198 GRAZING ON WOODLANDS 



has almost invariably occurred on lands cropped by sheep or 

 goats. However, after many years of intensive investigation 

 and wide observation by many specialists in various parts of the 

 West, it has been concluded that practically all serious damage 

 to timber reproduction is caused by too heavy grazing and by 

 faulty handling of the stock. 



Although the forage on most areas that are timbered by such 

 species as yellow pine, Douglas fir, aspen, and other hardwood 

 types is probably not superior to that on untimbered lands, it 

 furnishes an enormous amount of good spring and summer feed 

 for all classes of livestock. Indeed, the use of the forage on 

 timbered lands is indispensable to the meat-producing industry 

 in many communities of the West. It is the aim here to point 

 out to what extent injury to forest reproduction may be caused 

 by grazing, under what conditions the damage is most serious, 

 and how such damage may be reduced by improved livestock 

 management. 



RESULTS OF INVESTIGATIONS 



Because the policy of the United States Forest Service per- 

 mits grazing on all of the National Forest range so far as it is 

 consistent with good forestry practice, this bureau has made a 

 very careful study of the effect of grazing on timber reproduction 

 in the West. The study has been so organized as to cover the 

 broader forest types and climatic regions. In the pursuit of this 

 study, detailed investigations were made on the National 

 Forests of Arizona and New Mexico and on certain Forests in 

 California and in central Utah. 



Studies in Northern California, Oregon, and Washington. — 

 In the Northwest a number of investigations were conducted to 

 determine the effects of grazing on the reproduction of various 

 coniferous and certain other species. Sampson and Dayton^ 

 in 191 1 initiated a comprehensive study on the Shasta National 

 Forest in northern California to determine the amount and 

 seriousness of injury to timber reproduction caused by grazing, 



' Sampson, Arthur W., and Dayton, William A., "Relation of Grazing to Timber 

 Reproduction, Shasta National Forest." U. S. Dept. of Agr., Review of Forest 

 Service Investigations, Vol. 2, pp. 18-24, 1913- 



