HOW THE FOREST SERVICE HAS HELPED THE STOCKMEN 



BY ALBERT F. POTTER 



ASSOCIATE FORESTER OF THE UNITED STATES 





THE ONE thing which stands out more clearly than 

 any other as an accomplishment in the management 

 of grazing within the National Forests is that the 

 ranges are producing more and better stock than they did 

 before and the stockmen using them are making more 

 money than those who are using the outside uncontrolled 

 ranges. The 

 most important 

 result of this is 

 that the Na- 

 tional Forest 

 ranges are not 

 only continuing 

 to furnish their 

 share of the 

 beef and mut- 

 t o n necessary 

 to keep up the 

 country's food 

 supply, but are 

 gradually pro- 

 ducing an in- 

 creased amount 

 of these food 

 products. And 

 furthe r m o r e 

 this is being 

 done now with 

 the almost 

 un an i m o us 

 support and en- 

 dorsement of 

 the stockmen 

 as c o m p a red 

 with their most 

 critical opposi- 

 tion in past 

 years. How 

 this change has 

 been brought 

 about is not 

 difficult to ex- 

 plain, because 

 it is simply the 

 working out of 

 a constructive 

 plan which has 

 carefully guarded against any unnecessary curtailment 

 of the livestock industry and has encouraged the fullest 

 possible use of the National Forest ranges consistent 

 with good forest management. 



In the beginning and before the Forest Service took 

 charge of the National Forests, the attitude of the gov- 

 ernment tended to favor the exclusion of livestock, par- 



ox THE ROAD TO MARKET 

 Through regulated use of the range on the National Forests it has been possible to greatVy increase 

 production and improve general conditions, minimizing loss from all causes; and the stockmen are co- 

 operating fully with the Service as well as working independently along the same lines. 



ticularly of sheep and goats, from these ranges, and to 

 consider grazing as something which must ultimately be 

 done away with if the forests were to be permanently 

 maintained. It was believed by many that when the 

 range had been denuded and injured by overgrazing there 

 must be a total exclusion of livestock before any improve- 



ment in the 

 cond i t i o n of 

 the range could 

 be secured, or 

 particularly be- 

 fore these 

 lands could be 

 successfully re- 

 forested. The 

 great import- 

 ance of the 

 livestock indus- 

 try, however, 

 required that 

 every possible 

 effort be made 

 to provide for 

 a continuation 

 of grazing up- 

 on these lands 

 in order that 

 s e r i ous busi- 

 ness disturb- 

 a n c e might 

 be avoided. 

 T h e r e f o re, 

 right in the be- 

 ginning of its 

 administration 

 the Forest Ser- 

 vice undertook 

 to work out a 

 system by 

 which the con- 

 dition of these 

 lands could be 

 improved while 

 they were in 

 use for grazing 

 purposes. 

 Early studies 



of the causes which had led to deterioration in condition 

 and decrease in carrying capacity of the ranges showed 

 that in many instances the damage was due mainly to 

 the manner in which the stock had been handled. Much 

 damage had resulted from placing stock on the summer 

 ranges too early in the season, before the forage had 

 made a sufficient growth to be ready for grazing. Also 



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