NATIONAL GRASSLANDS MANAGEMENT A PRIMER Appendix C Wooten, H. H. “The Land Utilization Program 1934 to 1964 – Origin, Development, and Present Status,” USDA Agriculture Economic Report No. 85 (1965). The Land Utilization Program ORIGIN, DEVELOPMENT, AND PRESENT STATUS U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE ECONOMIC RESEARCH SERVICE FOREWORD The proper use of our land resources foundation for a land utilization program. is of great importance to the Nation and Under the leadership of the National Re- should have a high priority in Government sources Planning Board, action programs policy--local, State, and national. It is of Lased on a planned attack on all aspects great significance to the individual citizen, of land use problems began to appear. Many no matter where he lives, or what his of us who were involved in the events of occupation may be. Land, and the re- the 1930's and 1940's have felt the need sources of the land both directly and in- of a look at the movement and the im- directly affect our lives and living every portant events in it from the beginning up day. The misuse of land res~urc~soften to date. expresses itself in poverty, low produc- It is for this reason that this report tivity, unemployment, poor schools, and a on the origins and development of land generally unsatisfactory way of life. As utilization projects is of great importance we gain a better understanding of the pro- at this time. This study is a milestone ductive possibilities and limitations of vari- in the march of progress in land utiliza- ous land classes, we find that much land tion. The findings are clearly stated and could be used more advantageously than evaluated. The report covers a program at present. that encompassed some 250 projects and It was often said 50 years ago that we over 11 million acres of land, each proj- were beginning to see and understand the ect serving both as a test and a demon- need for conservation and land use planning stration. The projects were well distributed but that not much would be done about it in relation to geography and the principal by Government or individuals until a na- problem areas of the United States. A tional consciousness and a state of public question may be asked, "Well and good, opinion were developed which would sup- but 11 million acres is but a drop in the port action by Congress and State legis- bucket as far as the totalnational land prob- latures in the fields of research, public lem is concerned; what about the large education, and action projects. The White amount of work yet to be done?" In answer House Conservation Conference in 1908 to this reasonable question, we can say called by President Theodore Roosevelt that we hope each project acts as a leaven was one of the first of a series of events to induce future planning. We can have which started the movement which has hope and confidence that we have passed gone steadily forward ever since. the pioneering phase of the work and that A number of events since World War I there will be an expansion of land utiliza- have been responsible for the progress made tion planning and development in the United in all aspects of the land utilization prob- States under pending river basin and re- lem. In response to the depressed situa- gional development programs. tion in agriculture during the 1920's and 19301s, a national conference on land utili- zation was held in 1931 which laid the ------M. L. Wilson PREFACE The information in this report was ob- A. Steele, Mark M. Regan, i-qorman E. tained fro.% many sources. Records of the Landgren, and Robert W. Harrison, E~~- land utilization program in the files of nomic Research Service; Edward G. ~~~~t, both State and Federal agencies were con- Fred JV. Grover, Howard E. Smith, john S. sulted. In addition, a number of individuals Forsman, and Lawrence S. Newcornbe, who had a special interest in the land Forest Service; Claude F. Clayton, William utilization projects because of active par - A. Hartman, Elmer Starch, and Carl C. ticipation in the research, planning, ac- Taylor, Resettlement Administration and quisition, and management phases of the Bureau of Agricultural Economics; Glad- program provided valuable information win E, Young and Roy D. Hockensmith, from memory and from personal papers. Soil Conservation Service; Virgil Gilman The history of a number of land utiliza- and Phillip K. Hooker, Federal Extension tion projects was reviewed in 1963 and 1964. Service; all of the Department of Agri- Twelve projects under Federal adminis- culture; and Karl A. Landstrom, Depart- tration and 17 projects under State ad- ment of the Interior. ministration were visited, records and Valuable aid was received from Loyd reports studied, and persons consulted Glover, South Dakota State University; who were familiar with the use of the George H. Aull, Clemson College; William land and its management. The visits to T. Fullilove, Georgia State Agricultural projects and the discussions with pro- Experiment Station; and many others asso- fessional workers and people of the proj- ciated with the land use research and ect areas gave an insight into some of the action programs of the 1930's and subse- problems, policies, and accomplishments quent land management and research ac- not fully revealed in written records and tiviti e s . reports. Reports and p~blicationscover- Especially useful sources were the ing some phases of 35 additional projects papers, files, reference lists, and publica- in different parts of the country were tions of L. C. Gray, Bureau of -4gricultural read. Several of the 60 or more projects Economics and Kesettlement Administra- reviewed had been observed firsthand in tion, 1920-40; Carleton E. Barnes, Bureau their early stages by the writer, who of Agricultural Economics and Resettle- was assigned to the land utilization re- ment Administration; Margaret R. Purcell, search and appraisal staff during the first Bureau of Agricultural Economics and stages of acquisition and development in Economic Research Service; 0. E. Baker, the 1930's. Francis J. Marschner, Howard Turner, The author wishes to give special ac- Bureau of Agricultural Economics; and knowledgement to the following people for Philip M. Click. Solicitor's Office. their helpfulness in providing suggestions and materials: Ernst H. Wiecking, Harry August 1965 CONTENTS Page Summary .................................. Origin and development ......................... Introduction................................. National Conference on Land Utilization ........... National Resources Board .................... Formation of the land utilization program ............. The Agricultural Adjustment Administration ........ Transfer to Resettlement Administration .......... Projects established and land acquired. 1934-37 ..... Change of status of the program under the Bankhead-Jones Farm Tenant Act ............................ Assignment to the Bureau of Agricultural Economics . Transfer to Soil Conservation Service ............ Land acquired under Title I11 of the Act ........... Land utilization research ........................ Background studies ......................... Research as part of project planning and development . Extent and cost of land acquisition and project development . Land acquisition ........................... Project development ........................ Location of projects ........................ Use of project land ......................... Relocation of families residing on lands acquired........ Relocation under the Resettlement Administration .... Relocation under the Bankhead-Jones Farm Tenant Act . Relation of land utilization program to local governments . Examples of the impact of land purchase on local farm- ing and government ....................... Federal payments to local governments ........... Management and use of the land utilization projects ...... Relationship of land management and transfers ...... Management by the Soil Conservation Service. 1938.53 . Management by the Forest Service. 1954-63 ........ Management by the Bureau of Land Management ..... Management of Indian projects ................. Management by State and local agencies ........... Plans for long-range use and management ......... Appraisal of the land utilization program ............. Examples of land utilization projects ................ Oconee Na t i ona 1 Forest and adjacent wildlife refuges. experiment stations. and parks .................. Land use plans in the 1930's ................... Use of project resources in the 1960's ............ Income and expenditures ..................... Recreation .............................. Management ............................. Grand River National Grassland ................... History of the South Dakota land utilization projects ... Purchase and development of the project .......... Resettlement of families ..................... Later administration and use .................. Income and expenditures ..................... Changes. 1955.64 .......................... Page Achievements of the project ................... Comparison of the Georgia Piedmont and the Perkins- Corson land utilization projects ............... Buffalo Gap National Grassland ....... ............. Description and justification ................... Early development ......................... Families residing on land .................... Use of the project land. 1959-63 ................ Fall River Ranger District .................... Use of project in 1964 ....................... Milk River Grazing District project