352 CONFERENCE ON NATURAL BEAUTY 



structures that are no longer needed, that are antiquated and that 

 can be removed. These are also part of the elements of the coun- 

 tryside, and they should, sooner or later, deserve attention equal 

 to that given the important topic of this panel. 



IRVING LIKE. I have a question for those members of the panel 

 that represent industry. 



Where you have a reclamation problem of the first magnitude and 

 where private industry, local initiative, or State government is un- 

 able or unwilling to act within a reasonable period of time, are you 

 willing to accept the proposition that there be legislation enabling 

 the Federal Government to act as a guarantor of performance? 



Mr. DAVIS ON. I am not sure I understand what you propose. 



Mr. MOTT. I believe he is saying that if private industry doesn't 

 carry out this major reclamation program, the Federal Government 

 should do so. Is this what you said? 



Mr. LIKE. The point is that Federal power will be available 

 and provided for in the legislation to be exercised within a reason- 

 able period of time in local situations where local initiative does 

 not carry out the same objective. 



Mr. PYLES. Under effective State laws, the State has police power. 

 It can require bonds, which amount to sometimes $1,000 an acre 

 or more. The States also have other police power. Every strip min- 

 ing operation in the five leading States must be licensed, and these 

 licenses must be renewed each year. I don't know about New York 

 State, whether this is the operation you have in mind. But the 

 States have the power; the Federal Government doesn't exercise it. 



Representative OTTINGER. I think we were agreed, though, there 

 have been some cases where interests were involved that were so 

 great that the State couldn't adequately cope with them. There are 

 situations in which Federal standards should be established. 



I certainly very strongly subscribe to that view. I think you have 

 to have some mechanism sufficiently flexible to meet different situa- 

 tions in different States; that we have a vehicle available along the 

 lines of the Land and Water Conservation Fund, where the Federal 

 Government would lay down certain basic standards and the States 

 would come in with specific programs to meet those standards. 



