Show A Rumor Or A Movement For years we have heard from time to time about the move of stockmen to take over the National Forests for private grazing grounds We Ve have always thought this to tobe tobe be just the idle talk of a few or a vitriolic blast from some stockman who was not satisfied with his grazing up set-up on the Forest lands Now however we are hearing of such a move almost daily and we wonder if there is really an organized movement move move- anent ment by stockmen to get public-owned public grazing lands under their personal control If the movement is real and its aim aimis is to take over the Forests as private land we are ag against it and predict that such a move will do more harm than good for the stockmen now using Forest lands One stockman told us that the election of Senator Watkins Watkins Watkins Wat- Wat kins and the appointment of Ezra Taft Benson as Secretary of Agriculture means a big boost for the views of stockmen on Forest lands He apparently believes Senator Watkins is converted to the views of the stockmen or can be converted converted converted con con- to such views as they might take He also apparently realizes that Benson is a stockman himself and expects him to share the views of users of public grazing grounds Now as we said we dont don't actually know this isa definite move but we keep hearing about it so often we cant can't help but think there is something behind it We are against any move to make the Forests private ground because such a move would take something away from us It would take away our part ownership of the Forests and also take away our right to use the Forests as asa asa asa a recreational area Today every John Doe Citizen you meet on the street is a part owner of the Forests of this land and pays taxes to help keep them up This John Doe Citizen doesn't get much direct benefit from the Forest except for the enjoyment enjoyment enjoyment enjoy enjoy- ment he gets from taking a ride in the mountains or the fun he has on a camping fishing or hunting trip Turn the Forests over to private ownership and John Doe will find he is trespassing when he wants to go hunting fishing or camping in those mountains he used to claim ownership in We say turning the Forests over to private ownership would eventually do more harm halm than good for the bulk of the stockmen because we dont don't believe the small permit holder will get a fair deal in any turnover If the land is turned over for control it will no doubt be turned over in direct proportion to the number of permits any stockman stockman stockman stock stock- man now holds for the use of that land Under such a setup the little stockman could easily be run off the mountain by trespassing trespass herds of neighboring stockmen broken fences strayed cattle etc Thus within a few years we would exp expect expect ex ex- ex- ex p ct to s see a a. handful of large ranches where dozens of small per permit hol holders rs pow now graze their stock If th the I stockmen stockmen have in mind a move to get participation pation with the Forest Service in administering the lands their cattle and sheep now graze well we'll back them up If they want to have a board of stockmen meet with Forest officials regularly regular y to discuss problems adjust grazing numbers numbers num num- bers fees seeding re-seeding re etc well we'll back them up there too If they want to cooperate in seeding re-seeding programs with the guarantee that such cooperation will give them added grazing privileges when the benefits of such seeding re-seeding can be seen well we'll back them up In fact well we'll go along with the stockmen in any plan they might bring forth to create greater mutual use of t the e Forests and a resulting greater livestock industry in Manti ManU and Sanpete But if the stockmen are planning a virtual Land Grab as some of their number seem to think they can pull well we'll be on the other side of the fence fighting their every move Neither will we go along with them to put through some legislation such as the old Proposal For An Act whereby they would leave the ownership of the Forests with the public while giving the gr grazing zing regulations over to the permit permit permit per per- mit holders If the stockmen have a good workable honest plan for improving their use of the Forest lands without taking these lands over themselves we think they should make it public Until they do they should know that they are being accused of promoting a Land Grab This accusation is being heard daily Mr Stockman and if it is the result of one of your members speaking his personal views you should let it be known as such The pages of this paper are open to any public statement you might wish to make as a group o o |