by Harry Corry 



"Charley, you lop-eared son- 

 you been and whatcha been doin^ 

 asks as he jabs a handful of fingers in Charley's 

 direction. 



"Fair to middling and as little as possible," 

 Chuck retorts as he massages Skinny 's gnarled- 

 and calloused paw. "And what have you been up 

 to lately, you elongated drink of diet juice?" 



"Still wallowing in the same old rut," Skinny 

 sighs. "Chaperoning grain, grass, hay and 

 cattle doesn't leave a feller much time for mis- 

 chief — although I have been getting some con- 

 servation practices worked into my busy schedule 

 he hastens to reassure Charley. 



That's the kind of conversation that Charley 

 thrives on. The grin on his face broadens until 

 it nibbles at each of his ears. 



"By the way, have you heard any good stories 

 lately?" Skinny changes the subject - he thinks. 



"Yeah, I was reading an article this morning 

 at breakfast," Chuck replies, "....and I just 

 happen to have a copy with me." 



"....about conservation?" Skinny asks appre- 

 hensively. 



"Yep," Chuck says enthusiastically. He ad- 

 justs his bifocals and starts reading: 



"Conservation," according to Dr. F. Fraser 

 Darling, a distinghished British conservation- 

 ist, "is reaching forth to a larger concept than 

 caring in an earnest but rather hazy way for 

 animal species, for forests, soils or fresh 

 water; it is becoming the care of the human 

 habitat, which is the whole planet." 

 "l-rtiich means what?" Skinny interrupts. 

 "Don Williams, Administrator of the Soil Con- 

 servation Service, elaborates on that in this 

 article right here," Chuck replies as he jabs a 

 finger at the paragraph he starts to read: 



"The care of the human habitat, which is the 

 whole planet, is precisely why we should all be 

 interested in conservation. 



"....Not because poor soils yield poor crops 

 but because poor soils make poor people, 



"....Not because of what soil erosion does to 

 land but because of what it does to men, women, 

 and children in our crowded cities as well as 

 in our developing rural areas. 



"....Not because of what fire or flood can do 

 to the beauty and productivity of the forest or 

 valley but because of what they can do to hope 

 and dignity of human beings who live and work 

 there. 



"....;.'ot because we need vanishing species of 

 wildlife for its meat or feathers, but because 

 we have no right to deprive future generations 

 of any of the fullness of the world as God 

 Created it. 



A handicapped golfer is one who 

 plays with his boss. 



"....Hot because we seek some ethereal har- 

 veen man and Nature, but because we 

 ce between man and man — a peace that 

 n large measure upon the conservation 

 and development of soil and water resources 

 from which people draw their sustenance in 

 every part of the world." 



"Well, I'd kinda have to go along with that 

 thinking," Skinny agrees as Charley looks up 

 from the article. 



"It makes sense, all right," Chuck says. 

 "Conservation of natural resources isn't for the 

 benefit of the resources but rather for the bene- 

 fit of people who need those resources for a 

 good and full life. If it weren't for people, 

 we wouldn't need conservation. Conservation is 

 man's solution to problems which nan created. 

 If v/e destroy the earth's natural resources, 

 K^ature will create more — in time — but the 

 human race night not be around to make use of 

 them." 



"True," Skinny concedes, "and I reckon "I'd 

 better not be around here much longer. I've 

 got a heap of work waiting for me. It's been 

 nice seeing you again — and thanks for the 

 story," he sarcastically adds. 



"You bet," Charley replies. "It's beenMBy 

 pleasure." 



GOVERNOR BABCOCK ENDORSES BITTERROOT RC&D 

 PROJECT PLAN 



Governor Tim Babcock on May 19 announced his 

 endorsement of the Bitterroot Valley Resource 

 Conservation and Development Project Plan. 



John Schroeder, Chairman of the State Soli 

 Conservation Committee, Ave Linford, SCS State 

 Conservationist, Clarence Popham, RC&D Program 

 Committee Chairman, and Jack Iman, RC&D Program 

 Committee Vice-Chairman, submitted the first 

 copies to Governor Babcock for review on May 17. 



"Sponsors are the Bitterroot and Missoula 

 County Soil and Water Conservation Districts, anc 

 Ravalli and Missoula County Commissioners, 



To date, 44 project proposals have been re- 

 ceived. A unique feature of RC&D projects Is 

 that they are not a "one shot" and finalized 

 effort, but a continuing, growing and flexible 

 program. Project measure proposals are con- 

 tinually being received by the sponsors while 

 others are being completed. 



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



REMINDER - SWCD Supervisors are reminded to meet 

 with their county commissioners regarding their 

 budgets for the coming year. 



