The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1949-04-15

Der of the committee. Lit WOul(
become part Of the basin-wid,
Interagency program which
has supplanted the Pick-Sloal
plan. Secretary of Agricultur,
is expected to submit
it to congress soon.
When the intentions for the agri
cultural program for the basin wer
first discussed publicly three month
ago, it was estimated to cost SO,
9O0,O0O,O0O, spread over 80 years
Young, chairman of departmental
field committee with headquarters a
Lincoln, Nebr., said that detailed
costs are still under study but that i
was hoped the final figure would b
no higher than this.
AS summarized by Young, the
program, which will be forwarded
to Secretary Brannan early next
month, pIunges into intense con-
troversies.
1t strikes at the powerful west
ern cattle and sheep interests by
advocating temporary reduction of
grazing on private range and pas
ture so as to restore the grasses.
It pushes rural Identification
through REA co-operatives and
public power districts, in the face
of the continuing fight against
public power by the private util-
tiles.
1t virtually challenges the Inte-
rior Departments Bureau of Rec
lamation to coordinate it's extern
sive new irrigation program with
agencies of the Agriculture De-
partment to attain greater eff
cheney.
Departing from the general the
DRY now in effect, it proposes to
reduce flood volumes and the Gre
alton of silt by small dams in the
upper water courses, to hold back
soil and water.
1t recognizes the fundamental
conflict in the Missouri basin be-
tween the humid eastern end with
too much water and the semi-arid
western end with not enough wat
err, saying: "Tn compromising these
conflicts new policies must be de-
veIoped that recognize the basin as
a transition zone"
InferentialIy the program calls
attention to the administrative
problems of handling the Inter
agency plan through Independent
and bureaus of the
federal and 10 state governments
N the basin.
"The Department of Agriculture,
i'd Young in his summary, "is now
the preparation of plan
II a long-range agricultural pro-
am for the Missouri basin-a uni
ed and comprehensive program di-
cted specifically toward develop
ent utilization and conservation of
e land, water and forest resources
the entire basin a program to
omote stable family farms and i'm
owe living standards; program
at builds upon the experience of
ccessful agricultural efforts; a
ogram that supports and compile
ents the comprehensive Missouri
sin development now under way"
Inter-related Functions
The program, he explained to In
at the Missouri capitol, is
vided into nine ''interdependent
d inter-related groups of func-
MS" Outstanding points of his
time of these nine groups follow:
Planting trees on 100000
cres of cut-over and burned-over
crest land and 100000 acres of
hin forests; improving livestock
ange within the national forests.
of the 340,0O0,000
cres in the basin is forest.
Reseeding of 100000 acres
{ depleted or denuded range land,
art of the nations chief source
rea for beef and mutton, wool
nd hides. Temporary cutting
own of grazing on 142,000,000
cres of the 1852, 100000 acres of
rivately owned range and pas
Ire. Grass lands are 81 per cent
the basins land area.
Accelerated conservation prac-