CONSERVATION CHARLEY by Harry Corry 



Barney and Charley were chewing the fat over a 

 cup of coffee the other morning. "Chai'ley," says 

 Barney, "you mentioned conservation plans a 

 minute ago. Are they really worth their salt?" 



"Worth their salt?" screams Charley. "Your dad 

 blamed tooting they are. Lookee here what 

 Harold Cooper, Assistant State Conservationist 

 for the SCS, says about it. " 



"Most soil conservation district supervisors have 

 no questions concerning the value of a sound 

 •conservation plan developed by a farmer or 

 rancher on his farm or ranch. However, Ole 

 Ueland, Executive Secretary for the State Soil 

 Conservation Committee often encounters such 

 questions as "What good are conservation plans?" 

 'Why is conservation planning so important?' 

 'Isn't it more important to use SCS technicians 

 to lay out practices than to develop plans?' 



To help answer these questions Ole asked that a 

 brief statement be prepared setting forth the value 

 of a conservation plan. " 



"Why a conservation plan? The answer is simple 

 - because it results in the greatest amount of 

 conservation applied to the land per technical 

 man hour spent. It also results in the most net 

 return to the operator over a period of years. 

 Actual records of 18 Montana ranchers who have 

 been following a conservation plan for several 

 years reveal a surprising increase in net return 

 annually. " 



"A research study conducted by the Agricultural 

 College at Ames, Iowa, compared a large number 

 of farmers who were following conservation plans 

 with neighbors having comparable farms but no 

 conservation plans. The results showed a sig- 

 nificantly higher net income received by those 

 following a plan. Not only that, but soil and 

 water conservation was more effectively holding 

 or building up the soil on farms having plans. " 



"Year after year, annual reports of accomplish- 

 ment from soil and water conservation districts 

 in Montana show conclusively that where the 

 greatest amount of sound conservation planning 

 is being done the greatest amount of conserva- 

 tion of all kinds is being applied to the land. 

 The best program balance is obtained on indivi- 

 dual farms and ranches and in districts where 

 the planning is being done. " 



"The reason for this is quite obvious. It is only 

 during the planning process that the technician 

 really has the opportunity to thoroughly explain 

 the soil survey, the range site, the condition of 

 the range or woodland compared to its potential, 

 the suitability of soil for different uses, the 

 alternative treatments needed with the various 

 possible uses to adequately protect the soil, the 

 management practices needed to get the most from 

 range, pasture, or cropland." 



"It also points out management methods needed 

 to conserve irrigation water and increase 

 production. As one example - when a field is 

 leveled, the leveling is only the first step in 

 getting ready for proper water management, 

 sound crop rotations, good fertility programs, 

 and the like." 



"During the process of plan development, 

 decisions are reached by the operator to apply 

 many needed conservation practices which do 

 not require on-site technical help or costsharing. 

 Many of the most beneficial practices are seldom 

 applied in the amounts needed unless their im- 

 portance and value are recognized during devel- 

 opment of a conservation plan. " 



"The plan provides an orderly basis for applying 

 needed conservation practices - first things 

 first, in other words. Most structural practices 

 will not stand alone without support from manage- 

 ment type practices. The plan provides the best 

 basis possible for requesting both technical 

 assistance and cost-sharing in an orderly manner 

 as they are needed. " 



"Charley folded up the paper, slipped it back 

 into his pocket, took off his glasses, inhaled a 

 draught of Java, turned to Barney and said, "And 

 that's the way the cookie bounces. Conservation 

 plans are good for the soil - and the pocketbook. " 



Shovra above are supervisors of the BIG HORN 

 Soil & Water Conservation District who received 

 the GOODYEAR TIRE & RUBBER COMPANY 

 Awards as the Number One District for 1963. 

 They are St. Clair Ottun, Yugo Nayematsu, Jack 

 Colstad, A. G. Slattery, Otto Dringman, and 

 D. E. Roberts of Goodyear. The outstanding 

 farmer Harold Benzel and Mr. Slattery will be 

 guests of Goodyear farms in December. 

 Chouteau County SWCD received a plac|ue for 

 second place. 



