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Show November, 1972 Salt Lake City, Utah Pane 3 Genealogy Copy Service Copy Negatives .35 Each Pedigrees, Strip off 8 .35 Each Jumbo Prints .09 Each 5x7 Enlargement .49 Each 8x10 Enlargement .97 Each Hank's Photo Service. P.O. Box 9099 Salt Lake City, Utah 84109 Utah Residents Add 4V4 Percent Sales Tax No C.O.D. State Farm Bureau chairman Stanley Jackson receives YF&R program with Jan Turner Dad: Why are you always wishing for something you havent got? Son: What else is there to wish for? Young Farmer Contestant To Be Named At Confab Jan Turner, 1971 new barn. YF&R winner explains haying enterprise at cite of More Valuable Than Gold THE AUTHOR By Leonard H. Johnson, Assistant Director Natural Resources Department American Farm Bureau Fed. Projects to conserve water are encountering militant opposition from environmental groups in almost every area of thg nation. Nevertheless, one states experience in water conservation indicates that water is more valuable than gold. The golden state of California is finding that agricultural crops grown primarily by the conservation and diversion of water to irrigate arid and semi-ari- d lands annually are more valuable than all the gold mined in the past 150 years in the State of California. In most of the world, agriculture must gamble that it will rain during the growing season. Irrigation, provided through water projects, has almost eliminated this gamble. In this one state, irrigated agriculture contributes directly and indirectly more than $16 billion a year to the states economy. Most of this new wealth flows into the cities where it provides hundreds of thousands of jobs in commerce and industry. Thus, environmental enrichment is achieved by orderly storing and diverting of water from its natural flow to the sea. There are other environmental benefits whose value may exceed die economic production. The water conservation projects provide recreation for millions of Americans: boating, fishing, hunting, swimming, picnicking, water skiing, camping, and waterways. sightseeing on Coronado first explored the Colorado In 1540 when River, he found a muddy, turbulent stream occupied chub. fay squawfish, humpback sucker and bony-ta- il Colorado runs River same that relatively Today, dear and shelters 18 species of game fish, offering some of die finest rainbow trout and bass fishing in the world. A galaxy of sparkling lakes behind conservation dams has converted Old Muddy into a water wonderland. Most rivers might properly be named Wild man-enhanc- Rivers ed because, untamed, they are wild. Periodically, they kill and destroy. Water, like fire, when controlled and harnessed, can enrich the quality of the environment. Doubters of the value of water conservation projects have forgotten the battles which men )me continually fought with flood waters; The annual loss of life and property due to flood continues to make flood control a priority issue. The recent Rapid City flood on June 9th took 237 lives,, lef t thousands homeless, and caused millions of dollars of damage. The most disastrous flood in the nations history was Agnes which between June 1st and 23rd deluged eastern states with 28.1 trillion gallons of rainfall. It is impossible to place a value on the human suffering an the losses to the environment such as topsoil and wildlife. The agricultural damage in two states of Pennsylvania and New York has been estimated to exceed $500 million dollars. The homes lost totaled $116,000.00. The property damages total $3 billion dollars and 117 people lost their lives. It is significant that the 75 conservation dams 566 Small Watershed constructed under the SCS-P- L states in five stood these the test: not one Program failed or came close to failing, and they are credited with preventing millions of dollars of property damages and undoubtiy saved many lives. Floods not only affect man and his environment, but all other forms of life in their pathway. It is estimated that annual flood damage in the United States might increase by 50 percent during the next decade, without additional flood-protecti- on measures. The beautiful Rainbow Bridge, above Page, Arizona, on the Colorado River, is another example of opposition to water conservation. Environmental groips have initiated legal action in the Federal District Court of Salt Lake City to stop Lake Powell from being filled above the 3,600 feet level If this lake (created by the Glen Canyon Dam) is filled up to the 3,700 foot mark, which is the level of water this dam was structured to impound for efficient water conservation, the environmentalists contend it might weaken the footings of the Rainbow Bridge. If the Court agrees, it is estimated it would cut Lake Powells water conservation capacity by 50 percent. It would reduce the planned water, projects in the and it Upper Colorado Basin States of loss would mean an estimated $8 million dollars each year from reduced power generation. The Rainbow Bridge case has become a key discussion point in the debate over conservation-economic- s versus environmental-aestheti- c values. of Recognition degradation of the environment has been achieved by the timely work of environmental groips. Now there is evidence that the recommendations of some environmentalists do hot recognize the environmental costs which extreme to achieve demands would produce. In the trade-off- s some purist concepts, quality of the environment would be damaged. Thinking citizens question those who demand that water conservation projects be discontinued. Answers must be provided that explain how water resources needed to feed, clothe, employ, and provide for wants of the citizens of today, as well as the youth of tomorrow, will be developed. Without common sense reason and resource planning, there can be damage to the world that my be irreparable. The damage will not be pollution of the environment due to mismanagement of waste, but it will be destruction of the environment due to support of unsound preservation principles. There are environmental problems. Water pollution is number one or number two in terms of priority. This is not the time for hasty decisions to discontinue conservation of water. .There is a critical need for uninterrupted and accelerated construction programs of sound water conservation facilities. ft is in the wise development of resources that their highest contribution to the environment is attained. Untamed water in flood stages has been an important souce of devastation to mankind. Conserved and developed to useful purposes, water can become more valuable than gold. Last year Jan Turner, a young operate at a high level of effarmer from Morgan, Utah and ficiency. County president of Morgan Farm It is this kind of thinking and Bureau, won the Outstanding hard work that makes young men Young Farmer And Rancher succeed. Through the Young Award Jan and his wife, Fran Farmers and Ranchers contest traveled to the national convention farm with other Farm Bureau members. each year progressive the techniques of display operators At the national convention the success in the minds Turners were one of three selected of other they implant women the men and young for national awards. idea that farming and ranching is Along with the trip the Turners still challenging and rewarding, were presented with a Ford pickup as well as the way of financially from Rick Warner Ford in Salt life that is available, for other Lake City, formerly Bennett Ford. Rick Warner Ford has been very young aspiring people. Older farmers also take note of happy about the award and are these young men and benefit from planning to make a similar award of their ideas and methods. many this year to the winner at the As a result of the YF&R contest November Convention. many young men and women take Jan has developed a successful Dairy Farm operation. He keeps note of their operations, of agriculture generally and seek up with modern technology. ways to contribute to the imRecently he built a new hay bam, provement of agriculture through purchased a hay wagon and other leadership in Farm Bureau. equipment that enables him to Are You Involved in Promoting Agriculture? try to show those not in the industry what good is being accomplished, and just how farmers are working for others, as well as for themselves? Do you There is a need for all farmers - not just a few - to get to talk to those not in the industry, and to involved show agriculture as the truly modern industry it is. ... When was the last time you talked to someone from the urban community about the revolutionary methods agriculture uses to protect the environment? Have you, or anyone from your county organization, taken the time to address service clubs about the "new" agriculture? Have you taken the time to write letters to the editor, or to telephone the local radio "talk" show? These are just some of the methods that will have to be used in an increasing public relations campaign to impress upon others the true importance of agriculture. GET INVOLVED . . . THERE IS A JOB TO BE DONE, AND WE ALL HAVE TO WORK AT IT 4 Send Your Membership Today nlt Doesn't Cost, It Pays" |