 

 lands and on the public domain is so seriously depleted that it does 

 not effectively protect the soil against erosion. Heavy grazing 

 together with the trampling of livestock, especially on loose, granitic 

 soil, tends to destroy the vegetation and litter that normally would 

 keep the top layer of soil mellow and open. 



REQUIREMENTS FOR WATERSHED PROTECTION 



On the 34,755,000 acres of forest land within the national forests 

 in the Columbia River Basin, watershed conditions are in the main 

 rather good. Fire protection needs strengthening. Cutting is 

 ordinarily not detrimental. Although forage conditions are improving 

 or being maintained on most range areas, overgrazing has not been 

 entirely corrected and some special adjustments on critical areas may 

 yet have to be made. In general, conditions are rather good also on 

 the 2,225,000 acres of forest land in Indian reservations. 



Practically all the forest area on the public domain, amounting to 

 about 1,776,000 acres, could justifiably be added immediately to the 

 national forests for the purpose of watershed protection. Grazing 

 regulation on this area should permanently benefit the livestock 

 industry, as well as assuring more adequate protection to watershed 

 values. Greater effort to control fire is needed. In addition, timber 

 cutting should be regulated more strictly. 



Since few counties can afford adequate forest fire protection, it 

 seems logical that the States or the Federal Government should 

 acquire a considerable part of the private lands that are reverting to 

 public ownership for nonpayment of taxes, in order that the watershed 

 and other values of these lands may be adequately safeguarded. 

 Available data point to the need for public acquisition of about 

 12,400,000 acres of forested watershed lands in this basin. 



On badly depleted areas efforts should be made to restore a cover 

 that would be more profitable and that would protect the soil and 

 water flow more effectively. The area on which forest planting will 

 be necessary for watershed protection is roughly 150,000 acres. 



