538 A NATIONAL PLAN FOR AMERICAN FORESTRY 



As shown in the section on "Wild Life A Forest Resource", the 

 game and fish supported by forest lands and streams provide sport 

 for hundreds of thousands of hunters and fishermen. Forests harbor 

 a large proportion of the commercially valuable fur-bearing animals. 

 They add materially to local business by expenditures of sportsmen 

 and to State and county revenues from the sale of licenses. In addi- 

 tion to the wild life, the forest has educational and esthetic values 

 which cannot be expressed wholly in terms of dollars and cents. 



There is much forest land available for wild life which is too rough, 

 supports too dense a stand of timber or brush, or is otherwise unsuit- 

 able for grazing by domestic livestock. On most forest lands grazed 

 by livestock, however, there are or eventually will be problems of 

 coordination and adjustments between wild life and domestic animals. 

 The greatest difficulties so far have come in areas overstocked with 

 domestic animals or with game or both, as on the Kaibab Plateau. 

 Likewise an excess of elk south of Yellowstone Park during winter 

 months has made heavy feeding of hay necessary to prevent losses. 

 In general, there is ample summer range on western forests for present 

 numbers of game animals, and in some cases for increases, without 

 conflict with domestic livestock. Winter range on the other hand is 

 insufficient on most areas even for present numbers. 



Stockmen as a whole have as much interest in the maintenance of 

 wild life as any other group of citizens. The interest of the public 

 in a large and well-maintained wild-life supply may require curtail- 

 ment or even elimination of domestic livestock grazing from limited 

 areas of public-forest ranges. Thus, on national forests nearly 3 

 million acres of usable forest range have been closed to grazing by 

 domestic animals for the benefit of game. Such feed reservations 

 are in addition to the large areas of forest land unsuitable for live- 

 stock grazing which are usable by game animals. 



Although a large part of the recreational values of forested lands 

 are free to the millions of people who annually enjoy them, additional 

 taxable wealth is created through the development of such facilities. 

 Most of the western national parks are in forested areas, and thus 

 large acreages have been set aside for the sole purpose of recreation 

 and inspiration. From these parks grazing is practically eliminated. 

 This is largely true on the forest areas included within State parks. 

 On limited areas of national-forest land there is a heavy concentration 

 of recreational use, especially such areas as those near Pike's Peak and 

 Mount Hood, where literally hundreds of thousands of people visit the 

 forest each year. Recreational needs for camp grounds, summer-home 

 sites, and other cultural development may also lead to demands for 

 local modification of range use. Such recreational use has brought 

 about elimination of grazing from approximately 1,335,000 acres of 

 usable forest ranges, usually in small units. Some owners of private- 

 forest land have taken advantage of recreational opportunities and 

 have made necessary adjustments in grazing. 



Many unreasonable demands have been made by recreational 

 enthusiasts for curtailment of grazing use on extensive areas of public- 

 forest land where all things considered there is no conflict between 

 such use and public interest. Horses and cattle, as well as shepherds 

 with their flocks, on forest ranges are by many people considered an 

 additional scenic attraction. 



