B. F. Davis, secretary-manager Colorado Stock Growers' Association,

Denver, Colo...

Resolution adopted urging that permits to graze on the national for-

ests be made permanent, opposing commercialization of the grazing

resources of the national forests, and urging adoption of the so-

called Phipps grazing fees bill.......

R. F. Rockwell, chairman Delta County Stockgrowers' Associa-

tion__.

Page

3271

3272

3272

Webster S. Whinnery, Lake Fort Stockgrowers' Association,

Lake City

3272

L. H. Rouviere, Gunnison County Stockgrowers' Association,

Gunnison---

Claude D. Simpson, Powderhorn Stockgrowers' Association,

Powderhorn

Ezra K. Baer, Rio Blanco Stockgrowers' Association, Meeker,

Colo

Resolution approving regulation of grazing livestock on the public

domain..

3272

3272

3272

3272

J. W. Goss, chairman Pueblo County Stockgrowers' Association 3272

W. B. Middlemist, Kannah Creek Stockgrowers' Association,

Whitewater.

Frank Fehling, Chaffee County Stockgrowers' Association,

Nathrop---

Frank C. Monroe, Southern Colorado Stockgrowers' Associa-

tion, Thatcher_.

Francis Holland, U. D. & E. Stockgrowers' Association, White-

water__

R. P. Mergelman, Gunnison County Stockgrowers' Association,

Iola...

J. S. Hoffman, Colorado Stockgrowers' Association, Sapinero,

Colo.

List of livestock associations present at the adoption of the above

resolutions

A. Stanley Lewis, president Beulah Valley Cattle Association, Beulah,

Colo..

Mell De Witt, cattleman, Buena Vista, Colo--

Recommendations of the Beulah Valley Cattle Association.

Frank Fehling, cattleman, Nathrop, Colo----

James R. Jones, lawyer, 531 First National Bank Building, Denver, Colo.,

proposing an amendment to the general leasing act of February 25,

1920

Earl Erhart, cattleman, Centerville, Colo---.

J. M. Goss, cattleman, Pueblo, Colo---.

W. H. Billington, cattleman, Pueblo, Colo----

John H. Hatton, assistant district forester in charge of grazing, United

States Forest Service, Denver, Colo___.

3272

3272

3272

3272

3272

3272

3273

3290

3290

3297

3301

3305

3310

3320

3324

3330

Grazing livestock on the national forests in Wyoming and Colorado- 3330

Size of permits to graze livestock in the national forests from 1909

to 1925---

3334

Hon. T. W. Tomlinson, secretary American National Livestock Associa-

tion, 515 Cooper Building, Denver, Colo---.

Letter addressed to Col. W. B. Greeley, Chief Forester, United States

Forest Service, Department of Agriculture, Washington, D. C.,

dated December 16, 1924, analyzing the range appraisal report of

C. E. Rachford, of the Forest Service---

History of increases in grazing fees.

Present reappraisal.

Value of cattle ranges has depreciated.

Rental value of private land..

The "favored-few" argument.

What is the interest of the public---

Forest Service restrictions on grazing livestock in the national

forests --

Congress should announce a definite policy_.

Testimony of Mr. Tomlinson, opposition to the Rachford report___.

Extracts from the report of G. S. Klemmedson, Bureau of Agricul-

tural Economics, United States Department of Agriculture, cooper-

ating with the Colorado Agricultural Experiment Station-"An

economic study of the costs and methods of range-cattle produc-

tion on 41 ranches in Colorado in 1922 ".

Reductions for the purpose of redistribution.

Legalizing grazing use of the national forests.

Regulation of grazing on the public domain___

Grazing on the national forests on an area basis_

Grazing fees on the national forests----

C. W. Beach, sheepman and irrigation, Pueblo, Colo__.

Frank Parsons, cattleman, Weston, Colo., member, State board of stock

inspection commissioners.

GLENWOOD SPRINGS, COLO., OCTOBER 7, 1925

Page

3337

2220

3339

3340

3341

3342

3342

3343

3343

3344

3344

3346

3348

3349

3350

3350

3351

3356

3357

Claude H. Rees. State representattive from Garfield County, Rifle, Colo.-- 3362

Letter dated March 11, 1920, to Hon. Gilbert N. Haugen, chairman

Committee on Agriculture, House of Representatives, Washington,

D. C., from the Western Slope Stock Growers' Protective Associa-

tion, Ben White, president, R. C. Callen, vice president, and Claude

H. Rees, secretary--

Comparison of grazing on privately owned land and the forest

reserves__

Extracts from the report of G. S. Klemmedson, Bureau of Agricul-

tural Economics, United States Department of Agriculture, coop-

erating with the Colorado Agricultural Experiment Station—“An

economic study of the costs and methods of range-cattle produc-

tion on 41 ranches in Colorado in 1922 ".

3364

3366

3367

Telegram from Coke T. Roberts, cattleman, Hayden, Colo----

Frank Delaney, district attorney, ninth judicial district of Colorado,

Glenwood Springs, Colo-‒‒‒‒

3370

3371

Approving regulation of grazing on the public domain__.

3372

Bill introduced in Congress by Senator Phipps to authorize and

regulate grazing of livestock on the unreserved public domain----

Amendments suggested to said bill___

3374

3375

Statistics of public lands in the State of Colorado-‒‒.

3380

R. C. Callen, State senator, cattleman, Silt, Colo‒‒‒

3389, 3393

J. A. Blair, forest supervisor, the White River National Forest, United

States Forest Service___

3392

John H. Hatton, assistant district forester in charge of grazing, United

States Forest Service, Denver, Colo--

3393

S. P. Sloss, cattleman, Sloss, Colo---.

3398

Claude D. Simpson, cattle and sheep man, Powderhorn, Colo_--

Kenneth W. Chalmers, secretary Leadville-Holy Cross Sheep Growers'

Association, Garo, Colo-‒‒‒‒

3406

3411

Recommendations of the Leadville-Holy Cross Sheep Growers' Asso-

ciation_

3411

Kenneth W. Chalmers, etc.-Continued.

46

Brief presented to the Secretary of Agriculture by representatives of

the National Wool Growers' Association and the American Na-

tional Livestock Association in regard to charges for grazing live-

stock on national forests as appraised by the United States Forest

Service and set forth in a report entitled Range Appraisal Re-

port" (the Rachford report)-F. R. Marshall, Salt Lake City,

Utah, Vernon Metcalf, Reno, Nev., Kenneth Chalmers, Garo, Colo.

Some high spots in the history of the western grazing situation.__

Adjustments of inequalities in charges for grazing.

A few of the basic facts__.

Page

3412

3412

3413

3413

Grazing on the forest reserves on a legal basis and stability in the

livestock business--

3418

Commercial value of the range.

3422

E. F. Haley, sheepman, Rifle, Colo..

3426

3426

Recommendations of the Leadville-Holy Cross Wool Growers' Asso-
ciation______

R. J. Major, merchant and cattleman, Rifle, Colo., a member of the
Piceance and Roan Creek Stockgrowers Association, indorsing the
resolutions adopted at the joint conference of stockmen at Salt Lake
City, August 24 and 25, 1925-

The public domain and taxation in the State of Colorado__.

Fred Light, cattleman, Aspen, Colo‒‒‒‒‒

O. W. Randall, homesteader and stockman, Eagle, Colo., regarding home-

steading on agricultural lands within the forest reserves..

3428

3429

3433

3439

H. L. Borden, forest supervisor, United States Forest Service, Glenwood
Springs, Colo., regarding homesteading on agricultural lands within

the forest reserves-

Ezra K. Baer, cattleman, Meeker, Colo---

3440

3440

Hon. Edward T. Taylor, Member of Congress, Glenwood Springs, Colo. 3448

The legal status of the public lands in western Colorado.

Conditions on the forest reserves.

Attitude of the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Repre-

sentatives___

The Rachford range appraisal report--.

The 640-acre stockraising homestead law---

Losses from predatory wild animals, and other factors-

The public domain problem in western Colorado--

Report No. 1073, House of Representatives, Sixty-third Congress,

Colorado

Bill recommended by committee_-.

3448

3450

3451

3452

3452

3455

3456

second session, "Addition to Uncompahgre National Forest in

Report of the Secretary of Agriculture on the bill.

Report of the Secretary of the Interior on the bill.

3458

3458

3459

3460

3463

Petitions from the State of Colorado urging passage of the bill. 3462

Committee recommends expeditious passage of the bill_____

Letter from Hon. Clay Tallman, Commissioner General Land

Office, Department of the Interior, giving the status of the

lands involved----

Court of Claims of the United States, decided May 23, 1910:

The White River Utes, et al v. The United States.

Court of Claims of the United States, decided Feb. 13, 1911:

The White River Utes et al. v. The United States..

3463

3464

3464

3470

3471

3478

3478

3478

3479

Page

Charles W. Wilson, retired cattleman, Glenwood Springs, Colo..

John H. Hatton, assistant forester in charge of grazing, United States

Forest Service, Denver, Colo----

3480

3483

Percentage of dissatisfied forest-reserve permittees--.

Losses to stockmen from poisonous plants.

3485

3485

John Heuschkel, farmer and cattleman, Carbondale, Colo, chairman,

board of county commissioners, Garfield County-..

3489

S. P. Sloss, resumed, replying to John H. Hatton, poisonous plants and

percentage of dissatisfied forest-reserve permittees---

3492

Ezra K. Baer, resumed, replying to John H. Hatton, percentage of dis-

satisfied forest-reserve permittees----

3493

NATIONAL FORESTS AND THE PUBLIC DOMAIN

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 1925

UNITED STATES SENATE,
SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE COMMITTEE,
ON PUBLIC LANDS AND SURVEYS,

Pueblo, Colo.

The subcommittee met at 10 o'clock a. m., on Thursday, October 6, 1925, in the Federal Building, Pueblo, Colo., pursuant to adjournment on Friday, October 2, 1925, Senator Ralph Cameron presiding. Senator CAMERON (presiding). The committee will come to order. This is a subcommittee of the Committee on Public Lands and Surveys of the United States Senate, proceeding under Senate Resolution No. 347 passed at the last session of Congress. This committee is ready to hear testimony pertaining to the public domain, the forest reserves, mineral reservations, national parks, or to any subject matter pertaining to lands owned by the Federal Government. This committee so far has held hearings in nine of the public land States. We have yet to visit Colorado and New Mexico.

If any

of

We will hear any of you who wish to appear before the committee. you are not prepared to testify here to-day the committee will be glad to receive briefs from any of you at Washington, because we will not wind up our work until probably just after Congress meets in December.

Mr. Ben F. Davis, will you take the stand, please.

STATEMENT OF B. F. DAVIS, SECRETARY-MANAGER COLORADO

STOCK GROWERS' ASSOCIATION, DENVER, COLO.

full name, your occupation, and your residence.

Senator CAMERON. Mr. Davis, will you give the reporter your

Growers' Association. Address, Denver.

Mr. DAVIS. B. F. Davis; secretary-manager of the Colorado Stock

Senator CAMERON. Mr. Davis, will you go ahead and make your statement in your own way.

wish to present copies of resolutions that have been passed in regular Mr. DAVIS. If you please, in representing the State association I meeting of our association. The one especially at the midsummer meeting in Gunnison, Colo., last July, at which time we had probably the best representation of stockmen that ever attended a State association meeting. The following is a report of the committee on national forests, dated Gunnison, Colo., July 13, 14, and 15,

1925. If you

desire

me to do so I will read it.

Senator CAMERON. Go ahead.