APPENDIX 1 



UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

 Office of the Secretary 

 Washington 25$! Do Co 



April 10, 1956 



MEMORANDUM NOo 1396 

 National Inventory of Soil and Water Conservation Needs 



The Department has constant need and use for information that can be gained 

 only through a national inventory of soil and water conservation needs. This 

 inventory would equip the Department to more effectively plan and carry out 

 its responsibility in soil and water conservation. From it the Department 

 could arrive at reasonable estimates of the magnitude and urgency of the var- 

 ious conservation measures needed to maintain and improve the country' s pro- 

 ductive capacity for all the peopleo The following policies^, therefore, are 

 hereby established? 



1. A National Inventory of Soil and Water Conservation Needs will be made 

 and kept current by the Department of Agriculture, This Inventory will 

 be developed for each county in the United States and for appropriate 

 subdivisions of the Territories, The goal for initial completion will 

 be three years. The Forest Service has recently completed an intensive 

 survey of the Nation's timber resources. County estimates for forestry, 

 insofar as is possible, will be developed from this timber survey and 

 other available forest resource information, 



2o The Department agencies concerned with land use, soil and water conser- 

 vation and the management of land resources which are to cooperate in 

 this endeavor ares Agricxiltural Conservation Program Service, Agri- 

 cultural Research Service p Commodity Stabilization Service , Federal 

 Extension Service, Farmers Home Administration, Forest Service and 

 Soil Conservation Service, Other agencies of the Department will be 

 called upon where they can make a contribution. The Soil Conservation 

 Service is hereby assigned responsibility for leadership, 



3, A Department Soil and Water Conservation Needs Committee, comprised of 

 one representative from each of the agencies named in paragraph 2, will 

 be established. This committee, under leadership of a chairman from 

 the Soil Conservation Service, will aid in the development and review 

 of proposed procedures, furnish guidance in the cooperative effort, 

 and make periodic reviews of progress for the information of the par- 

 ticipating agencies. 



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