28 NATIONAL FOREST MANUAL GRAZING. 



inadvisable to hold stock on winter range or in feed lots after the range 

 within a Forest is ready for use, but it is decidedly unwise to allow 

 stock on forest ranges before the feed has started, or while the range 

 is so wet that the stock will cause injury to both forage and tree 

 growth. The condition of the range rather than the desires of the 

 applicants must determine the period. Supervisors should endeavor 

 to recommend seasons which secure the best use of the range without 

 damage. 

 Special Seasons. 



When grazing periods have been fixed by the Forester or the district 

 forester, stockmen will be required to secure permit and pay the fee 

 for the full period. Special seasons can be allowed only in cases where 

 the circumstances render such action absolutely necessary. For ex- 

 ample, if a certain range will support 10,000 head of sheep from 

 June 1 to October 31, the issuance of a permit to graze 10,000 sheep 

 from July 1 to September 30 means a loss of forage values, a loss of 

 revenue to the Government, and a loss of opportunity by others than 

 the permittees to put stock on the range. 



Monthly Permits. 



Monthly permits will be authorized only for winter grazing where 

 special conditions warrant i. Despite the fact that they may be 

 more convenient for the permittees, there are several factors which 

 render the general issuance of permits on a monthly basis impractica- 

 ble from an administrative viewpoint. The first is that the practice 

 will result in a disregard of the periods of use to which the ranges are 

 naturally adapted, with consequent incomplete utilization, alternate 

 understocking and overstocking, loss of range capacity, loss of control, 

 and loss of revenue. Another objectionable feature of the monthly 

 permit system is that it would require each ranger to keep account of 

 the dates upon which each permit began and ended, and each super- 

 visor to maintain a similar record. Such permits would necessarily 

 be subject to extension and additional payments would be required. 

 For these reasons special seasons will not be allowed unless demanded 

 by exceptional conditions. 



Winter Ranges. 



Winter ranges should not be allotted for use during the summer if 

 such action will prevent their proper use during the winter by set- 

 tlers residing in or near the Forest who are dependent upon such ranges 

 for wintering their stock. A range which can not be used during the 

 summer season, but forms a part of the winter range, can not be classi- 

 fied as an unused range in the sense that term is used when super- 

 visors are authorized to allow permits for increased numbers of stock 

 contingent upon the development of unused ranges by the creation 

 of new sources of water supply, etc. 



DISTRICTS AND DIVISIONS. (Beg. G-2.) 



Best Use of Each Class of Range. 



The ranges within the National Forests should be used by the kind 

 of stock for which they are best adapted, except when this would not 

 be consistent with the welfare of the local residents or the proper pro- 

 tection of the forests. When an application is received for a kind of 

 stock not previously allowed to graze upon a range, the supervisor 



