Protection through a Grazing Fee

Grazing fees paid the running expenses of the reserves.

Communities worked together to create protection

Through livestock associations.  

Range Wars

To help stop  the conflicts, The government took a survey amongst stockman, asking what in their opinion would be the best way to protect the range and the livestock industry.

From this survey the government said they would provide protection.

"They  drift around in search of good feeding grounds,...regardless of the interests of any one else..the result being that the range is kept grazed off close and soon suffers from the result of overgrazing.. In some localities  the range has been overcrowded and injured by this system of grazing until it has become almost impossible for settlers and homeseekers to find pasture for the small herds of cattle and horses necessary for their success in the establishment of a home."

"Giving the stockmen control of the respective ranges they are now using, as nearly as possible, and protecting them in its use by such regulations as are found necessary."

Protection by driving and excluding unpermitted stock from the forest reserves.

"High up against the side of the great mountain the ranger rides to look after the sheep herds  Here above timber-line, on the lovely alpine meadows, the sheep men bring their ewes and lambs to graze. The rich succulent mountain grasses furnish the ewes with plenty of milk, and the little lambs grow like weeds all summer long...

Deep in a mountain canon near a spring he finds a dead colt. It needs but little observation to show him that this is the work of some mountain lion He notes the spot, and tomorrow he will return with his traps and some poison, and try to capture or kill the beast, for this, too, is one of his varied duties.  Down on the lower ranges his traps are set all the time for coyotes and timber wolves.

In one of the higher mountain peaks in a wet, swampy place, he finds two dead cows He notes the brands and earmarks, that the owners may be told of their losses  A little of the botany he has picked up along with his other accomplishments shows him that their death is due to the presence of the deadly larkspur; and if there is not too much of it, he spends an hour or two cutting it out with his hatchet If the patch is too large, he will report it to his supervisor, who will probably send some barbed wire to fence in the infested area, and thus keep the cattle from eating it."

"High up against the side of the great mountain the ranger rides to look after the sheep herds  Here above timber-line, on the lovely alpine meadows, the sheep men bring their ewes and lambs to graze. The rich succulent mountain grasses furnish the ewes with plenty of milk, and the little lambs grow like weeds all summer long...

Deep in a mountain canon near a spring he finds a dead colt. It needs but little observation to show him that this is the work of some mountain lion He notes the spot, and tomorrow he will return with his traps and some poison, and try to capture or kill the beast, for this, too, is one of his varied duties.  Down on the lower ranges his traps are set all the time for coyotes and timber wolves.

In one of the higher mountain peaks in a wet, swampy place, he finds two dead cows He notes the brands and earmarks, that the owners may be told of their losses  A little of the botany he has picked up along with his other accomplishments shows him that their death is due to the presence of the deadly larkspur; and if there is not too much of it, he spends an hour or two cutting it out with his hatchet If the patch is too large, he will report it to his supervisor, who will probably send some barbed wire to fence in the infested area, and thus keep the cattle from eating it."

Before reserves were created

"He who lives in the preserve or on its boundaries..

In fact the entire arrangement is to protect legitimate cattle owners

from the encroachments of outsiders"