RANGE MANAGEMENT ON THE NATIONAL FORESTS. 7 



with small canyons, basins, and coves. Such broken topography is an 

 advantage, too, in keeping ewes and young lambs in small bunches for 

 the first 10 days after the lambs are dropped. 



The general tendency has been to use for lambing grounds areas 

 not suitable for this purpose, owing to altitude, lack of sufficient green 

 feed, and poor protection. The use of such areas should be discour- 

 aged in favor of earlier lambing on feed if necessary. Sheep owners 

 will undoubtedly aid in this, as the losses on unfavorable lambing 

 range are unwarranted and the number of lambs saved is becoming 

 more important as a factor in determining net profit of the sheep 

 business. 



RANGE DIVISION LINES. 



Division lines between ranges used by different classes of stock are 

 often established without enough attention to the suitability of all 

 range within a unit to the class of stock assigned to it. The aims 

 naturally are to establish the division lines along the most promi- 

 nent ridges and streams and to satisfy demands of individuals and 

 communities. This practice in general is correct. Very often, how- 

 ever, division lines based on prominent ridges and streams may be 

 so general as to include within exclusive cattle range areas of con- 

 siderable size which can be well utilized only by sheep. This is due 

 to the fact that cattle utilize the lower slopes and more accessible 

 places but make little use of the less accessible areas, usually at the 

 upper parts of the watershed, which could be fully utilized by sheep 

 without interfering with the cattle interests or damaging the water- 

 shed. Less often areas of considerable size best suited to cattle are 

 included within exclusive sheep range. All the area within a pro- 

 posed unit boundary should be carefully examined to determine the 

 suitability of the range to the proposed class of stock. If satisfac- 

 tory boundary lines can not be decided upon so as to exclude range 

 not suited to the class of stock on the unit, common use with more 

 than one class of stock should be considered. The minimum area 

 which it will be practicable to exclude from the unit will have to be 

 decided for the individual case. 



COMMON USE OF RANGE BY DIFFERENT CLASSES OF STOCK. 



If a range unit can be fully and properly utilized by one class of 

 stock, there is nothing to be gained by grazing two classes in common. 

 It is becoming more and more evident, however, that on mountain 

 lands, such as those within the National Forests, the range units 

 wholly suited to exclusive use by one class of stock are small in num- 

 ber as compared with those which can be fully utilized only by two 

 or more classes. Nature has not provided forage plants, topography, 

 and watering places over arbitrary administrative divisions as large 



