REINDEER IIT ALASKA. 19 



GRAZING AND RANGE MANAGEMENT/ 



AVAILABLE GRAZING AREA. 



Lands in Alaska available for reindeer grazing fall into two di- 

 visions — the coastal areas, immediately bordering the Arctic Ocean 

 and Bering Sea, including the islands; and the interior areas, lying 

 between those along the coast and the Canadian boundary. Along 

 the coast summer grazing is mainly near the sea, where the reindeer 

 can obtain salt, and on wind-swept areas where they are protected 

 from insects. In the interior, summer grazing is on the windy 

 mountain tops. 



Most of the present grazing is on the coast ranges, which are 

 most convenient of access and have better transportation facilities; 

 the interior ranges, not so accessible, still remain largely untouched. 



On the coast ranges, reindeer now graze from Point Barrow on 

 the north to Bristol Bay on the south and also on St. Lawrence 

 and Xunivak Islands, the Pribilofs, and Umnak and Atka in the 

 Aleutian Chain. The main grazing, however, is about four chief 

 centers, namely, the Kotzebue Sound country, Seward Peninsula, 

 about Norton Sound, and in the Kuskokwim River basin. 



On the far interior range (PI. IX, Fig. 1), reindeer grazing to 

 a small extent has been established at only three points, namely, 

 on the upper Kobuk River, above Ruby on the Yukon, and on the 

 upper Kuskokwim. While there had not been sufficient range recon- 

 naissance to determine exactly the full range extent and its possi- 

 ble carrying capacity, it is apparent that there is still room for 

 considerable expansion on the coast ranges, especially with the 

 introduction of improved methods of handling the herds; and the 

 far interior ranges present practically a new field which should 

 prove important for the future expansion of the industry. 



Expansion into the interior will depend primarily upon the 

 availability and accessibility of suitable range sites. The popu- 

 lar belief that reindeer may be handled wherever caribou are or 



^ Since basically the principles of cattle and sheep grazing are largely applicable to 

 reindeer grazing as well, the following publications dealing with phases of range and 

 stock management are listed for reference ; 



Jardine, James T., and Mark Anderson, Range management on the national forests : 

 Bull. 700, U. S. Dept. Agr., 1919. 



Jardine, James T., and L. C. Hurtt, Increased cattle production on southwestern 

 ranges: Bull. 588, U. S. Dept. Agr., 1917. 



Jardine, James T., Improvement and management of native pastures in the West : 

 Separate 678, Yearbook 1915, U. S. Dept. Agr., pp. 299, 310 ; 1916. 



Jardine, James T., The pasturage system for handling range sheep : Forest Service Cir. 

 178, U. S. Dept. Agr., 1910. 



Sampson, Arthur W., Range improvement by deferred and rotation grazing : Bull. 

 34, U. S. Dept. Agr., 1913. 



Sampson, Arthur W., Natural revegetation of range lands based upon growth require- 

 ments and life history of the vegetation : J&urn. Agr. Reseai'ch, U. S. Dept. Agr., vo-I. 

 3, pp. 93-148, 1914. 



Sampson, Arthur W., Plant succession in relation to range management : Bull. 791, 

 ■p. S. Dept. Agr., 1919. 



Jardine, James T., and C. L. Forsling, Range and cattle management in time of 

 drought : Bull. 1081, U. S. Dept Agr., 1922. 



