The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-10-22

Charging the Federal Government with having spent millions of dol lars of taxpayers money on swamp and marsh drainage projects which have caused the loss of millions more in terms of native wild life' the National Association of Audu- bon societies is fostering a move ment to check further unwise and wasteful drainage enterprises.
 The Association at its annual convention in New York City, to De held at the American Museum oi Natural History, october 9 to 26, Is appealing to sportsmen's assocla- tions, Audubon Clubs. the fur trace, water boards, granges, oystermens associations and others who nave suffered losses as result of de- s;ructiye drainage, to carry on an aLtiye educational drive to stem the drainage tide.
 Issues Pamphlet
 A pamphlet entitled Thirst on the Land" has just been issued by tSe Association. It reports the findings resulting from exhaustive economic and geological research into the effects of drainage projects both for the reclamation of lands for agricultural purposes, ana TOT mosquito control, William Vogt, author of the brochure. contends That, for the most part, mosquito drainage projects conducted py WpA and eco have resulted In Tremendous dollar losses measured in terms of wild life. which has nerished by being deprived ot na- tural feeding and breeding places He demonstrates also that a large uortion of the farm land restored from swamp and marsh areas, has been economically unproductive, backing up his argument with the fact that "of 84. .408,093 acres of land in agricultural drainage enterprls- es, more than 10,000,000 acres nave been reported delinquent in drain age taxes or in arrears. If they had been economically successful, 1t is not probable that maintenance payments would have been allowed to lapse"
 Fur Trade Suffers
 The pamphlet points out the huge losses suffered by the Ameri- can fur trade through destruction of a high percentage of the musk rat population. whose natural habi- tat is swamp land, as well as other fur-bearng animals. It reviews the losses incurred by farmers through drought aggravated by drainage, which has reduced the water level to Q dangerous low; by the oyster industry, because the oyster beds in a great many coastal areas where marsh drainage has been carried out in large scale no longer are fed the fresh water necessary for the maintenance of oysters; by the m- dustries supported by the estimated 1S,0O0,000 sportsmen in this coun- : try, and the dangerous reduction of normal water supplies to urban communities.
 Concerning the fur trade. Mir. Vogt states that 1t has suffered greater losses than perhaps any other industry as result of whole sale destruction of fur-bearing ani- mals-losses which have run into hundreds of millions, considering the fact that "the retail values of furs an dtrimmings used annually in the United States amounts to $500, ,000,- 900, that this country produces raw 3urs with value twice that of Soviet Russia and five times that of Cana dian furs."
 .H Exile or Starvation
 The drainage of marshes, accord ing to MT. Vogt, brings about a change in the vegetation, so that the wild-life which SubSisted on the original swamps is driven away or starved. Comparison between ditched and unditched marshes of equal size reveals the fact that within six months the ditched portion con- tained only one-seventh of the ani- nal life of the unditched marsh This is of paramount importance tc sportsmen. and the huge business which their sport supports, for mi- grant waterfowl, the hunters prin- oipal quarry in these areas, depends largely on marshes for food, cover and breeding places, and cannot sur vive if marshes ar wiped out. MT Vogt estimates that an average oi 9e6O O,O00. 900 is spent annually by Gportsmen.
 Tn addition to being destructive af wild life. mosquito control aI nracticed does not, MT. Vogt main tains. accomplish what 1t sets out t' do. Surveys of ditched areas anC reports cf mosquito control board (quoted in the pamphletl show ai actual increase of mosquito popula ton following ditching.
 Mesquite Control
 sWhen we turn to a consideration 2 mosquito control" MT. vogt NzaAas, both nalarial and pest-- through drainage. VIC encounter Rhat seems peril0isly close to de. Etxuctive government spoksoret sAekats. One may suspect many oi IsN si'al ttaN tiisfi ts. .t4#