University of Idaho School of Forestry - Forester Yearbook (Moscow, ID)

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12 THE IDAHO FORESTER mation was incorporated in extensive reports of as uniform a character as the circumstances would permit. These special reports were sup- plemented by, and to some extent summarized in, a general report on the entire problem entitled An Economic Survey of the Range Resources and Grazing Activities on Indian Reservations prepared by Mr. Lee Muck, Assistant Director of Forestry in the Indian Service, assisted by Mr. P. E. Melis, Assistant Forester, and Mr. G. M. Nyce, Associate Range Supervisor. This report was published in Part 22 of Senate Hearings under Senate Resolution '79 of the Seventieth Congress. On June 4, 1931 the Department of the Interior approved the regulations, permit forms, etc., that had been devised in thelight of the stud- ies conducted during the year following April 15, 1930. The new regulations, stipulations as to use of range, permit forms, and so forth, went into effect on July 1, 1931. An inventory of the grazing resources hav- ing been made, the main weaknesses of the former method of administration disclosed, and a plan outlined for future administration, attention was directed to special studies of particular ranges on the various reservations and to the accumulation in definite, recorded form of data that could be compared with other data gathered at subsequent periods so as to disclose unmistakably the trends toward im- provement or depletion of the range on such particular areas. Obviously, studies of this character require great care and much time and it is not surprising that the accomplish- ments along this line during the first two years have been comparatively limited, when it is remembered that the current administra- tion connected with the actual use of 40,000,- 000 acres has necessarily demanded a very large part of the time of the very restricted force available. For instance there are several reservations comprising more than 1,000,000 acres on which only one man is available for grazing work and while some guidance can be given by foresters and grazing specialists at large, it is clearly impossible with such a limited personnel to devote adequate time to studies of the most vital importance to the establishment of successful range management. ADMINISTRATION CHANGE AT WRONG TIME Unfortunately the efforts to introduce new methods of grazing administration on Indian lands happened to coincide with a period of the most adverse conditions in the livestock industry that have been experienced in forty years, and possibly during the whole history of the industry in America. The summers of 1929 and 1930 were marked by extreme drought in diferent portions of the Northwest and Southwest, and so little precipitation occurred within extensive areas in Washington, Mon- tana and the Dakotas in 1931 as to force the removal from their usual ranges of tens of thousands of head of stock in the late summer and autumn of that year. The general eco- nomic depression having its incidence late in 1929 had begun to be seriously felt in the live- stock industry in 1930. The low prices of stock combined with the shortage of forage and even cultivated crops in the range states, placed the owners of livestock in a most precarious con- dition. Economic conditions became succes- sively worse in 1931 and 1932 until the prices obtainable for steers, lambs and wool dropped to one-half or one-third of the realizations of 1928. The inability of the Navajos and other tribes in the Southwest to dispose of their lambs and older sheep, greatly accentuated an over-stocking of ranges that already threaten- ed future income from their grazing lands. The disastrously low prices for livestock pro- ducts prevented permittees on the Indian ranges from paying their grazing fees estab- lished on a basis of comparatively high mar- kets for products. An urgent demand came from the stockmen that grazing rates be sub- stantially reduced even on contracts already made for a term of years. The Indian Service was not in a position to reduce grazing fees in existing contracts with- out the consent of the Indians and was un- willing to agree to reductions on future per- mits without the consent of the Indians. For a long time the Indians on many reservations opposed any reduction, but as they became convinced that the permittees were really un- able to pay the former prices and came to realize that the ranges might lie idle if rates were not reduced, agreements on adjustments were reached and it affords us much satisfac- tion to state that generally the Indians showed a very commendable spirit in meeting the users of the range half way in a reduction of graz- ing fees. PROBLEMS OF ADMINISTRATION The Indian Service is confronted by a pe- culiarly ditlicult problem in the administra- tion of grazing lands as well as timber lands. In 1887 legislation was passed by the federal Congress that was directed to the individuali- zation of the Indian problem. The theory back of this legislation was that if each Indian were given an allotment Of land in severalty the tribal status and customs would in a com- paratively short time be broken up and the individual Indians with their distinct land holdings would assume much the same posi- tion as homesteaders on the public lands. Under this general allotment act and special acts of a similar character the greater part of the grazing land on reservations in North and South Dakota, Idaho, Montana, and to a lesser degree in other states, has been allotted in areas varying from 160 acres to 320 acres, Or even a larger amount in one or two instances. 1Continued on page 483

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RANGE MANAGEMENT ON INDIAN LANDS J. P. KINNEY Director of Forestry, U. S. Indian Service THE total area of land within the United States in which the Indians own a beneficial interest exceeds 71,000,000 acres, and is ap- proximately equal to one-half of the net area of Federally-owned lands included within Na- tional Forest boundaries. The relative pro- portion of Indian lands that may be classed as forest lands is much smaller than the relative proportion of timbered lands within the Na- tional Forests, the proportion of rough moun- tain land in the National Forests is greater than within Indian reservations, and the area of open grass land within the reservations is proportionally greater than within the Na- tional Forests. These disparities are chiefiy due to the fact that Indian reservations com- prise large areas in the Plains Region, east of the Rocky Mountains, and in the semi-arid portions of Arizona and New Mexico. AREA or INDIAN GRAZING LANDS The forage on the grazing areas within In- dian reservations west of the Rockies is com- parable to that on National Forests, but the immense grassy plains of reservations within the Dakotas and Montana are quite different from any extensive areas within National Forests. The capacity of these short grass areas of the Plains Region to produce forage for stock is truly marvelous. While there are Indian reservations under Federal jurisdiction in twenty states, the chief reservations containing grazing lands of im- portance lie within ten states: Arizona, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, North Da- kota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washing- ton, and Wyoming. The combined area of the reservations in these states exceeds 45,000,000 acres and of this total nearly 40,000,000 acres are classiiiable as grazing lands. These 40,- 000,000 acres include about 5,000,000 acres of forest land which affords range incidental to its primary purpose of forest production. The reservations in these ten states may be properly assigned to three groups of rather distinct characteristics. These are the North- ern Great Plains Region, lying east of the Rockies and north of the forty-first parallel of latitude, the Intermountain Region, lying north of the forty-first parallel and between the Rockies and the Cascades, and the South- west Region comprising Arizona, New Mexi- co, Utah, and a small area in southwestern Colorado. The Plains Region contains over 12,000,000 acres of range lands, the Inter- mountain Region nearly 5,000,000 acres, and the Southwestern Region nearly 23,000,000 acres. In 1930 slightly more than 11,000,000 acres were under lease or permit for grazing purposes and a yearly cash income of nearly S900,000 was realized. It will be noted that the area not under lease or permit was nearly three times the area from which a cash reve- nue was being received. The total revenue de- rived from Indian livestock ranging on Indian lands in 1930 was nearly 32,340,000 Thus the total income to the Indians from livestock and grazing fees amounted to approximately 53,- 250,000. Obviously these range resources play an important part in the economic life of the Indians. CONDITION or GRAZING LANDS. While it is unmistakably true that the grazing lands of the Navajos in Arizona and New Mexico are greatly overstocked at present, and while isolated instances of over- grazing occur on various reservations, the range lands on Indian reservations are not generally in a depleted condition. In fact, throughout the Indian country the faults of the past have been chiefiy in the line of un- regulated use and a failure to provide physical improvements rather than in a general over- stocking of the ranges. Ranges heretofore overgrazed could be relieved through the de- velopment of Water in areas that can not now be used to capacity because of a lack of wells or tanks. Large areas have been injured by the grazing of inferior horses who produce no income commensurate with the harm done to the range. Tens of thousands of acres are practically useless for stock purposes and hun- dreds of thousands of acres are greatly re- duced in value because of their occupation by prairie dogs which could be and should be ex- terminated. Funds have never been available for the de- velopment of water supplies and the prospects of future appropriations for such purposes are by no means encouraging. The Indians have been reluctant to dispose of their ponies at the prices that could be obtained for them, and not only have the funds available for rodent control been extremely limited, but the Indians, especially in the Navajo country, have not been sympathetic with plans for the extermination of animals that at times afford a partial food supply in a region that produces but a limited variety of human diet. INVENTORY OF GRAZING LANDS The first task undertaken by the Forestry Branch of the Indian Service after the ad- ministration of grazing on Indian lands was assigned to it on April 15, 1930 was to secure an inventory of the grazing resources of the Indians and of the stock utilizing the same. In- cidental to the taking of this inventory a vast amount of information was accumulated as to the precipitation, the kinds of forage, past experience in stock raising, and other data for each particular reservation. This infor- 11

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BIG GAME MANAGEMENT ORANGE A. OLSEN 171319907507 Of Grcazing, U. S. Forest Service, Region 1, GAME management and game conservation are synonymous, meaning one and the same thing, that is, both involve propagation, protection, and a wise utilization of the sur- plus. Game managers endeavor to get away from guess work and to build on facts and make common sense application of scientific knowledge. The game manager, when confronted with a problem of management, soon finds that it is extremely ramifying and frequently complex. He does not only have to deal with the habits and needs of the particular game animal in- volved, but also has to consider its relation to man. Civilization has pushed out into the most remote sections of our game country and a correlation of land use by man and game must be worked out. Use by man means his utilization of land resources-forage, timber, watershed, agriculture, and recreation. Defi- nite information concerning the animal to be conserved is important g its life history should be well understoodg also, at least, its approxi- mate numbers, rate of increase and losses should be known. Information is needed on diseases and the effects of parasites internally and externally. What game animals eat and the amount are also valuable data is correlat- ing range use by them with that of livestock. It is evident that those charged with the re- sponsibility of managing game resources should have broad training, both technical and practical, in many of the sciences. The bett-er they are versed in biology, ecology, forestry, range management, livestock, agriculture, eco- nomics, and so forth, the better qualified they will be to handle game problems. Training and experience are essential to see the broad picture of how game conservation should fit in with our whole economic structure. Correlat- ing land use by game with that of forage sup- ply, livestock, recreation, private lands, and the public is a big undertaking. EARLY CONSERVATION The value of wild life and the need for its proper conservation are being realized and ap- preciated more and more as the years pass. Never before has the interest been greater interest is growing. More thought, and this time and money are being devoted to the prop- protection, and utilization of wild agation, life than ever before. The early trappers, explorers, and settlers who came West found an abundance of game on lands wherever conditions were favorable. The buffalo and antelope numbered thousands on the plainsg deer and elk were abundant in the foothills, valleys, and some mountainous regionsg mountain sheep, goats and moose oc- cupied ranges in reasonable numbers where the environment was to their liking. That which is plentiful is seldom appre- ciated. Game exploitation resulted. In a few short years the buffalo became strangers to the plains and the antelope were seldom seen. Deer and elk in reduced numbers were crowded into the back country. Not much is recorded about the mountain sheep, goat and moose, but undoubtedly civilization adversely affected their numbers. ' The numbers of game animals decreased rapidly and in many instances disappeared entirely. To save them from extinction, State Fish and Game Departments were createdg laws were enacted to restrict the kill. Game preserves were established and serious effort was made to save the remnants. Public senti- ment was generally favorable to big game. Elk plantings were made to restock depleted areas. Control of predatory animals was un- dertaken by the States, Federal Government, stockmen, and sportsmen. In many places throughout the intermountain region several species of our big game in response to this protection, have made a very pleasing come back, especially during the past ten years. On the National Forests of the West, elk, deer, and antelope have shown excellent recovery. Mountain sheep and goats seem to be gradu- ally decreasing, while moose are making nor- mal increases in some sections. GAME MANAGEMENT ESSENTIAL This protection, admirable as it has been and is, has in some few instances not worked to the best advantage, even to the game them- selves. In a few places, big game, especially deer, elk, and to a lesser extent antelope, have increased to such density that they have either of themselves or in conjunction with livestock, so depleted their ranges that heavy losses in game have resulted, particularly on winter ranges which are usually limited in area and grazing capacity. On some units game have become so abundant that stockmen complain against the numbers of deer and elk and main- tain they are being crowded out. Game fre- quently trespass in excessive numbers on pri- vate lands, consuming forage to which the land owner is entitled. Occasionally game ani- mals do considerable damage to farm crops, orchards, and gardens. Evidently such conditions are not to the best interests of game. It is poor management that permits game to increase beyond its food supply causing losses from starvation and in- viting parasites and disease. Those who have seen dead elk and deer scattered over depleted ranges, due to starvation, are indelibly im- pressed that too much protection can reach a stage where it is worse than not enough. It is difficult to reestablish game on a depleted range. Management based on the year-long 13