Show f 11 Americas America's Am rica agriculture Is le more closely allied to to- to out ouy sports ports of hunting and fishing than many realize at first fint thought As a matter of fact the very baste basis for good fishing and hunting is in sound land nd use and thought thought- thoughtful ful farming Without proper soil conservation there can be no adequate te supply of game lame and fish There is I a good lood chance that a national land policy will be a basic part of the new farm pro pro- program program gram to be submitted at the next session se slon on of COllins E H I Taylor aylor a well known agricultural al writer brings out some of the highlights Of this policy I Its primary ry purpose is to bene bene- benefit fit agriculture and to safeguard I the nations nation's future source of food But it is la Just Just as Important to the sportsmen of elf this coun coun- I coun-I country try No other measure would do doso 1 so much to insure the resources necessary for a permanent sup SUP- SUPply supply ply of fish and game We we have had bad only one land landI I policy since 1830 This was to occupy the th land and bring it Into use as rapidly u as pOssible In the days day of settlement and 1 early d development M I this policy served the nation well wen But we failed to take ke the further step that would wo d have given perma perma- nence to this immense grant of nature and an and l to some of f the teem teem- teeming ing w wildlife it supported Sot So it Is now proposed to establish a new land policy with the definite purpose of of main main- ta the productivity of the nation s I land Ian Moreover stamp stamp- stamped ed with the authority of a na na- na policy U it would command public conservation support a s sen hi in way that has conservation as an en Ideal has failed to achieve No sportsman should sho ld have any trouble seeing what this thIt would mean to him Under the theold theold old policy our fish and game resources resource have suffered along with the land for they are apart a apart part of the same natural n tural scheme of thins things Increased cultivation close cropping and the erosion they and 1 food J incur needed have e ees destroyed es esl for l wildlife ll cover Marshes and end swamps have been j drained The native timber not merely in the big woods area rea but along loDl the small stream banks baw has bas been cut down Ero Ero- sion lion has silted anted the streams and lakes The new policy polley if 11 enacted Into law and put into practice Would woul mean reaching far-reaching chang chant i v Wy es ei In the surface of oi our our o land land clad and the th condition of our oue m ma Land would be devoted devot d more m rose to the use to which it is adapted and very often this is isn not no U There would be large laUe in creases crease in b cover crops rand pas pasture D ture more more mor strip cropping field edges edged of grass or shrubbery abel shel ter belts grassed waterways wate ye I and Other ther checks on erosion p these would be a better prod of bf watersheds and the of marginal md and fd odd areas to wood land landAll All of this thia would add up tip to a vastly more widespread and 1 favorable habitat for wildlife I IS Some S time th e we are going gobia going to to b e be forced to adopt a national land policy polley Sportsmens Sportsmen's groups and wildlife conservationists conservationist could do nothing better for themselves than to get let behind this proposal It is 11 one hopeful means of ot assur US ing Inq more game iame and fish for our i selves and our sons sona 1 |