OCR Text |
Show BRAZING FEES OH FORESHESEIIVE By ARTHUR W. SAMPSON Most eastern and middle western represenatives of the U. S. Congress are evidently convinced that those western stockmen who grage their stock on national Forest range are enjoying enormous profits as compared com-pared with those who graze exclusively exclu-sively on private lands. In the last congress this misconstrued idea prompted some of the more aggressive aggres-sive members to introduce bills which called for substantially higher high-er grazing fees for forest range. There is little doubt but that numerous num-erous measures will be. introduced In the next congress with a view of substanially raising the gracing fees. This whole matter places the Secretary Sec-retary of Agriculture and the Forest Service in a somewhat embarassing josition, for the reason that in 1917 I the stockmen were given the assurance assur-ance that the fees ass then revised would remain unchanged until 1924, Furthermore, livestock values are rapidly dropping to the 1917 appraisal apprais-al basis, so that in another season or two the present grazing charges should be equitable. Legislators from eastern States who are unfamiliar with the stockman's stock-man's problems on the National Forests For-ests feel that he has a monoply on cheap grass. They do not realize among other things, that the permittee per-mittee is subject to many regulations regula-tions for the proper protection of the timber and the watersheds; that his tenure of use of the forage is none to certain; that he is more or less restricted in his livestock transactions trans-actions and in the number or stock that he may run; and that he is expected ex-pected to assist at any time in the protection and preservation of the forest from fires, etc. Early last spring the Forester was requested to have his -entire field force gather information as to the rental paid for pasture on private lands as compared with lands of other similar grazing capacity on the National Forests. With this information in-formation the Forest Service will be in a favorable position to discuss with the Agricultural Committee the question of proper grazing fees. In addition to the actual value of the forage the Forest Service Is basing the rental estimates on such factors as (1) location and nearness of the lands to shipping points, (2) character char-acter of the country, (3) class of the forage, and (4) accessibility to winter range. The one thing that the Forest I Service Is working for Is to make the I grazing on the forest, as stable as is consistent with good forestry practice. prac-tice. That the policy is being pursued pur-sued is seen, for instance In the issuance and encouragement of the 5 year grazing permit. To change the grazing fees every now and then certainly Is not conducive to stabi-jlity stabi-jlity in livestock producion. |