FIGURE 54

The following excerpt from the Montana Experiment Station Bulletin Number 326, entitled “Grazing Districts in Montana: Their Purpose and Organization Procedure", is of interest as an illustration of the actual use of a cooperative grazing association for unified control of range land.

"This district chosen for an illustration is one of the smaller districts, with the size of the ranches also smaller than the average. It shows the possibilities for cooperative land use planning and development where a genuine community of interest exists among the stockmen of a district. This district has twenty members. The organization data on lands are given in table 3.

"The ranch property of the members consists of 16,760 acres of owned range, 1,420 acres of hay and feed crop land, and 16,200 acres of leased grazing land. The average carrying capacity of the range lands of the district was estimated by the members at 20 head (animal units) to the section for an eight-month grazing season. Approximately 60 miles of fence are required to enclose the district, of which the association now owns about 15 miles. The type of fence being constructed is made with three lines of barbed wire on posts two rods apart with a stay between, which costs about $125 to the mile.

"There are four stock water reservoirs owned by members and the construction of 20 more is planned to afford better watering facilities and better use of the range. There are five springs, capable of furnishing stock water, which have been protected and improved.

"The water development plans are important for this district because like most of the cattle ranches of the plains region of the State, these are operating on a cow, calf, and yearling basis. When present water development plans are completed, no part of the range will be more than one mile from stock water.

"The Class One permits for 1,222 cattle and 96 horses absorb all of the carrying capacity of the range. The grazing fee per year has been set at $1.50 per animal unit. The individual data on permits issued is given in table 4. TABLE 4.-Individual data on permits issued

TABLE 3.-Acreage of land in grazing district (summer range)

Acres leased

123456

...

Association

33

65

46

29

10

19

20

119

13

"Class One permits are based on the number of livestock for which a ranch has feed production, including winter pastures, and the required history of prior use. This class of permit is further divided into preference permits for the winter feed rating of owned property, and conditional permits for the winter feed rating of leased property."