RANGE MANAGEMENT ON THE NATIONAL FORESTS. 21 



burns in conifer timber the object should be to restore the timber 

 species, and grazing should be adjusted accordingly. 



MAIN CAUSES OF OVERGKAZING. 



If it is decided that an area is being overgrazed, the next step is 

 to determine the cause, as a basis for remedial measures. The prin- 

 cipal direct causes of overgrazing on National Forest ranges at the 

 present time are too early grazing, poor distribution of stock, too 

 many stock, and improi^er handling of stock. 



Too early grazing by cattle is perhaps the most far-reaching cause 

 of overgrazing on National Forest ranges at the present time. The 

 practice too frequently has been to turn cattle loose on the low range 

 adjoining the Forest lands or within the Forest and allow them to 

 drift to higher altitudes as the snow line recedes and forage growth 

 comes on. This practice has resulted in the grazing of range before 

 the main forage plants have had two weeks of growth, which is be- 

 lieved to be the minimum period proper to allow between the begin- 

 ning of growth and the beginning of grazing. 



Usually the remedy is apparent but difiicult of application. First, 

 the beginning of the grazing period should be established in accord- 

 ance with the suggestions on page 11, on Grazing Periods; second, 

 there must be control at the Forest boundary to prevent the stock from 

 drifting on the range before the date decided upon for the opening 

 of the grazing period ; and, third, there must be some form of control 

 to prevent stock from leaving the low range too early and following 

 the snow line to higher altitudes. Fences eventually, no doubt, will 

 be constructed to control the stock. Meantime control by salting and 

 riding should be exerted to the maximum extent practicable. 



Too early grazing is not so common with sheep as with cattle. 

 Lambing ranges, early spring ranges, and, occasionally,' portions of 

 high summer range, however, are grazed before the main forage 

 plants have had two weeks of growth. The remedy again is obvious,^ 

 though difficult to apply until lambing facilities are better adjusted 

 to the changed condition of limited lambing range. The fact to 

 recognize and face is that the small acreage of lambing and early 

 spring range can not be stretched to meet increasing demands. It 

 has its limit beyond which it is bad policy for the man permanently in 

 the sheep industry to go, even if he is permitted to do so. 



Poor distribution of cattle and lack of uniformity of sheep graz- 

 ing on the individual allotments, next to too early grazing by cattle, 

 are the important causes of overgrazing at the present time. The 

 range assigned to a given number of cattle or to a band of sheep in 

 most cases will provide them with sufficient forage. The difficulty 

 lies in getting them to use fully the more remote, least accessible 



