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Show THE other state. The Forest Services disapproval of thousands of applications for range, naturally aroused the ire of the applicants. The reducing of large permits to prbvide range for new small owners or increases to small permittees touched the pocket books, and few are they who can accept that with good grace. The man with no permit, the man with a small permit desiring' to increase it and the large permittees desiring to retain what range he had, all claimed a right to use this public property. But according to the laws of the Universe, it was physically impossible for two bodies to occupy the same space at the same time. According to the laws governing plant life, there was a limit to the amount of forage a plant could produce, especially when the leaves were eaten off so often they had .no time to manufacture the food that makes the roots and body of the plant grow. The reduction of one permit to provide for another because of the intense demand, has undoubtedly been carried further in Utah than in any otlir state, and possibly too far at a scheme would be not only : unreasr in an econforage and harvested the water- Q,,;onable, but would result omic waste of valuable timber, which can be without any injury to sheds and which would die and cay "if not harvested. de- watershed protection is first consideration, the National Forest lands are managed also to produce timber. This can not be accomplished by merely protecting the timber. Tree growth stagnates if forests are left in their Crowding of primitive condition. trees causes competition for light and for soil nourishment. The older trees decay and die. Insects become prevalent and epidemics develop. So far as market conditions permit, the Forest Service disposes of the mature trees, thins out the crowded stands and makes room for reproduction. The young' stands render more service in watershed protection because they endure more shade and grow in denser stands. The selection of trees to cut and WHILE - the method employed in Forest -- Ser- vice logging operations involves a technical knowledge of tree habits, tree requirements, methods of reproduction, etc., which need not be discussed here. Utahs timber is in small blocks compared with timber in Idaho. Consequently Utah sawmill operations are small. While there are 132 sawmills in Utah, not a one is adequately equipped or efficiently operated when compared with mills to the north. Utah can profit a great deal by installing the modern highly efficient arid economical small sawmill. The same areas that are used for watersheds and for reproducing timber, also produce forage in The U. S. Public abundance. Health Service has shown that live- stock do not transmit water-born- CITIZEN times. 5 much more stability for the permittees and it is hoped the controversies due to competition for range are on the wane. A much less noticeable, but fully as important function of the Forest Service is to restore ranges depleted before the creation of the forests. , Fullest utilization of the. forage consistent with its perpetuation and with the needs of the watersheds and other uses, must, be secured. The Great Basin Experiment Station just east of Ephraim, carries on research in range management. Its findings are used as a basis for making the National Forests produce the greatest volume of forage possible. Its findings also are employed in harvesting the forage scientifically. Still another use of these National Forest watersheds is important. Thousands of deer, elk and other wild life secure their living here. The key to big game development Game in Utah is winter range. management has long since involved more than game protection. Guarding against overstocking is as essential with game as with domestic stock and especially where the game range is quite restricted. Game we need, but the permanent interests of game require that in addition to protection, they receive manage- - e diseases to man. Livestock grazing is the most important commercial use of Utahs National Forests. One-thiof all the cattle and sheep in the state are summered on these areas. The economic value of these ranges has been reflected time and Above Making a range survey. again in the conflicts between stock-me- n Center Products of a well managed in the early days and the conrange. flicts between the stockmen and the Right A fallen monarch of the Dixie forest. Forest Service in later days. rd . order to furnish INmany stockmen as range to as possible, the early administrators of these ranges reduced the larger privileges to provide for the small stockmen. Although thousands of applications for National Forests range have been refused, the National Forests provide range for 7,000 stockmen. 'Ove have more permittees than any . THIS f is an age of big business. see colossal' bank mergers, chain stores, consolidations of automobile plants, of railroads and There is no disposition on the part of the Forest Service to force the stockmen to operate on a scale so small as to be uneconomic. Ten year permits arc now granted which .provide other public utilities. ment. This requires scientific knowledge of their habits and food requirements, as well as utilization of the surplus. The administration of National Forests must be harmonized with the plans of the state in 'solving its wild life problems. Still another' use of these areas is that for recreation. Over 500,-- s (Continued on page 16) |