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Show Range Hearings Result En Committee Recommendation Of f'o Permit Reduction On Forest Grazing Lands For a 3 year test period, effective ef-fective Immediately, there should be no reduction in permits on National Forest grazing lands thus recommends the Congressional Congres-sional Public Lands Committee in the report of its summer hearings hear-ings in the western range states. The formal report, now in the hands of Secretary of Agriculture Agricul-ture Clinton P. Anderson, stipulates stipu-lates that: During the proposed 3 year test period joint studies should be made by forest officials and stockmen to determine the carrying capacity of each Individual Indi-vidual range and whether vegetation vege-tation is improving under present pres-ent usage. Specifically the report sets forth six recommendations with the suggestion that they be put into immediate effect. These six points are: 1 Permittees should be given more positive and affirmative encouragement by the Forest Service to cooperate with each other and .with the Service in the improvement of ranges, including in-cluding water development, fencing, fen-cing, reseedlng, rodent and weed control, and soil and water conservation. con-servation. 2 Effective immediately and extending for a three year "test period there shall be no reduction reduc-tion made in permits, 3 Establish and put into operation op-eration a system of impartial appeal ap-peal boards designed to represent repre-sent fully the interest of the general public as well as the permittee and the Forest Service Ser-vice so far as grazing and "livestock "live-stock operations are concerned. 4 All conditions required of the permittee or imposed upon him, or agreements or promises made to him by forest officials in connection with his grazing permit should be in writing and their validity, recognized by any successors to such officials. 5 Inaugurate and make effective ef-fective a policy under which permittees, per-mittees, in matters affecting their preferences, shall upon request, be entitled to a record hearing at which they may be represented represent-ed by council. 6 In all cases involving a reduction in permitted numbers, consideration shall be given to economic conditions affecting the permittee's livestock operations opera-tions and to the practical effect of proposed reductions upon, not only the permittee, but the local community and its tax structure. Further, the opinions of experienced exper-ienced and practical stockmen and community leaders concerned con-cerned shall be given due consideration. con-sideration. . Commented the 10 committee members upon the last point in their report: "We -find that one of the greatest issues in the entire en-tire subject of Forest Service administration ad-ministration is the conflict between be-tween the ideal and the practical schools of thought. While the extremist ex-tremist on the practical side may be accused of indifference to conservation and the public interests in-terests in natural resources, the extremist on the idealistic side may, himself, work equal or greater injury to the cause of conservation and the public interest." in-terest." The committee called upon the Forest Service to assume responsibility respon-sibility for much of the dissatisfaction dissatis-faction and fear felt by live-stockmen live-stockmen for the present lack of economic stability among those grazing on the National Forests. The Congressmen admonished the Forest Service to re-examine its policies in the light of practical prac-tical application in the field, maintaining that an elimination of many causes of friction between be-tween themselves and all users of the National Forests might thereby result. |