78 OUR USE OF THE LAND 



STATE CONTROL OF LAND USE 



As we have seen, within the past few years, the attack on 

 problems of land use has shifted. The 'idea of expanding has 

 given way to the idea of controlling the use of land. With the 

 exception of Wisconsin, most states were unprepared to under' 

 take this control. The chief reason for Wisconsin's control 

 program was the collapse of a land boom that left a large 

 stranded population on unproductive land. In many cases the 

 states could not make up their minds how to go about con' 

 trolling land use, if they were aware of the seriousness of the 

 problem at all. But even if they could have agreed upon a plan, 

 many states burdened with eroding soil, growing farm tenancy, 

 and indebted farmers did not have enough money to finance 

 a land control program. Not infrequently this poverty was the 

 result of low revenues from wonvout land. States in this condi' 

 tion had to depend on the federal government to help them out 

 of their difficulties. 



There are two other reasons for the development of federal 

 control of land use: (1) Soil erosion, for example, does not pay 

 any attention to state lines. The southwestern Dust Bowl in' 

 eludes parts of Colorado, Texas, Kansas, and Oklahoma. (2) 

 The economic problems attacked by the Triple A affect farmers 

 all over the nation in much the same way. Obviously, states 

 cannot control the price of grain or cotton. The federal govern' 

 ment, on the other hand, has attempted to do just that. 



Once the heavy first costs are paid by the federal govern" 

 ment and the machinery of land management is set in motion, 

 there are many parts of a land use control program which can be 

 run by the states and private owners. From the point of view 

 of the federal government, the question was how to pass this 

 power of controlling land use over to the states without letting 

 the land continue to decline because the states cannot or will 



