8 



amount of riding which must be done to prevent it. Fences were 

 needed to keep the cattle upon their natural ranges and to enable 

 the stockmen to handle them to advantage. Therefore, the Secretary 

 of Agriculture issued regulations allowing the construction and main- 

 tenance of drift and division fences upon the national forests. This 

 gave the stockmen a lawful method of securing one of the privileges 

 which were most needed for the success of their business. Where 

 fences had already been built which did not give the stockmen owning 

 them more than a fair share of the range, they were allowed to remain. 

 Where new fences were needed the stockmen were permitted to 

 construct them. Whenever these fences would materially assist in 

 the administration of the forest, posts and poles were given free of 

 charge, and in many cases also the wire and staples. In co-operation 

 with the stockmen, the Forest Service has constructed over 650 miles 

 of drift fences, and over 1,500 permits have been issued to stockmen 

 for the maintenance of fences on the national forests. 



In addition to drift fences, the stockmen also needed small 

 pastures for saddle horses, for' use in gathering stock for shipment, 

 and for pure-bred stock. Strictly speaking, the construction of these 

 pastures cannot be classed as co-operative work, as the government 

 has made no actual contribution to the cost of the fences. Still, by 

 classifying and surveying the land suitable for pasturage purposes, 

 and by granting the exclusive use of such lands under permit, the 

 government has made it possible for the stock-grower to protect him- 

 self against many of the hazards of the industry, and to greatly lessen 

 the costs of handling his stock. Almost 5,000 permits of this class 

 have been issued, and the national-forest lands enclosed within 

 pastures amount to over 500,000 acres. 



Where the ranges were overstocked to an extent which was 

 causing damage, one of three things had to be done: Either the 

 growth of forage on the lands under use had to be increased, new 

 areas opened to grazing, or the number of stock reduced. Areas not 

 in use were mostly ranges which were inaccessible on account of the 

 absence of the trails or bridges needed for stock to reach them, or 

 because of the lack of a water supply. The Forest Service immedi- 

 ately took up the problem of opening these ranges and, as funds were 

 available, began the construction of the necessary improvements. In 

 this work, as in all other ways, the stockmen have given hearty 

 co-operation and assistance. All told, a total of over 13,000 miles of 

 trails have been constructed in the national forests. In addition to 

 making many areas of virgin range accessible to stock, this has facili- 



