200 
JOURNAL OF MAMMALOGY 
suitable culture areas are available. There is much stream area in the 
range of ditch-heads and cultivated lands where beavers can exist to 
advantage with little property loss. I do not believe there exists any 
general sentiment among those interested in lands of this type for 
the complete ehmination of the animals. There are those who deplore 
the property loss and would destroy the beavers completely, feehng 
that property should be first and seeing no value in the animals. There 
are those who covet the products of the beavers and agitate the 
damage feature to gain the assistance of those who would destroy the 
animals to protect property. Considering the failure of two legis- 
latures to open the season, I feel that those in favor of protection are 
in the majority. 
If there were to be considered only the stream-reaches in the range 
of ditches and cultivation, the general conditions would offer many 
features encouraging to a study of a workable plan for production. 
When we add to this the many miles of suitable water well supplied 
with food and entirely removed from confiicting interests, the possi- 
bilities for a substantial return from the lands and the development of 
an industry which will not interfere with the land production in other 
ways appear very feasible. The National Forests are for the most 
part mountainous lands which will remain in a wild state and they 
therefore offer excellent culture areas for fur animals. Another 
point which should be given full consideration is that the forest lands 
controlling the upper waters of all the principal streams in the moun- 
tain country are the natural culture grounds for these creatures. 
Besides, the nature of the administrative units creates an obligation 
for the complete production from the lands. 
The present status of the beaver in the Cochetopa Forest in 
Colorado is an excellent example of what can be done in the average 
mountain region suitable for beaver culture. It is estimated that this 
Forest which covers some 900,000 acres contains 12,000 animals dis- 
tributed over about half the available water area suitable for production. 
As the animals were causing damage to ranch property in one locality 
near the forest boundary, a plan was drawn up for cooperative trapping 
with the state game department. It provided for the extermination 
of the beavers where they were committing actual damage; for their 
increase unmolested in streams of the Forest not fuUy stocked; and 
finally for the transplanting of the beaver to streams where they do 
not at present exist, and where food and other conditions are thought 
favorable for their propagation. 
