tated the movement of stock in and out of the forest, to and from 

 shipping points, and from feed to water, and has greatly reduced the 

 difficulty of securing supplies. 



Since 1908 the Forest Service has developed over 800 sources of 

 water supply, mainly by improving springs, building reservoirs, and 

 opening trails to inaccessible waters. During the same period over 

 750 sources of water supply were developed under permit by stock- 

 men. Of these, about 570 were for reservoirs or tanks, and 180 for 

 the development of springs and sinking of wells. While the Forest 

 Service exceeded the stock-growers in number of projects, it is prob- 

 able that the amount expended by it was less than that spent by the 

 stockmen. Bridges were not strictly a range improvement, but they 

 contribute greatly to the use of the range, and you will be interested 

 to know that over 380 bridges have been built by the Forest Service. 



One of the stockman's greatest enemies is the predatory wild 

 animal. Hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of live stock are 

 destroyed each year by wolves, coyotes, and mountain lions. It has 

 been the desire of the Forest Service to assist in every possible way 

 in the extermination of these pests. The forest rangers and guards 

 have been supplied with traps and ammunition, and in localities where 

 it was known that the depredations were serious, practical hunters 

 have been employed as guards, and have spent their entire time in 

 hunting predatory animals. The result has been that during the past 

 four years forest officers have actually killed and found the bodies of 

 over 27,500 wolves, coyotes, lions, bears, lynxes, and wild cats. These 

 figures do not include the animals shot or poisoned but not found, and 

 therefore it is safe to say that over 30,000 predatory animals have been 

 killed; and the reduction in stock losses effected by this means has 

 gone far to compensate the stock-growers for the grazing fees they 

 have paid. Requests have been made that the Forest Service extend 

 its co-operation to the payment of bounties, but it has been unable to 

 do so for the reason that there is no law which authorizes such action. 



Last August a bill was introduced in Congress by Senator Catron, 

 of New Mexico, which provides an appropriation of f 200,000 to enable 

 the Secretary of Agriculture to co-operate with any state containing 

 national forests which shall provide by law for the destruction of 

 predatory wild animals, in the organization and maintenance of a 

 plan for the destruction of such animals upon the national forests, 

 under the condition that the state shall expend a proportionately equal 

 amount. On the day following the introduction of this measure in 

 the Senate, Mr. Mondell, of Wyoming, introduced a similar bill in the 



