Report on 



NACD PUBLIC LANDS COMMITTEE MEETING 



The NACD Public Lands Committee met at 

 Flagstaff, Arizona, August 2 & 3. 



Progress on the current Grass-Roots survey 

 for an Inventory of Resource Conservation and 

 Development Needs within Soil and Water Con- 

 servation Districts in the eleven western Public 

 Lands States shows a beginning in all states, 

 and it is anticipated it will be completed this 

 fall and winter. No big problems were presented 

 all agencies are cooperating. The survey isn't 

 as big a job as it seems says Bob McClelland, 

 Western Area Program Officer. 



Some use of this survey material will be: 



1. Basis of program of work in districts. 



2. Use with County Commissioners, Chambers 

 of Commerce, Planning Boards, etc. 



3. Needs to be publicity on these figures to get 

 public acquainted with resource needs. 



4. Use for districts to update their long range 

 program in line with USDA and USDI Memoran- 

 dums of Understanding. 



5. Tie these figures closely to farm or ranch 

 plans. 



6. There is need for lots of technical advice 

 from technicians. Supervisors handle people. 

 All three groups, agencies, people served, 

 supervisors, must be kept together and made a 

 part of any long-range program. Not just a 

 district program, but each agency's as well. 



Gordon Zimmerman, NACD Executive Secretary, 

 pointed out the following End Uses of this Inven- 

 tory for use by district boards: 



1. Supervisors are local government whose 

 basic job is to learn and plan. 



2. Reappraisal (men of vision who guess right) 



3. Redraft a new good useful program. 



4. Work on public lands go together with private 

 lands. 



5. Each agency is responsible for developing 

 their own plans. We have asked agencies to 

 help us, we must help them. 



Jones, beset by stress ond strife, 



Begged this single boon of life: 

 "Give me hqlf a chance!" Know what? 



Half a chance was all he got! 



— ANITA RASKIN 



6. Private and public programs can't progress 

 without technical help. Lots of money is requested 

 of Congress to carry out programs. This inven- 

 tory puts supervisors in an intelligent position to 

 know, so they aren't a front man, a yes man, or g 

 a man who doesn't know'. 



This survey can be used for forming an Overall 

 Economic Development Plan. Increased grazing? 

 Increased Recreation? etc. ? 



Assistant Secretary of the Interior Carver told of 

 two loanguages being spoken, those of diverse 

 interests,; and those with common interests. He 

 stated our chief concern is with leaving the land 

 better than we found it. Secretary Carver had 

 high praise for the work of districts and the pos- 

 sibility of cooperating in planning and -carrying 

 out those plans. 



Mr. Beatty of the Forest Service told the group 

 that this Inventory is step One. 

 Developing of the programs is step Two. 



Time was is past — thou canst it not recall. 

 Time is thou hast — employ thy portion small. 

 Time future is not, and may never be. 

 Time present is the only time for thee! 



— Inscription on an ancient sun dial. 



District Programs 

 Agency programs 

 Memorandums of understanding is step Three. 

 Joint Meetings - Public Agencies must 

 work with all interest groups. 



The Public Lands Committee made the following 

 recommendations : 



1. That each of the eleven western states review 

 activities each year of all agencies, state com- 

 mittees take lead. 



2. Review the Brownfield-Lee proposal that ad- 

 d'£g->nal fees comtemplated being charged by BLM 

 ts used for Conservation purposes. 



3. That ACP funds be allowed to build practices on 

 federal land which would benefit private lands. 



*************** 



Supervisors are reminded to consider the progress 

 of the NACD Public Lands Grass-Rppts Survey at 

 each of their meetings now and until completion. 

 Remember all lands, public and private, will need ' 

 to have a Form 2 filled out with the cooperation of 

 each agency having responsibility for Conservation. 

 Review your instructions . 



