

ItfSfc* 



Alfalfa, corn, and rye at Horicon. 



canals, which would make a continuous canal from 

 Washington to Denver, Colo.; more than 4,400 

 miles of fence, enough to stretch across the inter- 

 national boundaries between the United States 

 and both Mexico and Canada (exclusive of the 

 Great Lakes) : more than 3,700 miles of access 

 and patrol roads, equivalent to the mileage from 

 Seattle, Wash., to Key West, Fla. ; while telephone 

 and power lines of 574 miles would provide a line 

 from Washington to Indianapolis, Ind. 



As a landowner, the Fish and Wildlife Service 

 faces the same problems of mounting costs as the 

 farmer does. Wages are higher, and equipment 

 costs have skyrocketed. The problem facing the 

 Nation today of finding funds to finance a system 

 of adequate transcontinental highways to take 

 care of the country's growing population and 

 transportation needs is paralleled, in a lesser de- 

 gree, by the problem the Service has of providing 

 adequate access and patrol roads for the refuges. 



Here are some examples of equipment costs. 

 The Service operates 54 draglines on its refuge 

 areas. In 1935 this equipment cost an average of 

 less than $10,000 a unit. The current average re- 

 placement value is $'25,000 a unit. One hundred 

 and forty-nine construction type tractors are now 

 in operation. In 1935 they cost approximately 

 $6,000 a unit. Today they cost $13,000. A pickup 

 t ruck — the basic refuge vehicle — cost $575 in 1935 ; 

 today it costs more than $1,700. 



Waterfowl-refuge activities do not stop when 

 the construction work is completed and water im- 

 poundments filled. Marsh habitat never remains 



stable; continual conditioning is a necessity. Cat- 

 tail, maidencane, and other pest plants will con- 

 tinue to invade marsh areas. These invasions 

 must be fought with herbicides, water manipula- 

 tion, disking, and replanting with beneficial 

 species. The maintenance of dikes and water- 

 control structures, trails, buildings, and equip- 



Heavy equipment. 



15 



