544 A NATIONAL PLAN FOR AMERICAN FORESTRY 



liberal supply of the more valuable forage. Properly placed drift 

 fences on infested cattle ranges and quiet herding on sheep ranges 

 may serve as makeshifts until the more permanent remedies of eradi- 

 cation of the poisonous plants or range revegetation may be provided. 



The presence of rodents on many of the forest ranges reduces 

 seriously the subordinate vegetation needed for watershed protection 

 and forage. The Forest Service estimates conservatively that on 

 more than 15 million acres of rodent infested range in the national 

 forests, including 5.8 million acres already treated, the grazing capac- 

 ity is lowered fully 10 per cent by the destruction of forage plants and 

 by the consumption of current growth. 



The more serious aspect of rodent damage is the destruction of the 

 protective vegetative cover of the soil, accompanied by a stirring up of 

 the surface soil which exposes it to erosion. Unfortunately this sort 

 of damage is most pronounced and serious on many areas where 

 originally the soil was deep and highly productive. 



The Bureau of Biological Survey, in cooperation with stockmen and 

 the Forest Service, has done very effective work on many national 

 forests, particularly in Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico. The 

 ranges cleared of rodent pests have shown improvement, but follow-up 

 measures and continued extension of control work are necessary if 

 permanent beneficial results are to be obtained. 



Stockmen suffer serious losses every year from predatory animals, 

 especially coyotes, wolves, and mountain lions. There are also heavy 

 losses in game animals. The Bureau of Biological Survey is conduct- 

 ing a control campaign upon predatory animals, cooperating with 

 State authorities, the Forest Service, and stockmen. While excellent 

 results have been realized, it has been impossible with the funds avail- 

 able to cover fully the vast area of country infested. 



It is the policy of the Department of Agriculture to control rather 

 than to exterminate predatory animals. Many people believe that 

 predators largely offset their damage to livestock where they con- 

 tribute substantially to rodent control. Predatory animals are recog- 

 nized as an important consideration in game management. Where 

 surplus game animals cannot be utilized in beneficial ways control 

 of predators may be lessened. Where the reverse is true control 

 measures become a necessity to the maintenance of a proper balance 

 between predators and game species. 



THE SITUATION IN DIFFERENT OWNERSHIPS 



The basic conception at the present time for use or disposition of 

 forest ranges varies so widely between those public and private agen- 

 cies owning such lands that distinctly different situations have de- 

 veloped. On the national forests the principle of multiple use of all 

 resources for the benefit of local communities and the public prevails ; 

 but on the unreserved public domain, although Federal ownership 

 implies an equal obligation in the public interest, there is an utter 

 lack of policy either in use or regulation. Western States ordinarily 

 aim to obtain as much revenue as possible from their forest ranges 

 regardless of conservation of the resources. The chief concern of the 

 private owner is to make a profit from his land. A review of each of 

 these situations and the results of each is, therefore, warranted. 



On publicly owned and managed forest ranges the method of dis- 

 posing of the forage varies considerably. Range feed is sold either on 



