Pr'- r.icent Johnson's 'ucget. Continued 



rrrodec irc"^ v.'atershed areas pollutes rivers and 

 streams '.-.'ith sediment and clogs harbors and bay 



3. Farmers woulc assume the city people's re- 

 sponsibility for soil and vater consei^ation. 

 Soil and water conservation contribute directly 

 to the welfare of ::11 the people because soil 

 and water is the base for our daily diet of food, 

 drink and wholesome living. 



U. It would break faith with State and local 

 governments by breakinr agreements that have been 

 established. State Irgislatures and county 

 governments over a quarter of a century have been 

 gradually building up their financial contribu- 

 tions to the total soil and water conservation 

 effort with the understanding that the local- 

 state-federal team effort would be maintained as 

 a team effort for the good of the national wel- 

 fare, 



5, It would treat the American landowners unfair- 

 ly. It would charge the American landowner for 

 technical assistance which the Federal Government 

 provides free in large doses to foreign nations 

 and in other areas of Federal and local govern- 

 ment, city andurban. 



6, Conservation contributes more to the National 

 Itefense than any other single effort. Good land 

 and good water are a nation's greatest asset, 



7, More wildlife and recreation will result from 

 good soil and water conservation. Conservation 

 benefits habitat for animals, birds and fish, 



8, It would reduce the beauty of the countryside 

 in rural America. Rich green valleys, calm clear 

 waters, fertile soils and contoured fields, dense 

 forests, and lush pastures, and developed and 

 protected watersheds are what make up the beauty 

 of the countr^/side. An eroded gully detracts 

 from the beauty of America as much as an auto 

 graveyard, 



9, It would slow up needed adjustments in good 

 land use. In 196U technical assistance guided 

 more than one million Soil Conservation UstrLct 

 cooperators in converting 2,500,000 acres from 

 crop use to less intensive uses such as grass and 

 trees and recreation, 



10, It would act as a drag on the development of 

 recreational areas on private lands. The Soij. 

 Conserva-tion Service type of technical assist .nee 

 for recreational development on rural land is not 

 available anywhere else, even for hire. 



,1 



12, It would penalize the small farmer who 

 couldn't afford to pay. The family farms are th 

 very backbone of rural America, They operate 

 most of the land and are the first custodians of 

 the water, 



13, It would increase costs, A collection 

 system outside of the accepted tax structure in 

 America would have to be devised. Fanners would 

 need more financial assistance to pay for tech- 

 nical assistance, 



111, Future generations could undergo untold 

 suffering if the soil and water conservation 

 effort in this nation is dissipated. History 

 is full of fallen civilizations that failed be- 

 cause of neglect of the land, 



15, Basic policy should not be mixed with 

 political expediency. To make a political foot- 

 ball out of our great natural resources is to 

 threaten the future welfare of the United States 

 Would the Bureau of the Budget have this AdmiaiS' 

 tration go down in history as the one that wrppki 

 the National Soil Conservation Program which is 

 so firmly established and has been increasing!/ 

 called upon to do the conservation Job? 



Shown in the .above picture is a Goodyear 

 Certificate of Merit awarded to the Outstanding 

 Conservation Farmer of McCone County^ Robert 

 Mothershead, Pictured with Mr, Mothershead are 

 the McCone County Supervisors. Left to right: 

 Milo Hilstad, Robert Brown, Jacob Bieber, Robert 

 Mothershead, Buane Johnson, Goodyear Representa' 

 tive, Stanley Robbins, andRobert Richey, Goodyes 

 Ifealer, 



