62 AN AUSTRALIAN STUDY OF AMERICAN FORESTRY. 
Heretofore, exploitation of the forest pasturage has been controlled 
generally by the Department of Lands. As the State forests, however, are 
vested in the Forest Services, grazing problems will become involved with 
the general problems of forest administration. 
In accordance with the policy of the Departments of Lands, the forest 
pasturage in the past has been disposed of under a leasehold system upon terms 
varying from one to forty years. Much of the New South Wales inland forest 
reservation is encumbered by such Jeases, which are difficult hurdles to be 
negotiated by the forester anxious to perfect the forest plan. 
Recently, a grazing license system was introduced with considerable 
success, in the North-western Forestry District of New South Wales. It is of 
interest to note that that license system approximates very closely in principle 
to the American practice. 
The leasing of grazing rights on a National Forest is regarded by the 
United States of America Forest Service as highly objectionable— 
“Tt would greatly increase the difficulty of proper silvical 
development, prevent a proper use of ranges under abnormal naturai 
conditions, and tend to exclude the smallest owners. Adequate 
protection of the forest would be rendered difficult if not impossible, 
because a lease even though filled with careful restrictions would give 
the lessee some right to dictate the use to which the area would be 
put. During the tenure of the lease no part of the tract could be 
closed to grazing, even though the necessity was urgent to prevent 
the destruction of seedlings, to secure reproduction on cut over or 
burned areas, or to protect important watersheds. The privilege 
would be a fixed instead of a flexible one, and if during the period 
forage was destroyed by fire, insects, or other cause, the stock would 
have to be removed from the forest instead of being transferred 
temporarily to another range. The leasing system would practically 
result in a number of individual allotments equal to the number of 
permittees and this would tend to shut out the small owner because 
he could not afford to hold his stock upon the small area to which he 
would be entitled. Fencing of the leased areas would necessitate 
leases for a term of years, and term leases would not only hamper 
forest management but also preclude recognition of new applicants 
who might be entitled to range.” 
—‘“ National Forest Manual.” 
This excerpt adequately sets forth the objections to forest leasing in 
Australia. 
Under the wide powers of the Act of 4th June, 1897, the Secretarv of 
Agriculture has authority to permit, regulate, or prohibit grazing in the 
National Forests. 
The “ National Forest Manual” further sets forth— 
“Under his direction, the Forest Service will allow the use of 
the forage crop as fully as the proper care and protection of the 
forests and water supply will permit. The cattle and sheep which 
are grazed in the National Forests bear an important relation to 
the supply of beef and mutton in this country and every effort will 
be made by forest officers ta promote the fullest possible use of 
grazing resources.” 
In 1915, no less than 1,727,000 head of cattle, horses, and hogs and 
7,283,000 head of sheep and goats were grazed on the United States of 
America National Forests. 
Although the charges were only nominal—about one-fourth the actual 
values—the revenue derived was £236,000. 
