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

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THE IDAHO FORESTER 47 close to eighteen per cent of the 635,000 cattle in the state find range in the national forests. The livestock-producing operations behind the stock grazed on the national forest ranges, on which they vitally depend, have an estimated value of very close to 320,000,000 FOREST SERVICE DEVELOPS RECREATIONAL USES The recreational resources of the national forests are of considerable benefit to the citi- zens of the state because they lie practically at the back door in most places and at very short distances elsewhere in the state. The Forest Service policy is to encourage the use of the forests for recreation and to develop rec- reational resources and to make them more readily usable. Camping and picnicking, hunt- ing and fishing fexcept for necessary state licensesj, are free of charge. These are the principal recreational uses made of the for- ests by the local people. The seven-year aver- age, from 1925 to 1931 inclusive, for this form of recreational use came to slightly over 135,- 000 people. How rapidly this is growing is evidenced by the fact that the figures for 1932 alone come to slightly over 190,000. Other forms of recreation are also encouraged, for nominal fees tracts for exclusive use for re- sorts or for summer homes can be obtained under a minimum of restrictions designed to protect public interest and other recreational uses. Just how many of these visitors hunt or fish is a number not available but it is known to be large. They are attracted by the over 80,000 head of big game, and the fine fishing streams virtually everywhere in the national forest areas. The Forest Service liberally and whole-heartedly co-operates with the state game authorities in fostering the fish and game and enforcing the game laws. In the formulation of the very essential game man- agement plans, insuring foresight in these matters, the Forest Service has considered its responsibility virtually co-ordinate with that of the state agencies, since it is a Forest land use that is concerned. It is only with such plans that the present and future well-being of the game and fish resources can be soundly assured. GUESTS OF STATE BRING REVENUE What portion of the recreation users come from outside the state it is possible only roughly to estimate. Assuming that 10 per cent would be a conservative figure, the actual recreation occupants of the national forest land, other than Idahoans, come to about 20,- 000 in terms of approximate person days. A great contribution this is to the pleasure, in- spiration, refreshment and health of the state's guests. It is also a source of inflow of outside money, it has been conservatively estimated that every day's recreation use represents a local expenditure of 35.00. Thus results an estimated income of S100,000 annually. And it is to be confidently expected that this use will greatly increase with return to normal conditions in the country and as machine development constantly enables mankind to enjoy greater and greater leisure. The For- est Service recognizes recreation as one of the major uses of the national forests and gives it a prominent place in its land use, protection, and development plans. Very clearly its national forests are of manifold benefit to the people of the State of Idaho, far in excess of any sacrifices that may be considered-chiefly in the form of taxes that may have been collectible on a small part of the lands had they remained open for pri- vate acquisition. It is to be borne in mind, however, that the major reason for the forests as a national enterprise is to insure their benefits for the people of the nation, which could not be attained by any other means than federal ownership and control. The govern- ment in the national forests as with other of its activities, undertakes its burden with the aim of benefit and service to the people of the nation, as well as locally, and not for any profit or other direct financial gain. Funda- mentally that is why the national forests in Idaho are of such great benefit to its people. George Washington Memorial Dedication The members of Epsilon chapter of Xi Sig- ma Pi met in the Arboretum the noon of Cam- pus Day, May 10, 1933 for a luncheon and formal dedication of the George Washington Bicentennial Memorial. After a lunch of coffee, beans, sandwiches, and pie, served at Price Green by Paul Talich, chairman of events, the stage, consist- ing of two chairs and a table, was set for a clever playlet entitled, The Moonshinersf' John McNair and Dr. W. D. Miller composed the cast. The group then adjourned to the memorial planting of 19 Colorado Blue Spruce nearby, established May 3, 1932. Dean F. G. Miller oHicially dedicated the memorial, addressing the members as they gathered around the large granite rock upon which a bronzed plate had been mounted commemorating the plant- ing.-G. M. F. Grin and She Grin Do you remember that November When two budding woodsmen With axes in hand Went for some firewood at Watson's command And then came back With a tamarack? -An Alum.

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46 The Benehtsand Serdces Rendered By the National Forests of the State of Idaho fContinued from page 101 ber is to provide the material for consumers throughout the nation, nevertheless the bene- fits to the local state and its people are so great and of such vast service to them that, were the federal government not carrying the task, the state itself or its counties would be virtually forced to undertake the effort, to far larger extent than now, to protect the pros- perity of a large portion of its people. MANY DEPEND ON WATERSHEDS The other basic purpose of the national forests is watershed protectiong the stabiliza- tion of waterflow and the prevention of ero- sion. How vital is water in Idaho for irriga- tion is well known and attested to by the fact that of over forty thousand farms in the state about 60 per cent Ccomprising 55 per cent of the improved acreagej are irrigated. Over EB90,000,000,000 has been spent in irrigation works. Idaho's streams are capable of generat- ing 2,000,000 horse power, although it should be borne in mind that not all this horsepower will be developed in the state for a great many years. Virtually all streams of importance for irri- gation or for power have their source among the high forested slopes within the national forests. Despite the fact that no abuse of the mountain watersheds could wholly destroy this resource, the loss of the timber or other plant cover might result in depreciating a large part of a value. Height and duration of Hoods would be accentuated and the much needed water during the irrigation period would be much reduced. Erosion from barren hillsides would result in silting up reservoirs and canals, making their maintenance more ex- pensive. The goVernment's eiorts in the na- tional forests in preventing forest fires, over- grazing, and the thoughtless cutting of timber safeguard these watersheds against the ef- fects of such mistreatment. The farms and the water power developments have indeed a considerable interest in the national forests and are rendered an enormous service through the federal government's safeguarding of their benefits. GRAZING RESOURCES VITAL Intermingled with the forest-producing land and integrally a part of them, particularly in the national forests in the southern part of the state, are lands carrying forage values of con- siderable utility. These forage resources are handled under the same general policies of constructive and conservative use that are ap- plicable to the timber. Thus is insured a per- manent production of range feed upon which THE IDAHO FORESTER the welfare of many a livestock producer is heavily dependent. Furthermore, by the sys- tem of preferences that is established under Forest Service policies the smaller stockmen have equal opportunity with the larger and more powerful, for finding range for their stock. Constancy and stability in the number of stock permitted, based upon the output ca- pacity of the land, is a further benefit to the stockmen so they can plan ahead with rea- sonable conidence on their livestock produc- tion operations. For the convenience and economy of opera- tion of the range users the government is con- tinually improving the range facilities through such activities as driveway construction, water developments, rodent and poison plant eradi- cation, and drift fence construction, things that no individual could undertake but which redound very greatly to those who obtain an- nually in the neighborhood of 3500 permits to use the range. It is commonly agreed among stockmen and land use students that some control of the open range is essential. Experience has shown that not otherwise can the public range be pro- tected from the first-come-first-served scramble for its resources with consequent overgrazing and rapid deterioration of great injury finally to all users. Many of these range lands are of such character that it is very questionable whether they would have gone into private ownership and remained there, interest on in- vestment and tax charges being considered. They would then have remained public domain range subject to all the abuse that the remain- ing public domain range meets in most of the western states. GRAZING FEES Low It is to be noted also that the fees charged by the government for range per head are low compared to the fees very generally charged on private lands of similar range character, and much below the usual cost per head that a stock producer would have to bear in the event he owned his own land, oftentimes the cost per head of government range is less than the cost per head of the taxes alone on pri- vately owned lands. One cannot help but note that in spite of appeals for grazing fee re- ductions from livestock men in many quarters who are using national forest ranges, the fact that they are getting the range at less cost than they would probably through any other ownership, coupled with the marked advan- tages of the government methods of range use control, has resulted in national forest graz- ing users so Well satisfied that they have in many an instance urged the extension of na- tional forest range control to other public do- main range lands. How important an element are the national forest ranges in the livestock-producing busi- ness of the state is evident by the fact that over 60 per cent of the 2,275,000 sheep and

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48 THE IDAHO FORESTER Range Management on Indian Lands 1Continued from page 125 Obviously, an Indian cannot engage in the stock business on 160 acres or ordinarily even on two or four times that amount. Further- more, only a comparatively few Indians have indicated an active desire to utilize their in- dividual holdings. The result is that the In- dian Service must block up ranges composed of scores or hundreds of allotments and then secure an agreement among the owners of such separate parcels as to the conditions on which they are willing to allow a permittee to use their lands. As many of the allottees have died and their interests are now held by numerous heirs the details of administration are very complex and difficult. Fortunately, on the reservations in Wash- ington, Oregon, Wyoming, Arizona, and New Mexico large areas of grazing land are yet held in a tribal status and a unified control and conservation management is practicable. Such management seems unquestionably the logical one both from the standpoint of the In- dians and of the public at large. Considerable thought has been given by the Forestry Branch of the Indian Service to the devising of a plan that will insure a unification of owner- ship and control over allotted areas that are adapted only for range use, but as yet no satisfactory solution of the problem has been found. It is extremely difficult to consolidate ownership after a natural grazing area has been subdivided into hundreds of separate legal tracts and separate patents issued to indi- viduals. With the limited funds available for range administration on Indian lands, it has not been practicable to undertake intensive recon- naissance nor is it thought the results to be obtained from such studies would be com- mensurate with the cost. The principal objec- tives for the next five years at least should be C11 the grouping of allotments and arrange- ment of grazing units on tribal lands so as to secure the best utilization of range values, 125 the convincing of permittees and Indians that it will be to their own advantage to adopt the bedding out system with sheep, to keep the stocking of their ranges conservative and to develop water and other range improvementsg C35 to bring to the Indians a realization of the need for conservative management as a means of assuring future income from their landsg and C41 to educate the Indians in methods of improving their flocks and herds with a view to the ultimate utilization of the greater part of the grazing resources on Indian lands by Indian-owned stock. All of these objectives are so obviously de- sirable that it may seem that they would be easily accomplished. Such is not the case. The grouping of allotments is often opposed by individual Indians from selfish motives and both Indian and white owners of stock often desire an assignment of range areas not con- sistent with sound management. There are still permittees and Indians who keep their sheep too long at the water or at other con- venient locations. The task of selling con- servative range managementn and improve- ment of stock to a people who are peculiarly indifferent to the motives and ambitions for economic advancement that actuate the Cauca- sian race is one requiring great tact and pa- tience. Idaho White Pine Saw Logs Leaving the Clearwater Region. The Clearwccter Region of Northern Idaho has the Largest Body of Western White Pine Extdnt. A Stand of Second Growth Tifmbev' is Shown in the Bcwkground.