| Show 11 MANY QUESTIONS I VEX DEPARTMENT DEMENT I J Jr JI JI r I I Grazing and Farming Interests Concerned in Solutions Now Proposed CORRESPONDENCE GIVEN OUT OUTry ry VH on t lse the t I i i In I Alone hlll tho tim of or o Hie Proposed I i o Policy Special pecIa to tho os osa Washington a April 18 p enco tn o having u It i most important bearing on grazing and atI Irrigation Interest In the thc Ih o west has hns peen ben made public by hy of ot tho tim de department t of l agriculture Questions 3 to the tho proposed 1 prohibition of grazing C on streams supplying water for tor r Irrigation tion have hll occupied the tile atten attention 1 lion tion of tho the departments of oC agriculture ture anti and tho the interior for fol some somo weeks I 1 nod and a II Investigation has boon been et 1 upon with tho the hope hOllo that thai the tho problem may ho bo settled to tho the satis satisfaction j 1 faction of nil interests concerned Jn lit ng out tho two to letters bearing b on the tho Secretary Wilson wild Mid wildA r A t recent r to tile the southern division of tilt the th Tonto National Forest In Arizona mado l at itt the tho request inquest of or the thu lh United States to tot tho tim watersheds oC of tho the Verde t Snit Salt and a It i subsequent order or er erto to tho the area to 10 sheep thep and goal grazing after atter I April 1 1009 brought up ui questions which have a most Important t I bearing Learing on 00 two to Industries of ot tho west rind farming on CU o irrigated lands fr Im m Irrigators anti and out dais of ot tho tito reclamation service l that thai efforts bo ho Hindi to restrict grazing r liy llY on watersheds the tho of t streams I used for Irrigation on one nun hand and protests to tho tim forest lorest service by b thu stockmen on tAie tte other given riso to a n situation which can call only bo be b by IY a 0 very careful investigation which has been boen upon by b 1 the tue of ot tho the Interior and myself Tho Investigations will bo ho made mado with tho ono one ono end clot In viI that tho tim use uso ot oC t livery resource must be for Cor tho tim greatest good to the tho greatest number The Investigation of oC tho land to consider whether It is necessary to re ye restrict strict tIn tho grazing of snoop sheo and goats goatson on the watersheds will ho be made by tim tho th officers of the tho reclamation service and tho the forest service In cooperation who will meet fleet ot tim the stockmen on tho time ground during tho coming coining summer aulT and thrash out tho tim whole problem If It It Is la found that a 0 limited number of ot sheep shoel and goats can be allowed to graze on any of ot the ranges on tho the watersheds of tho In lit question tho the order pro prohibiting prohibiting grazing will be lie modified so all as asto to protect the Interests of ot tho the sheep men rno and niu nd at the tho satan Fame time check uny LillY tendency thorn thero may bo be to tho forest or 01 damage water supply 4 mcd for Irrigation Because ot of the important of ot tho the problem on all grazing matters In tho the west I deem It ft t wise Iso to make the tho correspondence public at tills this time In order o Id m that theme thero i will 11 bo no IIO chance of or on tim the part Ut ot of any 1111 Interest tz Tho protection JH of nt the tho watersheds U and streams supplying Irrigation re ye reservoirs 0 depends primarily upon tho limo I possibility of giving full tull protection I to tonU all areas where whelo grazing Is allowed Tho fower fewer forest officers officer thero thelo aro arc to attend atten 1 to the time grazing business on tho tim national forests tho the more land laud will have JI VOtO to be closed to grazing It must be 00 remembered therefore that any mimmy 1111 reduction In the force of tho thu forest service would necessarily he bo on tin at attack tacIt tack on pit tho the entire grazing industry of oC the west Past experience has haR proven that stock Block st can an bo ho allowed to graze I under proper regulation on oh areas UI from which It would be tic necessary to 10 ox ex exclude elude clude It If l tho tile range could not bo 1111 properly Tim Tho same situa situation tion Is trim trInt regarding tho tim permanent Improvements Thu Timp moro water that thatis IB is developed time the moro more division fences tha are arc constructed tho the more inure roads trails and amid bridges that ore uro built the tho more flora permanent H tho th rouge mange will be bo and Im the time more stock It will iiiI carry The Tiu correspondence l given out Is as follows Feb 20 1905 The Tho Honorable the tho Secretary of Agri Agriculture culture Sir II to our recent corre correspondence regarding cooperation be between between tween tilt the departments there Is ono very Important matter which at this time should bo called to your attention namely tho the grazing of oC on aim por per portions portions oC ot thu tho national forests located on areas areas tributary to streams used for fOI ir it have hao come comae to mo ama in lit writ writing lag ing and 1 orally from irrigators and from Crom thy the officials of oC tho the reclamation service that every cry reasonable effort bo made to restrict grazing by hy sheep on OIl the lands from froll which water Hows to tho the streams used In Irrigation or to reservoirs con COIl 1 for Cor conserving time the water sup supply supply ply ph Timeto ThIO are 1110 many complaints ot of overgrazing of oC resultant Injury IlIj lY to the Irrigators At this time when the tho subject of ot tho the use uso of oC the tho grazing lands during the till coming corning season Is un no under doe der consideration It Is ts advisable a to tn give Ivo this matter ml even ven more molO careful consid consideration 1 than In iii the tho past pastI My I trip through tho west vest last sum summer mer Interview with numerous men inca representing varied interests has hall led let mo moto to time the conclusion that the tho question of sheep she p grazing us liS affecting Irrigation is ono otto to which we should devote much attention if wo we are aro I IO to aid in the tho con of oC tho the water resources for the tho greatest gl benefit t to t the largest number of or citizens I I have hao tho the honor to request that as mui asfar I far flu and 1111 1 an rapidly as may bo be practicable practicable I cable sheep ba be restricted on or when necessary excluded from Crom watersheds of streams non mien or Immediately Imme to ho 10 used for fOl Irrigation and to oth other othor er or watersheds hold held for fa I future futuro Irrigation projects sheep sheel grazing bo ho carefully re restricted Such restrictions restriction are aro needed not only anI for Cor the tho lands reclaimed by bytho b bythe I tho the federal government but 1 ut as ns well for COl those reclaimed under tho the Carey Caley and laws la WB Very Ver truly yours ours Signed JAMES JAES Secretary Sec to tal tary March 13 IMS Tho The Honorable the Secretary ot of the Interior Sir In reply to your OUr letter of Feb l eb 20 o In which you OU ask for COI the restriction 01 or exclusion of sheep shelP within tho the nation national al 1 forests upon Ullon the tIme watersheds ot of streams used usell for Cor Irrigation I J have hae tho Limo honor to Inform you that tho the allow allowances allowances ances of oC stock stoel upon tho the different na national forests for fol time the season of 1905 have already been minnie made and In III many cases meetings ot of the tho stockmen have already been held and range allotments agreed upon Therefore It would I greatly unsettle the tho sheep business anti and cause causo munch much Just criticism If It a re to reduction I In lisa tho number of sheep already I officially determined should bo ho made mado for forthe forthe I the season no now mica about to open In making the allowances for COI this I and for preceding prece ln seasons careful con consideration i has been given glen by tho tile for Cor forest or est cst service to the protection of oC the wa we watersheds of streams used use 1 for or irrigation tion lion and as fast as ps was consistent with fair f lr notice to stock owners reductions In the tho number of stock have hao been mada wherever they time appeared essential to stop damage dan from overgrazing 00 1 The Tho forest service Is necessarily tho the guard guardIan guardIan guardIan Ian of the tho Interests ot of both tho tha IrrIgator tor and the and must bo be careful to give one ono as ns square a 11 deal as us asit it gives tho the other neither more moore nor less keeping tho tile greatest good to the tile greatest S1 number always III In plain sight HIght Without doubt further restrictions r must be made In III certain localities and andI I shall bo imo very glad to have ilae tho the forest service If IC agreeable to you In III coop cooperation oration with tho the reclamation make a thorough investigation of oC this matter during the Iho coming summer In Inthis Inthis Inthis this way we wo can call determine what re ro reduction If It any all in tho time number ot of sheep Is necessary to stop damage to the tho watershed of oC any uny streams used for tor ir 11 irrigation I will be ho by the re to results results suits of these Investigations In making malting the tho grazing allowances toy for next year I recognize tho the primary Importance of ot Irrigation lon to It the tho west and the tho duty of protecting It fully Cully and amid fairly At Atthe Attile tile the same SUlho time I want to call your OUI al nl to the tho relation of oC tIme the sheep Indus ry to tho tile general welfare of ot tho time I people Tho Time facts warrant a avery avery avery very careful consideration of time the ques jues questions Lions presented by b you In tho the past few fow years tho the policies of ot the tho hm present na no national notional administration have resulted In Inan an aim enormous Increase hll rC lse In tho tim number of shoel In tho tile United States as liS well wr as mis asin liSIn in almost doubling their per capita value and ant tho tile value alue of ot tho tile wool prod product hot It lt would ho most roost unfortunate If after thus thuI giving an un Industry care earo anti support It should be bo curtailed by re ro measures except when such SCott measures are 1110 clearly necessary for the time proper protection of ot other othel and larger agricultural Interests The Time forage upon vast areas of desert range can bo be utilized only by winter pasturing of sheep which are 0 grazed within the tho national forests during tho time summer In such fluch cases nonuse of oC the summer range means loss of oC tho the win winter In tot tel range also The Tho market for time the products of agricultural lands In ninny many man localities Is largely largel dependent upon sheep feeding during durin tho the winter whiter It Is III therefore evident that tho the Interests of oC many man Irrigators as well welt as those of oC almost all nil western sheep men are aro Involved in this question It has hils been boen suggested that wore were sheep excluded from all ull national forest foret ranges their places pInceR would woul be taken by bythe bythe the cattle of oC settlers This would bo be true In some Santo localities but hut there thele are large areas area of ot grazing lands within the national forests that could not flot be bo used to advantage for cattle grazing on account of distances from settlements roughness of tho the country and the kind of oC forage produced The Tha exclusion of ot sheep from Crom these areas would the tho entire loss of their forage crop Tho The foregoing considerations should I 1 think be ho given duo due weight lug Ing the investigation of sheep grazing which it is I proposed to undertake Ev Every E cry ery effort should be made marJo to utilize the forage crop tho the loss of oC which would ouid be bo a U loss to tho the whole west But I r rec roe recognize that tIme the water supply as all well wellar ell ellas as ar tho tile forage crop must bo be used and above all conserved and protected that no single industry In can properly bo be boal al at allowed lowed to dominate time the situation mId and tutu that tho the use of oC the tho national forest ranges must be bo subject to tho restrictions restrIctions necessary for tor or tho the proper care of the forests and the tho protection of tile the th watersheds watershed of or streams I have hae tho the honor to be sir very vera CI re ro respectfully your our obedient servant Signed JAMES JAMBS JA IES WILSON Secretary |
