Show Urges That Rights of Resident Stockmen and Home Builders Be Protected Under Grazing razing Bill W v D Hammond in Brief to Department of f the Interior Points Out Necessity of Exercising CautiOn in Allotting Livestock Permits on Public Domain Under Taylor Act The rIghts of settlers and bona fide resident the stockmen men who have pioneered the w west t tho who ho have bUIlt homes and schools and who have spent their lives in converting the thed d desert ert into habItable communities communities- should have a prior right in the allot allot- allotment allotment ment of grazing permits on the public domain under the newly enacted Taylor grazIng law according to Rep Rep- Representative Representative W D Hammond of Moab presIdent of the recently organized Colorado River Grazing association Mr Hammond in a brIef submitted last week to the Department of the InterIor at Washington pointed out the necessity of exercising extreme caution In grazing privileges to the end that resident stockmen should have fIrst consIderation in the allocatIon of the grazing rights on public lands near their homes On August 6 Representative Ham Ham- Hammond Hammond mond attended a conference at Glen Glen- Glenwood Glenwood wood Springs Colo at which Oscar L Chapman assistant secretary of the Department of f the Interior was given the vIews of stockmen relative to the administration of the Taylor act Mr Hammond made an address at that meeting at which he urged that the act be interpreted liberally to the end that settlers rights might be preserved preserved ed Mr Chapman requested the speak speak- ed to fIle a brIef outlining his views vic and in response to the request Mr Hammond the following let let- letter letter ter which he sent to Washington last week and whIch will be read wIth great interest by local stockmen and CItizens who are interested in the ad- ad administration ministration of the Taylor act August 10 1934 Department of the Interior Washington D C Gentlemen This brIef IS submitted pursuant to the request of Mr Oscar L Chapman I assIstant secretary of the interior at atI atthe atthe the conference held at Glenwood I Springs Colo August 6 1934 Referring to the called so-called Taylor Grazing Act June 28 1934 Public No and quoting from page 2 section 3 commencing wIth the twelfth line from the bottom shall be gIven In the Issuance of grazing permIts to those within or orI I near a dIstrIct who are land owners engaged m in the livestock bus business mess bona bonafide bonafide I fide occupants or settlers or owners of water oz 01 water ater rIghts as may be necessary to penn permit it the proper use of lands water or water rights owned occupied oc- oc occupIed or leased by them except that until July 1 1935 no preference shall shaU be given in the issuance of such permits per per- permIts mIts to any such owner occupant or orS orI S I settler whose rights were acquired be- be teen t January 1 1934 and December 31 1934 both dates inclusive Aside from the bill itself whIch authorizes the Secretary of the Interior Inter Inter- Interior to regulate the usage of the public domain in such a manner as wail wid re- re restore restore store it to a somewhat normal condi- condi condition condition tion the part of section 3 as above above- quoted to the users at least is the I kernel of the whole measure It would be interesting indeed to have a complete hIStory of section 3 coffering CO ering the perIod since the hint in- in inceptIon inception of the Taylor GrazIng Bill untIl now In this sectIon the intention Intention tion to prot protect ct the land owners within or near grazing districts is ery ap- ap apparent apparent parent Ever since certain western Congressmen first attempted to pass through Congress some measure that would protect not only the carrying capacIty of public domain grazing lands but the interests of farmers land owners and as well the livestock tock raisers and home builders or of orthe the intermountain west have had great hopes that theIr interests which seem I to them almost a sacred inheritance v would without question be saved and prot protected for them This intent Is not secure under the bill as it fInally passed Congress To lImit the preference right to a aland aland land owner who is engaged In the live live- livestock livestock stock busIness dashes the hopes of many resident land owners who have in recent years been forced out of the livestock business Your department is i already familiar with the story of the farmer as well welI as that of the live live- livestock stock Industry This story stry is long In- In Interesting t resting and extremely sad Without reiterating this sad story the facts are staring us in the face and It is up to tous tous us not to whine or complain but to find the best possIble way out The reaching far efforts of our pres- pres present present ent administration have given men everywhere new hope Faith has tak- tak taken taken en the place of despondency The goal that set of restoring living conditions and commodity prices to somewhere near the war pre level level-Is not only commendable but the very thoUght in itself fires the spIrit and ambition of progressIVe men throughout the land While every effort is being exerted bY your department under the Taylor bill to restore the carrying capacity of graz- graz grazing grazing ing lands it seems extremely cautious procedure should be followed not only only- to restore war pre conditions but to see that this restoration is 15 for the bene- bene benefit fit of the people who have pioneered and spent their lives in building up the waste places of the West It If it is 15 for the social and economic welfare of our people to restore war pre levels it seems hIghly Important that the benefIts t to be derived shot should d Je be enjoyed to the greatest possible ex- ex extent extent tent by people who ho in their respectIve localities have lIved ana tolle toiled t over a along along long period of years to establish and maintain homes of real American standards The pIoneers of Southeastern Utah came into Grand and San Juan coun- coun counties counties ties with but one end m in vIew that being to develop a great livestock in- in industry Industry A very small smaIl acreage of land was sUItable for farming but the ad- ad advantages advantages vantages for the growing of lIvestock attracted and held the early settlers For many years the livestock industry grew without interruption or interference Interference ence from what we now please to term transient livestock A few choice spots were selected where good sub sub- substantial substantial towns to were built Schools and churches v were ere erected and main main- maintained taine People generally were happy and contented The security welfare and happiness of the people have al- al always always ways been based upon the livestock in- in industry industry In short the people of these trio counties have no means of obtain obtain- obtaining ing a livelihood other than by the growing of livestock It is true we have some of the best farming land landIn landin In the country but only a very small percentage of our people could hope to- to WIthout a favorable combination of these two basIc agrIcultural indus indus- industries tn tries The early settlers of Grand county whose homes were ere bUIlt mainly in Moab valley Increased their herds and nocks flocks whIch spread southward far into San Juan county Both sheep and cattle were grazed on these ranges to the south North of Moab and m in fact throughout aU all of Grand county the cattle industry grew to a point where It was a real factor in our Western economic life To restore the Grand county grazing privIleges on the public dom domain to pre war condI- condI condItions conditions it would be necessary to refuse grazing permits to many cheep owners owner who are purely transient In Utah these sheep owners are termed Colo rado residents while hIle in Colorado they are referred to as utah resIdents It If the facts were really known it wot would d be found that these sheep growers are arc of neIther Utah or Colorado but are strIctly transIent Grand county c cattle owners have been crowd crowd- crowded crowded ed and pushed by these transient sheep untIl many have been forced out of business Only a few back cattlemen of Moab used and controlled these Grand county ranges as well as much of San Juan county The de- de depressIon depression forced some of them out of business but a far greater number v were ere compelled to quit because of the inability inability of cattle to hold theIr own with these transient sheep While it is true that a small percentage ot of lit the men who seemIngly are much in- in interested interested In the allOCAtion of grazing I permits will v not and could not succeed in the livestock game yet a large pro pro- port n of these men who are intensely interested are arc those who quit the live Uve- livestock stock business not because ir de- de desire desire sire to quit but because of two conditions condi- condi conditions over which they had no control namely the fInancial depression and transient sheep These men do un- un understand understand the livestock business and under normal conditions would v auld make maken good g n In order to secure a permit for the grazing of livestock under section 3 or of orthe the Taylor Grazing Law a land land- landowner landowner owner must be engaged in tp t iq k Continued on last page page I OF RESIDENTS STRESSED Continued from first page business Holding strictly strictly to to this th wording many of the pioneers and an home builders would be refused per per- permits per mats mits to graze 11 estock on the domain While it would seem under unde this same section that many tran could not qualify for fora fe fea a permit yet It does dOCS point the way for fora fo foa a permit to be issued after July 1 1935 to one who Is at present unable to qualify for such permit The ad- ad ad advantage vantage in this instance seems to t favor the transIent who wh whis IS largely responsible for the present presen depletion of the western ranges as a against the resident land owner who wh has spent his entire life In building up u uthe the West In order to qualify the th transient need only to t buy some d homesteaders homesteader land lease some water hole or buy a small water rIght while hile the land own own- owner er cr m in order to qualify must purchase livestock to the extent that he would woul be considered engaged in the live livestock stock business Land owners under unde this section of the law are helpless It isn t so much a matter of time tim timas as to when these land owners were forced out of the livestock business that is whether it be three years o or five years the facts are they are out ou of business not beCause of their own owl choosing but because they were fore forc- forced ed cd out With these facts before us would it not seem more reasonable and am just to set up rules and regulations regulation that would permit these deserving met men mento metto to re build their herds to somewhere near war pre levels rather than to sa say sayin in effect to the transient You have had the advantage during the past few years you have push d the cattleman back from his home ranges you are responsible in many mann I cases for f r men losing their livestock and while your large bands of sheep sheel are chieflY responsible for the present presen depleted condition of the ranges yel et we intend to rehabilitate these ranges develop water in desert places and anc give them to you The Department of the Interior s representatives who were sent out to tc investigate prevailing conditions with wit respect to the usage of the public do- do domain do main have been very kind and consid consid- considerate considerate erate of the stockmen's interests They have invited Suggestions that would be helpful in formulating rules and regulations for the future development and management of the public domain Ha Having ving been asked by Mr Chapman I to submit a brief on the ideas expressed expressed sed by me at the meeting held in Glenwood Springs Colo relating to tc preference rights I do so v with ith the hope that some good might result to tc the deserving people who may not be beso beso so ell dell organized to present their own case As it is very apparent that each dis- dis district district have conditions peculIar to Itself and v Hill need special rules and regulations to adequately supervise th these e sectional conditions I would suggest that your rules and regula- regula regulations regulations be few in number and very elastic r J rAs As to seasonal permits which mayor may or ormay may not mean that stockmen running lunning their livestock wholly on the publIc do- do domain domain main must find a place other than the public domain for a certain number of months each year may I be permitted to offer the facts In the early settlement of Moab and Grand county because of the abundance of the called so-called winter range many stockmen preferred to use what Is known as the public domain for yea yeal- round grazing ThIs was of their own chOIce Cattle especially dId as well wellon wellon on these ranges as those which were taken to the high mountain ranges during the summer months In many instances this custom has been to- to followed lowed until the present time The rights of these stockmen would seem to be as wen well as the rights of those who use National Forest ranges in combination with the public domain Much of the discussion in your meetings at Salt Lake City and Glen Glen- Glenwood Glenwood wood Springs seemed to urge your de- de department department to consider as a necessary qualification that a man in the live live- livestock stock business must have a forest per per- permit permit mit in order to secure a permit ora 01 the public domain Should your depart depart- department department ment feel that such a qualification is essential it is most important and it seems absolutely necessary that per per- on the forest be cut to make room for stock now on the public dO- dO domain main mam which have no forest The rIghts of those men who ho range I their stock on the public pubU domain win win- winter winter ter and summer mean as much and andare andare are fas as sacred to them as are the per per- permits permits mits and rights which have been established es- es established by stockmen using both the forest and the public domain This condition may be peculIar to Grand county and a large Part of San Juan county It i reasonable to sup sup- suppose suppose pose that other grazing districts will willbe willbe be confronted with other problems peculiar to themselves This all goes to emphasize the statement that your rules and regulations be flexible and adjustable The most important matter facing our particular district is the necessity of getting quick action from the De- De Department Department of the Interior This may or may not be equally Important in other districts So I would urge that hele grazing districts have been ap- ap applied applied plied for your our department give notice of a meeting in said district at the earliest possible date convenient to the Department Quick action is not only desirable but essential if the home people are to have their rights pro pro- properly perly established Under tinder section 3 of the law one who today is strictly transient may be qualified as a pre pre- preferred after July 1 1935 In tins tIus particular district Grand and San SanJuan SanJuan Juan countis any tended extended delay on your part would indeed be disastrous to the bona fide occupants and land landowners landowners owners The livestock men applYing under the name of the Colorado River Graz- Graz ing Grazing AssocIation for a grazing district covering all of Grand county and a large inthe portion of San Juan county in the state of 01 Utah urgently request est that your Department |