AMERICAN FOREST CONGRESS 237 



stringent regulations for policing and patrolling the 

 reserves, more liberal regulations for permitting set- 

 tlers to obtain timber for their own use, more liberal 

 regulations concerning live stock grazing and sheep- 

 crossing permits, careful investigation of the character 

 of the lands before including them in forest reserves 

 and in the investigation of lands previously included 

 with a view to restoring them to public entry and set- 

 tlement, if found more valuable for grazing or agri- 

 culture than for growth of timber. 



These reforms followed the earlier onerous regula- 

 tions and were the result of petitions for relief sent to 

 the Department of the Interior from individual settlers 

 and ranchmen, stock associations, stockgrowers, and 

 irrigation congresses, and of personal requests for a 

 more liberal attitude towards Western people made 

 by members of the Senate and House of Representa- 

 tives from Western States. 



During the year just closed sheep were allowed to 

 enter and graze in twenty-one forest reserves, and 

 cattle and horses in fifty-five, while in 1901 but eight 

 reserves were opened to sheep and thirty to cattle and 

 horses. In 1904 there were issued 843 sheep grazing 

 permits allowing 1,806,722 sheep to enter and graze 

 on the reserves as against 391 permits and 1,214,418 

 sheep in 1901. 



During last year 5,874 permits for cattle and horses 

 were issued and 620,657 head of this class of live stock 

 allowed to graze as against 1,926 permits and 277,621 

 head of stock in 1901. During the year ending June 

 30, 1904, 919,225 additional sheep were allowed to trail 

 across the reservations in going to grazing grounds or 

 shipping points outside of the reserves. 



To more correctly make known the necessities of 

 using the forest reserves for grazing purposes a refer- 



