THE NATIONAL FOREST MANUAL. 



GRAZING. 



The Secretary of Agriculture has authority to permit, regulate, or 

 prohibit grazing in the National Forests. Under his direction the 

 Forest Service will allow the use of the forage crop as fully as the 

 proper care and protection of the forests and the water supply permit. 

 The cattle and sheep which are grazed in the National Forests bear 

 an important relation to the supply of beef and mutton in this 

 country, and every effort will be made by forest officers to promote 

 the fullest possible use of the grazing resources. The utilization of 

 forage grasses and plants also reduces the fire danger and helps to 

 protect the Forests. In new National Forests, where the live-stock 

 industry is of special importance, full grazing privileges will be given 

 at first, and if reduction in number is afterwards found necessary 

 stockmen will be given ample opportunity to adjust their business 

 to the new conditions. Every effort will be made to distribute the 

 stock satisfactorily on the range, in order to secure greater harmony 

 among the users of the Forests, to reduce the waste of forage by 

 tramping in unnecessary movement of stock, and to obtain a more 

 permanent, judicious, and profitable use of the range. 



The leading objects of the grazing regulations are: 



The protection and conservative use of all National Forest land 

 adapted for grazing. 



The permanent good of the live-stock industry through proper care 

 and improvement of the grazing lands. 



The protection of the settler and home builder against unfair com- 

 petition in the use of the range. 



It is expected that the stock owners will earnestly cooperate in 

 carrying put the regulations. 



There is no law which gives an individual or corporation the right 

 to graze stock upon National Forests lands, and the grazing use of 

 such lands may be allowed by the Secretary of Agriculture only as a 

 personal and nontransf erable privilege. This privilege is a temporary 

 one, allowable under the law only when it does not interfere with the 



Eurposes for w^hich the National Forests are created. It is nontrans- 

 >rable because it is based upon the possession of certain qualifica- 

 tions peculiar to the permittee. 



By long use of the public lands of the United States for grazing 

 purposes, stock owners have been suffered to graze their stock upon 

 such lands under certain conditions of occupancy, residence, and 

 ownership of improved land or water rights. This use, continued 

 throughout a long period of years, has in the absence of congressional 

 legislation been commonly accepted in many communities, even re- 

 ceiving the recognition of certain of the courts. It is, however, 

 allowed only by passive consent of the United States. By force of 



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