NATIONAL FOREST MANUAL GRAZING. 29 



should determine, first, whether the change can be made without 

 injury to the Forest or the flow of streams; second, to which class of 

 stock the range is best adapted; and, third, whether the change will be 

 detrimental to the interests of the people residing in the vicinity of the 

 range. The change will be made by the district forester only when 

 all three conditions are favorable and the Forester has authorized the 

 use of the area by the kind of stock involved. 



Grazing Districts. 



For convenience of administration Forests will be divided into 

 grazing districts. A typical Forest, with an area of 1,000,000 acres, 

 should usually be divided into from four to six districts, which may 

 be natural grazing units, natural administrative units, or parts of the 

 Forest used by different classes of stock growers or different classes 

 of stock. Wherever possible they will coincide with the lines of the 

 administrative districts. 

 Grazing Divisions. 



The grazing districts should also be divided into grazing divisions, 

 which should be natural grazing units defined by topographic 

 boundaries, with then* limits determined largely by the class of 'stock 

 which is to use them. Cattle and horses ordinarily graze both ways 

 from a stream, but seldom cross the summits of the surrounding 

 ridges. Sheep and goats ordinarily graze the crest and slopes of a 

 ridge or mountain, but will cross none but shallow streams except on 

 bridges. This should be kept in mind in fixing range boundary lines. 

 Divisions, being smaller than a district, should usually be for the use 

 of one class of stock and should be designated by well-known local 

 names, such as u Mormon Lake Division." These range divisions 

 may, where advisable, be divided into individual ranges. 



Grazing Subdivisions. 



Range divisions set aside for the grazing of cattle may be sub- 

 divided into smaller units for the grazing of dairy cattle, stock 

 cattle, and steers. The separation of these three classes of cattle is 

 beneficial to the stock and to the range; consequently, it should be 

 encouraged in every instance where the stock can be confined to the 

 allotted ranges without excessive cost or deterioration. When 

 separate ranges have been established for dairy, breeding, and beef 

 stock, range allotments will be made in accordance with the char- 

 acter of the stock covered by permit, and each permittee will be 

 required to confine his stock to his allotted range. 



Individual Range Allotments. 



Cattle and horses will be allotted individual ranges only when 

 topographic conditions and methods of handling make it practicable, 

 but sheep and goats will be allotted individual ranges in every case, 

 unless unusual circumstances prevent. The confinement of cattle 

 or horses to individual ranges in a flat country would, of course, 

 necessitate constant riding and increase the cost of handling and is 

 therefore inadvisable. When cattle and horses are assigned indi- 

 vidual ranges, the permittees will be required to make a reasonable 

 effort to keep their stock within the limits of their range divisions. 



The manner in which sheep and goats are handled makes indi- 

 vidual allotments both practicable and desirable. The mixing of 

 herds and the consequent loss of lambs are avoided, and each per- 

 mittee is encouraged to improve range conditions by better methods 



