BUREAU OF THE BIOLOGICAL SURVEY 



its time, has been able to obtain the property it desired at a 

 fair price. 44 



As it has been noted, 45 Congress in the years prior to the 

 passage of the act of 1929 had passed acts designating cer- 

 tain definite areas of land for purchase, to be set aside as 

 refuges. Obviously, this is not the most ideal system of 

 land purchase inasmuch as it creates a seller's market, rais- 

 ing land values in the area designated. The Survey, it is 

 true, was given the right of condemnation but such legal 

 proceedings are very expensive and greatly increase the over- 

 head costs. In addition, the land was designated without 

 previous examination by the Survey and in one case at least 

 proved to be unsuited for refuge purposes without expensive 

 improvements. The system adopted by the act of 1929 

 giving the Survey considerable amount of discretion is by 

 far the better method. 



The recent movement to set aside submarginal agricul- 

 tural land for game refuge purposes gained a considerable 

 popular following among the conservationists. Unfortun- 

 ately, most of the area which is submarginal for agricultural 

 purposes is not suited for migratory bird refuges except 

 with expensive improvements. However, for upland game 

 considerable areas of such land can be used. At the present 

 time (1934) the Survey is actively engaged in cooperating 

 with the Federal Surplus Relief Corporation which has 

 charge of the $25,000,00x5 allotted for this purpose by the 

 Public Works Administration 46 and in selecting land which 

 can be used for refuge purposes. 



Migratory Waterfowl Division: A new division was 

 established by the memorandum of July 2, 1934 responsible 



44 The average cost of the land purchased has been $4.38 per acre. 

 Report of the Chief (1932), op. cit., p. 18. 



45 See p. 88. 



46 New York Times, Jan. 4, 1934, 1 : 4. 



