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Show Page 2 UTAH FARM BUREAU Bn lUJ h " J Cl 7 aa lOell Published och month by tho Utah State Farm Bureau Federation at Salt Lake City, Utah. Editorial and Business Office, 629 East Fourth South, Salt Lake City, Utah. POSTMASTER: Please address PO Form 3569 to PO Box 1 1668, Salt Lake City, Utah 84111. Subscription price of twenty-fiv- e cents per year to members is included in fee. Entered second class os matter March 24, 1948 at the Post Office membership at Salt Lake City, Utah under act of March 3, 1879. U To) YlVi? 1 f (fJ Ql Yd)Y?Y7 Yd S ni J Dj I UJ J n J Q C.rl Jl UTAH STATE FARM BUREAU 7 uu n gm Vf IfvJ Ifi Yf.y ms I July 1966 NEWS Ml , FEDERATION OFFICIALS President moo, Corinne, Utah Elmo W. Hamilton, Riverton, Utah Mr. Willis Whitbeck, Bennion, Utah V. Allen Olsen Kenneth J. Rice Vice-Preside- nt Chairman, Farm Bureau Women Executive Secretary Editor TAX FREE LAND DIRECTORS Alden K. Barton Mark Nichols Dr. W. H. Bennett Glenn T. Baird, Jr Dr. D. Wynne Thorne Salt Lake City Salt Lake City Logan Logan Logan EDITORIAL GUEST DIRECTORS Mrs. Willis Whitbeck, Form Bureau Women; Mrs. Paul Nelson, Farm Bureau Women; Jan Turner, Farm Bureau Young People; William Wood, Beaver; A. Alton Hoffman, Cache; Lloyd Olsen, Cache; Ferris Allen, North Box Elder; William C. Douse, Carbon; S. Jay Child, Davit; Joseph Kemp, Duchesne; Kenneth Brasher, Emery; Carl Hatch, Garfield; Richard Nelson, Iron; Roy Bowles, Juab; Isaac Chamberlain, Kane; Leo Robins, Millard; Mark Thackeray, Morgan; Ambrose Dalton, Piute; Robert Rex, Rich; Elmo Hamilton, Salt Lake; Arion Erekson, Salt Lake; Ashton Harris, San Juan; Lee Barton, Sanpete; Grant Morrey, Sevier; D. O. Roberts, Summit; Jack Brown, Tooele; A. DeMar Dudley, Uintah; Don T. Allen, Utah; Eldon Money, Utah; Welby Young, Wasatch; Don F. Schmutz, Washington; Vern Farmer, Wayne; William C. Holmes, Weber; Carl Fowers, Weber; John P. Holmgren, South Box Elder; Gay Pettingill, Utah Horticultural Society; John Roghaar, Intermountain Farmers Assn.; Virgil H. Peterson, Utah Sugar Beet Growers Assn.; Tom Lowe, Utah Canning Crops Assn.; Joe I. Jacobs, Producers Livestock Marketing Assn.; J. R. Garrett, Norbest Turkey Growers Assn.; H. M. Blockhurst, Country Mutual Life. By HERB LIVINGSTON Wyoming FB President EDITORIAL Who Owns Utah Land? 50 Ideas is Just about three fourths of Utahs land surface We think owned by the federal government. that possibly it would be better if most of this land were in private hands. Some of the land is in chunks set aside as national forests, national monuments and Indian reservations. It is likely that future generations will thank us for saving these pieces of ground for recreational use. But at the same time some of our ranchers complain that all the government is doing with some of this land is just saving it. Take the Clearcreek area of the Fishlake National Forest. Only three or four campsites exist, contend the ranchers, and ninety-nin- e per cent of the forest preserve is completely inaccessible. They feel they shouldnt be restricted from using this ground. land in Utah is The bulk of the government-owne- d administered by the Bureau of Land Management. Most people, including the BLM think this land is next to worthless. Desert, rocky hills, windswept canyons and arroyos. If in private hands it would cost great sums of money to develop into income-produciagricultural land. But we cant help wondering if that is a legitimate reason for holding back the sale or homesteading of this ground. After all, that was Jim Bridgers opinion of the Salt Lake Valley. He jokingly offered to give a thousand dollars for a bushel of com grown in that particular desert. He was wrong. Hard work and rugged determination proved to be an ingredient necessary in converting the stubborn land. The Public Land Law Review Commission brings a ray of hope into the picture. The six man commission, appointed by the President, will study the existing laws and make recommendations for revision and changes in the law. In the words of We are trying Congressman Laurence Burton: to remove these millions of acres of land from dispolipute and trying to establish some long-rancies so that the government Civil Service who works for the Forest Service and the BLM has some and knows where he is going standard guide-lin- es and the public knows that their lands are going to be protected and at the same time the person who is trying to run a herd of sheep or some cattle or the miner who is trying to legitimately have a little mining operation on suitable public land has some ng ge stability ... Mr. Byron Mock of Salt Lake City, also a member of the commission, said, We are trying to get some kind of criterion that can help in making a reasonable 'and equitable solution of conflicting demands for the same piece of land that didnt originally exist when the laws were passed and that would now reach the point where we are starting to meet head-o- n with many of those laws on the same piece of land and we have to have criteria that are fair and equitable for the public interest and also for the individual rights. WOULD BE WELL iff wiB took a real serious loot at goverrS ment land ownership and try to determine what the future of this tv ' jtf'A ., .' t;-; - - , ' might be, country j The federal government owns and controls 34 per cent of the nation's total land area. Italsoholdsindian lands which. adds another? Iffwo, per cent. The states own three per cent?The federal and stated IT . You Can Use will mark the 120th year of Utah's modern history. Many farm people are interested in hosting visitors to their comare The following munities. some ideas you may want to use. May we ask a favor? If you use one of these projects, send us a picture and a few lines so we may 1967 tell other readers. Mark historical spots with signs Prepare maps showing local historical or scenic spots. Restore historical buildings and structures. Build or improve a historical museum. . present a local A ; V I?vv j s . A 'v S v v ' governmen t.;C tax-fre- 4 of-mor- e f jK iVlU J . J . THE TOTAL AREA ACQUIRED by the federal government through?,' June 30, 963 was reported by the General Services Administration , to be 51 ,787,889 acr esl. Th is Jis eq uql l n s ize to the area of. the Nw England states; plus New?jersey and Maryland. Most ,of this 47,000,000 acres -- 7 has been acquired since 1912; a ratio of acquK sition over the period 1 912 to 963 of more than .900,000 acres per year,' federally aajuired land increased 364, 170 acres in fiscal year ending June 30, 19631 Forty states experienced increased 1 " 1 eant. paint pictures of historical buildLocal news ings or events. people or historians might write a1 weekly column in local newslocal history and about papers a In people. public place, such A 5 UNDER THE CONSTITUTION, federdlly owned land is exempted e land and the other 6! per cent ofthef from taxation? This Is 1st f land ; which! privately, owned; must carry nearly all the tax, load I ? necessarily imposed by local go vernm e gt;; cven t though government controls ' so; much . or the ; land, they;-continue to acquire land at an alarming rate. The continued aajulsh; fion Jand each; year by 'various brandies of government , pag- Collect and display historical documents. Prepare for special acts and displays use at half-tim- e during basketAsk ball and football games. local musicians to write special music. Suggest local artists f by Write and historical J s governments own or control 39 per cent of thsflandin the United this does not include 18 million acres estimated ta be?! ;Jtatej?Arid ' ? ft" i'. units 's'' of owned counties and other local Enlarge the Utahn collection in Present books local libraries. on or written by Utah Utah to school libraries. authors Have a parade. J " acreage. ; , ; ' ' - V? '.: . ' : ? At June 30,; 1 963, the Forest Service accounted for 50.5 per cent of all land acquired by the federal government to date; The Department of Interior accounted for 23 per cent; and the Defense ; Department, including the civil function of the Corps of Engineers, 23 per cent. These agencies are the most active in land acquisition ?at present and have plans for extensive further additions, S;. ' ,V ' ''Av" . ' . plans of federal agencies have been sum--, marized for a congressional committee investigating land acquisition as the county court house, disYractices. The rerds show That 9 agencies estimate their purchases? play photographs of local "old period from January 11964 to December31,?:; j' over the. timers." 1968 will each average year more than 700,000 acres, for a total ; Clean up and fix up the local .of 3,650,465 acres.; In addition? in the same period, the federal into roads community, particularly Set up tourist inthe town. government will acquire Isome interests, such as scenic easements ; LAND ACQUISITION ; 1 fiye-yea-r: " ; , - , on main roads Suggest hisAn extensive - propaganda; campaign; Is . in progress now to in-- ? written by ;i fluence the be torical essays thinkingof the public that the private users of Jand are' school pupils. Plan regular " stewards and not do 'riot., prope r ly care for the nafu ral re-?- 4 ? good , programs about local history for The sources? Jollowing statement appeared in a state department?. Enact hislocal radio stations. of ; television torical plays for local government publication: Industrial landowners and users are in--? clined to wail long and loudly about the extension of government?; Little theater groups studios. could stage plays about Utah or ownership and regulation of the land, but they show little disposition V: Have an written by Utahns. to develop the only visible alternative:' the voluntary practice of V auto tour. Local antique conservation of their own lands. This is pure propaganda. Private groups could play symphony owners of the land and businesses made this the greatest and most special programs of music written productive nation in the world. It was done by the wise use and or about Utah. by Utahns an official history. Publish development of the natural resources privately owned and managed. Hang up Utah Flags on July 24th. Spotlight local persons FEDERAL AND STATE programs to who have attained national promacquire more land which have been announced by various agencies raise many questions. Where inence; invite them to return for will such takeover of private land end, if it ends at all? special events. Emphasize Utah books and authors during summer The citizenry has the power to decide whether the U.S. shall Emphasize reading programs. remain a nation of private landowners with all the implications of Utah heritage during summer youth private ownership of the means of production and protection of the camps. Organize meet and individual freedoms we all hold dear; or whether it shall become a to discuss Utah clubs speak nation in which the government is the principle landlord, holding Encourage Utah history. dominion over the basic capital of the, country land resources. in school art classes. posters Invite friends and relatives As one contemplates the number of hungry people in this world to visit Utah. in other states and trys to determine the reason, the answer is always the same -tBeautify Pioneer graveyards. he control and management of most of the land resources by Build a model of the town as government. It is not the lack of natural resources, but the misHave it was 120 years ago. management and dictatorial control of the natural resources of the a local birthday party; celebrate nation. the day your town was established. Will we become a nation of hungry people? (Continued on page 8) formation booths and streets. ! |
