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Show Page HA. SPECIAL SECTION, LEADER-GARLAN- TIMES, February 17, 1977 A sleeping giant lies in Box Elder County waiting to be awakened and put to work. This giant, our vast D Vest rcngebnd rangeland, totals hi Box Bder county the giant can be put to work was recently completed on Park Valley Hereford Association lands. Range that originally produced 50 pounds of usable forage on each acre of dense sagebrush, mixed with a small amount of grass, was burned and reseeded with crested wheat grass. As a result, it produces 500 pounds of usable forage, aJ tenfold increase. This means that two acres of range will provide feed for a cow for one month rather than 16 or 20 acres ly needed. A previousAt this rate of stocking, the range should restore itself each year and maintain the improved condition indefinitely. The West Box Elder Soil Conservation District has named the Park Valley k Hereford Association, cher of the Year, in f7S . .COWS AND CALVES in Upland loan site are in fair condition on the Robert Allen range. I'ater has other uses than drinking Water shortage prospects are making people start to think more about water and its uses. Remember that there are other uses besides the water needed for drinking and for homes. Richard E. Griffin, extension water use specialist, Utah State University, cites these examples. It takes 7 acre feet of water to meet the annual needs of one duck, 190 pounds of trout, 1 cow or to produce 10 tons of alfalfa. It will produce 3 million kilowatts of electricity, 30 tons of steel or 90 tons of copper. The same amount of water will meet the accustomed needs of six average families. Griffin noted that, fortunately, some of these can use and reuse, the same water for different purposes. For example, he said, likely the duck and trout can use the same water and then have it reused for other purposes. He advised, "Keep in mind that two factors are affecting the use and distribution of our water supply. One is economics and the other is critical pressure. Municipalities and industry can afford and do pay more for water than does agricul ture. Applications for water are now being considered by the state engineer in the order in which the state engineer decides is in the best public interest rather than in the order in which they're filed. The expected drastic shortage of water this year will complicate the problem of allocating to uses that will be crying for it." Griffin said studies show that normally about 59 million acre feet of water falls from the sky on Utah land each year. That is only about 13 inches throughout the whole state, and only 13 percent of this or about 8 to 10 million acre feet run down the streams to be available for consumptive use. Consider that it takes 25 inches to grow a crop of wheat or alfalfa. Griffin expressed concern that under normal times land and water are being taken out of agriculture at an alarming rate for houses, freeways, factories and the uses of municipalities and industry. He said, "Only when we get a little hungry will we be concerned about how much we are taking out of agriculture." Ran- recogni- tion of these accomplishments. Thad Box, dean of USU's College of Natural Resources, in an address to the Bear River RC&D Annual Meeting, stated that because of the increasing world population and resulting demand on grain crops, more and more we will have to rely on rangeland for production of beef and other livestock. He went on to say that although our rangeland is probably in better condition than it has been before in this century, improvement in range management could greatly increase its capacity. The last agricultural cen- sus in 1970 showed 72,000 cows and calves in Box Elder County. It is estimated that this number would result in about 10 million pounds of beef production. There were about 46,000 sheep in the county at the same time, which should produce 368,000 pounds of wool and 4,600,000 pounds of lamb. These numbers could be greatly increased if the range condition were im- proved. A Box Bder county with RC & D A seed was planted in western Box Elder County in 1967. Now, ten years later, through local people's nourishment, this seed has grown to a strong tree, the Bear River Resource Conserva- and Development (RC&D) area. The area now includes seven counties on the Bear River system in Utah and Idaho and involves eight million acres and about tion ment of natural resources in their area and correlate assistance of local, state, and federal agencies. Reese Warburton of Grouse Creek was a leader in initiating this program. He worked with the three soil conservation districts in the county; local, county and city governments, and agricultural organizations that joined to sponsor an application to the Secretary of Agriculture for RC&D area administering agencies by requirements Environmental for Impact- Statements before any dev- Any project of community benefit can be presented to the executive board. If approved, needed assistance is sought from local, state and federal agencies. The first project completed under the new program was a pipeline to carry irrigation and livestock water from Rice and Jim Canyons in the Raft River 24-m- full-tim- 80,000 people. This program gives local people the opportunity to direct the develop- an in August of 1967, Box Elder County became the 26th RC&D in the nation, the first in Utah. Six men from Box Elder County represent the original sponsors on the executive board. The board sets policy, reviews and prioritizes projects, and give e direction to the small, staff provided by the Soil Conservation Service. In addition to Warburton, the board members include Commissioner Reed Nielsen of Portage; Carl Rhodes, Tremonton; Orville Gray, Willard; J. Laurence Cart- er, Garland and Mountains to the Clear Creek area. Because of the topography of the area around Tremonton, several groups have requested assistance on drainage. The Iowa String Drain was completed in Glen Mann- ing, Garland. Elder in Box County. When the project was approved for operation elopment can take place. However, a great deal of expertise is available to help the rancher make the best decisions about his land and livestock. Several federal and state agencies are anxious to assist the rancher in his quest to increase profits through wise range ..BEAVER SCD GROUP clipping crested wheat-gras- s lot. Shown are Fred Harris, chairman; Clarence Rollins, member; Jim Morgan, member; Horace Andrews, SCS range specialist and Kenneth Willkmis, WLC, Beaver. oxport copy sorvko white yon wait with Mm now nGcton 3 ico Conservation Needs Inventory conducted by the Soil Conservation Service shows that only about 180,000 acres of the private rangeland is being handled in a way that is adequate to meet local conservation problems. About 233,000 acres need protection from soil erosion or inadequate grazing system. Another 688,000 acres needs improvement through brush control, reseeding, weed control or minerals. Estimates of treatment needed on public land are not available but it is felt that improvements could be made in the condition of these lands. Many serious problems confront the rancher in his efforts to balance good range management with his need to make a living from his investment of time and money. These problems include the current drought, low beef prices and the constraints on public land caused western in over 2,400,000 acres. A demonstration of how Sleeping giant lies L Seed was planted - B.D3 3PY cnnviGG L S ' tho very latest qwipmant I Rc a copy for aiotff t'i x II she ft. 20 PRODUCES COPIES EXPERT REPRODUCTION SHEETS t ZEROX'S LEGAL IN Of ONE f lightly MINUTE DOCUMENTS BEST QUALITY COPY B.GABGR 10 N. 1 Wot more lor fargor sfios. Will do vp to also GENE0L0GY MACHINE ON THE 14x18 MARKET FFOGG SCDPPD.V Tremonton 3 |