Preservation of Our Wild Animals 



Club, which is full of men of far greater expe- 

 rience and knowledge than myself. On the White 

 River Plateau Forest Reserve, which is destined 

 to be the Adirondacks of Colorado, with which 

 many of you are familiar, the deer disappeared in 

 a period of four years. Comparatively few are 

 left. 



The most thoroughly devastated country I 

 know of is the Uintah Mountain Forest Reserve, 

 which borders between southwestern Wyoming 

 and northern Utah. I first went through this 

 country in 1877. It was then a wild natural 

 region ; even a comparatively few years ago it was 

 bright with game, and a perfect flower garden. 

 It has felt the full force of the sheep curse. I 

 think any one of you who may visit this country 

 now will agree that this is not too strong a term, 

 and I want to speak of the sheep question from 

 three standpoints: First, as of a great and legiti- 

 mate industry in itself; second, from the economic 

 standpoint; third, from the standpoint of wild 

 animals. 



GENERAL RESULTS OF GRAZING. 



The formerly beautiful Uintah Mountain range 

 presents a terrible example of the effects of pro- 

 longed sheep herding. The under foliage is en- 



359 



