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Show SHEEPMEN TO AID FIGHT FIRES For the purpose of securlug closer co-operation with the stockmen in preventing fires on the national forests for-ests and In bringing about the beBt use of tho forage crop, District Forester For-ester E. A. Sherman has issued an appeal In the form of a personal letter let-ter to each flockmaster holding a grazing permit on any one of the thirtyrfourl national forests of this district. The owners of stock are themselves ready and willing to render every reasonable rea-sonable assistance, but much difficulty diffi-culty has been experienced in the past because of lack of instructions to herders and camp tenders. Mr. Sherman, in his letter to the sheepmen sheep-men of Utah, Idaho and Nevada, asks the owners of sheep to instruct their employes regarding their duties and dependence upon the forests and range. The appeal for co-oporatlon follows: "Dear Sir As. the time approaches for taking your sheep to the summer range on your forest allotment I wish to diroct your attention to tho necessity neces-sity of giving your employes carotul and thorough instructions with regard re-gard to the proper management of the stock on tho range and utilization of the forage crop, as well aB the measure meas-ure of co-operatiou that should exist ex-ist between tho forest officers In the matter of tho prevention and suppression sup-pression of forest fires. "We must look to tho enmp tender and herder for any Improvement that may be brought about in present range conditions They arc, as a rulo, better bet-ter acquainted with tho allotment, tho grazing cnpnclty of tho different enmps, have a more Intimate nkowl-edgo nkowl-edgo of tho habits of the stock, and know bettor how to got results than anyone else. But the flockmastors and tho forest service must depend upon them In many ways, and tho fu-turo fu-turo of the wool growing Industry, so far nb the use of "the national forests Is concerned. Is In a great measure in their hands. For this reason a woll directed effort on your part toward Increasing their interest in matters of range dovolopment ond foest potcc-tion potcc-tion would indeed bo well woth while Tho forest service Is also looking more and more to tho camp tender and herder as a part of the fire protection-force of tho national forests and to the end that there may bo the closest kind of co-bpcratlon between be-tween them and the forest officers. 1 wish to suggest that you Instruct your employes to observe tho following rules while on the national forests "Notify the nearest forest officer at once of any smoko or fire that may be seen at a distance "Extinguish any camp lire or other small fire that mny be found, or If one Is discovered which has galnoJ such proportions as to make this impossible, im-possible, notify the nearest ranger as quickly as possible and render such assistance as may be necessary until the fire is under control. "Do not drop lighted matches or burning tobacco where there Is Inflammable In-flammable material. "Extinguish camp flros completely beforo leaving them even for a short absence. "Hold tho sheep on the lower and earlier ranges until the forage crop on youi summer aloltment is well matured ma-tured and ready for harvesting. "Give the forage plants on your allotment al-lotment a chance to leseod by adopting adopt-ing a rotation system of grazing. This means letting the plants mature their seed on one-half of the range one year before grazing it, and on the other half the next year. The arm Is to allot tho same range to tho same permittee year after year, and it therefore dosenes your best care and attention "Avoid shading- up under the same cover day after day, which may be largely avoided with a little forethought fore-thought and care. "Sleep with the sheep and bed them out whero night overtakes them, whenever possible. Using tho same bed ground night after night is hard on the range and sheep. Quick massing mass-ing with dogs should be avoided. "Leave the camp in good condition and return to It later, rather than feed It out completely on the first visit "The pnstuiago system should be approached as nearly as possible without with-out fencing. "I am convinced that with your assistance as-sistance a great Improvement can ho accomplished In the present condition cf the forest ranges, as well as saving thousands of dollars worth of timber tim-ber annually from destruction by fire I have heard but littlo complaint and much praise from our supervisors with regard to the Interest the flockmas-ters flockmas-ters and their employes have taken, and assistance they have rendered In reporting and helping to extinguish forest fires, and I am also advised that there is a growing tendencv toward adopting better methods of handling the sheep on the range. Thero Is much still to be done, however, and when you fully reallzo that better forest for-est and range conditions mean increased in-creased grazing capaoity and added prosperity to the wool growing industry, indus-try, thero will ho, I am sure, still closer co-operation and greater progress prog-ress than there has been In the past. "Such complaints as have been made appear to be due to tho fact that in some instances tho camp tenders tend-ers and herders have received absolutely abso-lutely no Instructions as to what Is expected of them in preventing dam-ago dam-ago to the forest and range from Injury In-jury by fire or other causes. I feel that this neglect h'as not been intentional inten-tional on tho part of the owners, and take this way of asking you to lie sure proper Instructions are given to the men who are charged with tho care Qf your sheep as to their duty and responsibility while on the forest. Such action on your part will- ' be greatly appreciated by the forest service serv-ice Very truly yours, (Signed) "E. A SHERMAN. "District Forester." 00 |