KEPRODUCTIOiSr OF WESTERN YELLOW PINE. 131 



The surest solution of the problem is to exclude sheep. This does 

 not call for wholesale expulsion of sheep from the National Forests. 

 It merely involves temporary removal of sheep from areas which are 

 in the process of restocking. Areas which are adequately stocked 

 will require no exclusion, or only temporary exclusion, to enable the 

 seedlings already on the ground to reach sufficient height to, resist 

 excessive damage. The period required for an adequate stand of 

 seedlings to become established and grow beyond danger from sheep 

 grazing is estimated at 20 years. At the end of the reproduction 

 period the lands thus affected can again be thrown open to regulated 

 sheep grazing. Thus, sheep grazing in the yellow pine forest would 

 be handled on a rotation plan in which exclusion would follow or 

 directly precede cutting, and, after the system has been in practice 

 for about 20 years, the closing of new areas for reproduction will be 

 offset by the reopening of those which have been restocked. After 

 the sj^stem is once under way the area open to sheep will remain 

 practically stationary. Since something like 160,000 acres of past 

 and prospective cuttings are involved on the Coconino and Tusayan 

 National Forests, heavy initial reductions in the number of sheep 

 are c_alled for. A substantial beginning has already taken place, 

 and present plans provide for additional cuts to be distributed over 

 a period of several years. 



Experience throughout the Southwest points to the desirability of 

 securing reproduction in advance of cutting. The heavy seed yields 

 of virgin stands may normally be expected to hasten reproduction 

 and thus shorten the period during which special protection against 

 grazing is required. Protection should begin immediately after the 

 appearance of a good stand of seedlings. Although under favorable 

 circumstances a single seed crop may result in complete restocking, 

 the many uncertainties involved render it advisable to provide ade- 

 quate protection for 10 years prior to cutting. Some seedlings 

 would die from suppression on the immediate sites of tree groups; 

 but they could easily be replaced after the latter are removed, because 

 of the favorable conditions afforded by such sites. 



A program calling for the exclusion of sheep on an extensive scale 

 will obviously interfere to some extent with the sheep industry. 

 The cut in actual numbers is not the greatest object of concern. 

 The greatest problem arises from the private ownership of ranch 

 property, and of water and other improvements necessary to the 

 utilization of the range. Closing ranges on which these develop- 

 ments have been made at private expense involves difficult problems 

 in the adjustment of property rights. Moreover, there is need for 

 additional water development and fencing in order to facilitate 

 the proper handling of stock and shifting of allotment lines. One 



