use of the national forests has full legal sanction and cannot be 

 stopped for lack of authorization in the laws. Present policies 

 and programs fully recognize this situation. 



In view of the foregoing, there is no actual need for amending 

 the Act of 1897 to provide by law that grazing be a basic use of 

 national-forest lands. If an amendment to that law should be 

 enacted, other important and widespread uses and values not 

 previously included, such as recreation and wildlife, also deserve 

 to be recognized. 



32. Should national-forest advisory boards be given legal 

 status? 



Yes; if present advisory-board members and livestock interests 

 desire it. 



For many years there have been local grazing advisory boards 

 for ranger districts and entire national forests in the Western 

 States. Some 800 such local boards are now functioning. They 

 are playing an important part in ironing out local problems and 

 in working for sound management of the range. Such boards 

 are composed mainly of permittees who graze livestock on the 

 particular allotment, ranger district, or national forest covered 

 by the board. Their function is entirely advisory. Final decisions 

 on policy and related administrative matters remain with the 

 Secretary of Agriculture. This is, of course, the only way in 

 which responsibility for action can be definitely placed. 



33. Is a greatly enlarged program of range improvement, 

 including water development, reseeding, fencing, and 

 rodent and weed control needed on national-forest lands? 



Yes; a greatly enlarged program of range improvement is 

 urgently needed to obtain efficient use of the forage resource. 

 It is a national-forest policy, within the limits of available funds, 

 to provide for the construction of fences, water developments, 

 and other improvements needed for proper use of the range. 

 Steady progress is being made. The Federal Government has 

 invested over $16,000,000 in 24,400 miles of fence, 4,000 miles 

 of stock driveway, 14,800 water developments, over 200,000 acres 

 of range reseeding, and other improvement items. Construction 

 of most of these improvements was accomplished through emer- 

 gency public-works programs beginning in 1933. 



Except for range reseeding, only very small amounts were 

 appropriated for range improvement during the fiscal years 1948 

 and 1949. About $1,300,000 was appropriated for range reseed- 



16 



