RANGE MANAGEMENT ON THE NATIONAL FORESTS. 45 



sources and with the construction of range improvements. During 

 the last few years, however, organized cooperation has been extended 

 to improvement in the grade of stock and their care and management 

 on the range and to new problems in the improvement of the range. 

 This advancement is the logical result of a need for improved prac- 

 tice to keep pace with increased cost of production and decrease in 

 the supply of range as compared with the demand. The importance 

 of extending cooperation in these matters to all National Forest ranges 

 can not be overestimated. Especially is this true as regards the man- 

 agement of cattle ranges and cattle on the ranges, because of the 

 problems involved, the wide distribution of cattle-grazing privileges, 

 and the necessity of range management by community units. Im- 

 provement along these lines, which must come largely as a result of 

 organized cooperation, is of great economic importance in itself, and 

 the development of the kind of cooperation necessary to bring about 

 this improvement will pave the way for improving range practice. 



The growing need for united effort, which can come only through 

 the medium of. organization on the right basis, is apparent in the 

 change that has taken place in the number of cattle-grazing per- 

 mittees and in the intensity of grazing. In 1907 approximately 

 18,500 permits were issued for the grazing of cattle and horses within 

 the National Forests. By 1917 the number had increased to ap- 

 proximately 32,000. The increase in number for 1917 as compared 

 with 1916 was 3,084, showing that the tendency to wider distribution 

 of the grazing privilege is continuing. In 1907 approximately 

 1,250,000 head of cattle and horses were grazed, and in 1917 over 

 2,000,000 were grazed, an increase of over 60 per cent in this class of 

 stock. In 1907 the average area per cow or horse was 57.6 acres, 

 and in 1917 it was 43.7 acres. 



With this increase in intensity of grazing, number of permittees, 

 and number of stock, the problems to be handled by cooperative 

 effort have increased, and the unit of area for which cooperation 

 should be organized has become smaller. Until a few years ago the 

 most pressing questions could be handled by the National, State, 

 and individual Forest live-stock associations. But to-day the greater 

 number of problems where cooperative effort is important have to do 

 with the improvement and management of the range and the stock 

 within the individual grazing unit. The users of the individual unit 

 of range management have a common interest in all matters per- 

 taining to the management and development of the range and the 

 improvement and management of the cattle and horses within the 

 unit. Proper salting of stock, construction of fences to control the 

 stock, development and maintenance of stock-watering places, proper 

 distribution of stock over the range, reduction in losses of stock on 



