Small Ranchers and the Forests 



359 



In the case of a sale for saw timber, 

 the forest officer blazes each tree to be 

 cut and numbers it, consecutively, on 

 the blaze. He measures its diameter at 

 a point 4 5/2 feet above the ground with 

 a diameter tape and its merchantable 

 height with an Abney level or hyp- 

 someter. Diameter and height meas- 

 urements are recorded for each tree as 

 the marking and measuring go for- 

 ward. From tables prepared for each 

 tree species in the timber stand the vol- 

 ume of lumber that can be sawn from 

 each marked tree is calculated and re- 

 corded. A sufficient number of trees are 

 marked to produce a gross volume, as 

 determined from the volume tables, 

 somewhat in excess of the amount 

 which the purchaser applies for. 



Usually some of the trees marked 

 contain defects in the form of rot, 

 checks, or crooks, or are unavoidably 

 broken when they are felled. To be 

 sure the purchaser gets the full volume 

 of the usable material desired, the gross 

 volume, as determined from the vol- 

 ume tables, is reduced by the amount 

 of such defect and unavoidable break- 

 age as occurs. This deduction is arrived 

 at by scaling a sample of felled trees to 

 determine the difference between their 

 gross and usable volume. This differ- 

 ence is then applied to the whole. 



In order to handle most efficiently 

 the great number of small sales made 

 annually and to provide the most serv- 

 ice to purchasers, units of timber are 

 set aside on most national forests and 

 ranger districts where small sales are 

 concentrated. Such units are located, 

 as far as practicable, close to communi- 

 ties from which most requests for tim- 

 ber are received. In them the forest 

 officer usually marks and measures 

 enough trees in the spring to take care 

 of all the small sales he expects to have 

 during the normal logging season. 



As each application is received, pre- 

 viously marked and measured trees are 

 assigned to the applicant and specified 

 by number in his permit. The assign- 

 ment, by number, of trees previously 

 marked is done consecutively as ap- 

 plications are received. Each permit- 



holder is given directions on how to 

 reach the area where the timber is 

 located. Periodically the forest officer 

 inspects the cutting area. 



Many small ranchers in the West use 

 national forest forage for their livestock 

 in summer. The forage is managed, like 

 timber, on a sustained-yield basis. The 

 use of forest range is permitted on pay- 

 ment of a grazing fee based on the class 

 of stock and the length of the grazing 

 season on each grazing unit. In 1947, 

 17,153 ranchers were permitted to 

 graze 1,142,629 cattle and horses under 

 paid permits. Another 3,167 had per- 

 mits to graze 3,398,375 sheep and 

 goats. About 60 percent of the holders 

 of permits for cattle and horses grazed 

 fewer than 40 head of stock each ; only 

 about 7 percent owned more than 200 

 head each. Approximately 63 percent 

 of the permits for sheep and goats were 

 for fewer than 1,000 animals; only 

 about 3 percent grazed more than 

 4,000 head. 



The forests also provide supple- 

 mental employment to many ranchers 

 on various types of projects for improv- 

 ing and protecting the forests. 



People living in or near the forests 

 are especially qualified and adapted to 

 this type of work. Because they have 

 more than average dependence upon 

 the resources of the forest, they have 

 more than average interest in develop- 

 ing and protecting them. Those who 

 operate small mills to supplement their 

 ranching operations are interested in 

 stand-improvement measures, such as 

 thinning dense stands, pruning crop 

 trees, and planting seedlings, and in 

 maintaining the roads. Graziers are in- 

 terested in range reseeding and con- 

 struction of improvements like water 

 developments and fences. Men who use 

 the forest roads and trails for trailing 

 or trucking livestock or guiding vaca- 

 tionists on fishing and hunting trips are 

 anxious to maintain roads and trails. 



WILLIAM L. ROBB has been in 

 charge of the Division of Timber Man- 

 agement of the Intermountain Region 

 of the Forest Service since 1939. 



