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Show PINE VALLEY MT. UNIT MAY BE PURCHASED AS MARGINAL LAND The Pine Valley Mountain unit of the Dixie National Forest is being considered as a purchase area in which to work out a land-use adjustment program sponsored by the federal government govern-ment and various state and local cooperating agencies, according to P. V. Cardon, regional director di-rector of the land policy section of the agricultural adjustment administration, who met Monday night at the court house with the county commissioners and a number of local citizens. Mr. Cardon was accompanied by W. P. Thomas, assistant regional director, di-rector, Supervisor J. E. Gurr of the Dixie National Forest, Professor Pro-fessor George D .Clyde, irrigation irriga-tion engineer of the Utah State Agricultural College, and others. There were present, also, Marion Mar-ion Clawson of the U. S. Department Depart-ment of Agriculture, who is serv. ing as local coordinator of the FERA land and water survey now in progress in Washington County; and A. L. Taylor, of the Forest Service office at Richfield, Rich-field, who will serve as project manager if the suggested purchase pur-chase project goes forward. In his capacity as regional director di-rector of the land policy section of the agricultural adjustment administration, Mr. Cardon is also al-so regional representative of the land program of the FERA. This program includes the federal government's gov-ernment's submarginal land purchase pur-chase "program. After an exhaustive study of the major land problems of the sixth southwestern states, including includ-ing Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Arizona, Nevada, and California, Mr. Cardon and his aides have focused particular attention upon three leading types: First: That type of problem found in some areas where dry farming for some physical reason has proved unprofitable and farmers, far-mers, despite conscientious effort, have been unable to make a satisfactory living. The solution solu-tion of such a problem probably would involve the purchase of these lands by the federal government, gov-ernment, the. resettlement of the farm families under more favorable favor-able conditions, and the assignment assign-ment of "the purchased land to some responsible agency of government gov-ernment for administration. Second: That type Of problem found in many irrigation districts where available water supplies are being used on more land that (Continued on page nine) PINE VALLEY (Continued from firert page) the water supplies justify, or else some of the water Is being used inefficiently on relatively unproductive unpro-ductive land. Such problems call for adjustments in land and water use within the districts themselves looking toward a higher use of these basic resources re-sources and a better standard of living for these people affected. Third: That type of problem found within and immediately adjacent to national forests, where scattered small tracts of privately owned land are being farmed, some of them without profit, owing to some physical or economic cause. The presence of these scattered tracts sometimes some-times interferes with, . or seriously ser-iously complicates, the manage, ment of the forest in the interest inter-est of water shed protection, grazing control, erosion control, and so on. Solution of this type o problem may lie in the direction di-rection of government purchase of the scattered tracts, then removal re-moval of families to other, more desirable near-by locations, and the assignment of the purchased tracts to forest management. It is the latter type of problem prob-lem which is found to exist to some extent on the Pine Valley Mountain, and the government is considering this area as one in which to work out a demonstration demon-stration in land-use adjustment which would serve to point the way to ultimate adjustments in wider areas where a similar problem prob-lem is found. "Pine Valley Mountain is only one of several comparable areas under consideration," Mr. Cardon pointed out, "and the purpose of discussing with local groups of citizens is to sound out sentiment sen-timent concerning the project. The objective in this case is in line with federal land policies, but it could be realized, and would serve its greatest purpose, only if reached in full accord with local interests. In fact it is designed primarily to serve local interests, and to ascertain how similar interests in other localitiies could be satisfied." Those present at the meeting expressed themselves as being generally favorable to the proposed pro-posed program, after an active discussion of its various angles. It is understood that Mr. Cardon and some of the other visitors have discussed the proposal with representative groups of citizens in other parts of the county. If the sentiment seems favorable toward to-ward the program, Mr. Cardon stated, definite plans may soon be launched to undertake the apraisal and optioning of lands within the proposed project area, provided reasonable prices seem assured. Local meetings were arranged by County Agricultural Agent W. F. Smith. |