LAMBING Loss Declines in the National Forests as Shelter Is Provided
The lambing of range ewes in the mountains and foothills of the West, extensively followed before the establishment of the national forests, and quite generally permitted in the earlier years of national-forest administration, is rapidly becoming history. Like many other of the earlier practices in livestock management, range lambing has given way to improved methods.
It was recognized from the beginning as one of the more destructive uses of the forest ranges because of its injury to early plant growth, and the policy of the Forest Service has been to discourage it. Also there has been a growing realization that open range, high altitude lambing practices are not as profitable as other methods. As this fact has become known, the eliminating process has been greatly simplified.
Open-range lambing practices had been followed for 50 years or more in many places in the Rocky Mountain district. The Forest Service did not undertake to make radical adjustments at first. It realized that old-time customs were hard to change. Grazing practices were, therefore, contained pretty much in status quo for some years, with concentration principally on reducing or alleviating overgrazing. The stockmen, having adjusted themselves to certain investments and practices and to certain ranges, were entitled to reasonable advance notice. Besides, demonstrations and figures were necessary. Experiments were conducted with sheds and pastures, with significant results. Principal of these were the shed and pasture lambing experiments on the Cochetopa National Forest in Colorado. Fortified with figures, the Forest Service was in position to bring about the change more rapidly. In some localities five years’ advance notice was considered sufficient to enable stockmen to make provision for changing their methods. Now in many sections range lambing has been completely discontinued, and the lambing has been transferred to ranches, fields, and shelters.
An illustration of these changes is shown in the following figures for Colorado and Wyoming: In 1915, 106,560 range ewes were lambed on 8 Colorado national forests. In 1927, 23,393 were lambed on 3 forests. Lambing on Wyoming and Colorado forests in 1915 showed a total of 180,910. In 1927, for both States, it was but 40,503, a reduction of more than 77 per cent in the 12-year period. The practice will be practically discontinued in the national forests of the Rocky Mountain district in the next 2 or 3 years.
Reductions in losses, improved forage and range conditions, and the increased revenues which have resulted from the improved methods have rapidly made permanent converts of the sheep growers.
