The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1960-01-29
To Meet Increasing Demands
To Meet Increasing Demands
More Funds Needed To Hasten
Natural Resource Development

10 - - uA~~OOu
WASHINGTON, D. C.-(Special)
Rep. Lee Metcalf (D-Mont.) has
called for investment of public funds
to get our public resources into shape
to meet the increasing demands upon
them.
Speaking also for Senators Murray
and Mansfield, Metcalf urged budget
increases for the Forest, Park and
Fish and Wildhfe Services and for
the Bureau of Land Management dur
ing the year beginning next July L.
In addition to other benefits, land
administered by these agencies re-
turns hundreds of millions of dollars
to the u. S. Treasury each year, Met
calf told the subcommittee which
handles appropriations for some In
terror Department agencies. and the
Forest Service. Additional investment
in management and development
would significantly increase the re-
turns, he said.
Metcalf devoted major part of
his statement to an increase in funds
for continuing research into the eff
fects of pesticides on fish and wild
life.
Metcalf and Sen. Warren Magnu-
son (D-Wash.) cosponsored the orig
inal research program legislation and
were successful in increasing the au-
thorization after "the limited re-
search possible to date asked more
questions than it answered"
"They cover the whole range of
direct effects ON control agents on
plants, animals, soils and soil organ
isms,' - Metcalf told the committee.
'sThey include the Indirect accumula-
tive. longtime effects of these poi
sons upon plants, wildlife, and on
man.
81 propose to give our researchers
the tools they need to determine the
and mixtures of chemical
sprays that can be used effectively
while minimizing the loss of fish and
This stepped-up program
would cost less than one per cent of
the wholesale value of the sprays pro-
iuced commercially in this country
asst year.
''This is modest investment in the
protection of fish and wildlife re-
sources which generate billions of
dollars worth of sales to our sports
men and tourists each year. But even
f there weren't a dime in this pro-
gram for anyone, it would be in the
public interest to be sure that in using |
.hese pesticides we are not poisoning /
and our children
Metcalf said of the: k
FOREST SERVICE
The Administration long-range de-
'elopment program, announced with
UGH fanfare last year, was under
financed from the start -. There
re no increases in this budget for
range Improvement,
OIL and water management, insect
md disease control. There are only
modest increases for fire protection,
tructural improvements, research,
ccess roads and timber sales -. Up
0 $11.2 million could be added to
hese programs with virtually no in
rease in federal personnel il
;UREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT
The Administration asks $24,475,-l
00-less than last year-to manage
nd develop BLM-administered public
esources which will return $243 mil
on to the Federal Treasury this
ear We cannot increase produc-
witty of the 385 million acres of grass
nd timber land by spending less on
UGH vital programs as soil and mois-
IRE conservation. We could well af-
ord to triple the ($3 milhon) soil
nd moisture program to our profit.
n investment of So million here