68 Forest Club Annual 



vention and of transportation of men and fighting equipment in 

 fire suppression is exceedingly important; and to accomplish 

 either there is a necessity for roads and trails through the Forests. 

 The grazing industry operates in two ways to aid in road and 

 trail construction, and thus to assist in fire control : First, by 

 providing immediate justification for such construction, as roads 

 and trails are needed for convenient and economical handling of 

 the herds and flocks ; and second, by indirectly increasing the 

 funds available for these improvements, as through the co- 

 operation of the stockmen in the construction, in some cases the 

 necessary labor being performed by them without the aid of 

 the Government, the general cost to the Forest is reduced. 



In still another way does the grazing of livestock operate to 

 aid in fire control. Throughout the danger season men are 

 located at intervals over the forested areas handling the stock 

 on their respective range allotments. There are herders directing 

 their bands of sheep ; campmovers employed in transporting 

 supplies and camp equipment from one range to another ; and 

 riders on the cattle range continually riding over the areas dis- 

 tributing the cattle, branding calves, or providing salt. All these 

 men are incidentally patrolling the Forests. It is directly to 

 their interest that no fires occur to destroy the forage or en- 

 danger the grazing animals. Not only do they report fires to 

 Forest officers, but they extinguish small ones and because ot 

 their intimate knowledge of the country and their ability to en- 

 dure the exhausting work of forest fire fighting, they are invalu- 

 able as fire fighters. 



Nor is fire control the only phase of Forest administration 

 in which grazing plays a part. The effect of grazing on natural 

 reproduction is now fully appreciated, this being especially true as 

 far as the question of competition against tree seedlings is con- 

 cerned. Although herbaceous vegetation probably does not 

 seriously compete with trees beyond the seedling stage, yet this 

 stage is the acute one in the existence of a forest tree, ana 

 grazing undoubtdly reduces the competition of herbs and shrubs 

 against tree seedlings. Grazing occurs on the mountainous areas 

 almost exclusively during the period of vegetative activity of 

 all plants. The grazing of herbs and shrubs interferes with this 

 activity and therefore reduces the effectiveness of competition 

 against the tree seedling. 



It may also be contended that grazing animals trample tree 

 seed into the soil, thereby increasing the chances of successful 

 germination. The vast majority of tree seeds never germinate; 

 a very important reason for this is that the seed often does not 



