THE'ANGLEB AND HTXTSMAX 221 



mals, have committed themselves to the game refuge idea 

 as the means of saving from extinction the beasts and birds 

 that have formed so picturesque an element of western 

 American life. 



"Admitting the principle of game refuges a step that 

 gives hope to every game conservationist the stockmen 

 have qualified their endorsement with a restriction which, 

 if put into effect, would place enormous difficulties in the 

 way of reaping the fruits of this rational method of game 

 conservation and propagation. They wish to have these 

 refuges restricted to areas where the grazing of live stock 

 will not be interfered with in any way. Presumably this 

 means areas unsuitable for the grazing of cattle or sheep. 

 Briefly, the Federal game refuge plan provides for the set- 

 ling aside, through Act of Congress and Presidential procla- 

 mation, of certain areas of National Forest land whereon 

 hunting would be forbidden. These areas, so far from being 

 co-extensive with the National Forests, would be compara- 

 tively small, but in sufficient numbers to form reservoirs of 

 game animals which could breed in safety from molestation, 

 and which would overflow into the surrounding country. 

 The principle is analogous to the principle in forestry, of 

 saving seed-trees from the axe to assure a future crop of 

 trees, or to the principle in stockraising of preserving an 

 unimpaired breeding stock. 



"The stock associations apparently desire to have these 

 breeding grounds restricted to regions which, by the rough- 

 ness of their topography or the nature of their vegetation or 

 from other causes, are unsuitable to the grazing of range 

 stock. This restriction is apparently based upon the mis- 

 taken assumption that stock grazing will be excluded from 

 the refuges, as in Yellowstone Park grazing is not allowed. 

 This assumption is erroneous. There is no intention, in 

 any responsible quarter, of making such an exclusion. The 

 game refuge plan will permit a relatively small number of 

 game animals particularly deer to live unharmed either 

 on waste land or on ranges chiefly devoted to stock grazing. 



