AMERICAN FOREST CONGRESS 231 



in my mind, is worth much. On the other hand, the 

 stockmen are made to realize that these reserves are 

 being maintained for the benefit of the community in 

 which they live, and they, having secured a personal 

 interest in the success of the idea, will do their utmost 

 to build up the reserves along the lines desired. While 

 they are given the right to use the reserves for grazing 

 purposes, the privilege will not be abused under such 

 conditions, for the community, being interested, will 

 permit no abuse. 



The time to inaugurate the proposed plan is at hand, 

 since the reserves have passed into the control of the 

 Department of Agriculture, through the recent passage 

 of a bill by Congress transferring the administration 

 of the reserves from the Department of the Interior. 

 The Department of Agriculture is closer to the stock- 

 man than any other department of the Government, 

 and now that the transfer is accomplished it will be an 

 easy matter to secure this cooperation. 



It is unnecessary in a paper of this kind to go into 

 the details of a plan to secure this cooperation. It is 

 a perfectly simple matter, and where there at present 

 does not exist live stock associations to take up this 

 work, they would be quickly organized when it was 

 understood that the Government was willing to recog- 

 nize them and accept their assistance in the building 

 up of the reserves and in the maintenance of their 

 safety and integrity. As to the question of the wisdom 

 of adopting the policy suggested, it seems to me that 

 there can be no negative argument worth considering, 

 none at least from those who understand the actual 

 conditions in the West. 



