cc!:s::i^:ATior cr^piey 



Harry Corry 



The last days of Eecember represent the crying 

 fasp of a worn-out year. They're also inventory- 

 time - a time to see what was accomplished In the 

 past twelve months. 



As we look back at the stock of soil resources 

 which we had when 196U was bom we can only stare 

 unbelievingly. Our shelves aren't nearly as well 

 stocked today - only 366 days later. Our inven- 

 tory shovjs a net loss of about ij million acres 

 of productive land - acres which were growing 

 crops or grass or trees on January 1, 196U, T»- 

 day, they no longer appear on our inventory 

 sheets as agricultural assets - they've disappear^- 

 ed, 



A million acres vanished beneath a blanket, of 

 new houses, buildings, towns, airports and the 

 like. 



Another half million acres were lost to the 

 grasping fingers ef erosion. VJind and water 

 worked every minute of eve.ry hour during 196U 

 oarting fertile topsoil off of our cropland, range 

 land and forests. Several million additional 

 acres also contributed soil to these two bandits 

 As a result, those acres are not producing as 

 much food and clothing as they did one year ago. 



Besides the l| million acres of land which I96U 

 took into oblivion with him, we are also short 

 about four billion dollars which was sucked out 

 of our piggy banks because of land abuse. We 

 spent that much on repairing and rebuilding rail 

 roads, roads, homes, etc., which were damaged in 

 floods; on cleaning silt out of our cities and 

 homes where flood water dropped it; on replacing 

 cattle, machinery, fences and ditches lost in 

 floods; and on dredging out rivers and harbors 

 which were being filled with sediment from muddy 

 waters. 



The value of water storage reservoirs, which 

 cost billions of dollars to build, was slashed 

 as part of the storage area was filled with mud. 



Part of the money was siphoned off by crop 

 failures due to flood damage or the silt deposit 

 ed on cropland by runaway water. 



Our I96U inventory presents a rather dismal 

 picture. That soil and money which disappeared 

 didn't seem so staggering as it trickled away 

 during the year. It certainly makes an awesome 

 spectacle when you get it piled up in one place, 

 though. It leaves quite a lot of room for im- 

 provement. 



Do you suppose that our 1965 inventory 365 days 

 from now will show the same tremendous deficit? 

 - or greater? - or less? V/ill 1965 be as dirty 

 as I96U? Let's hope not. 



In fact, we'd better do more than hope, A 

 business whose inventory decreases every year is 

 on a one-way street. Bankruptcy is in sight 

 linless we get a wiggle on and start keeping the 

 soil where God put it. 



STATE SOIL CONSERVATION COMITTEE MEETS 



The January meeting of the State Soil Conser- 

 vation Committee was held January 19 in Helena 

 Fred Sanborn was re-elected Chairman, John 

 Schroeder, Vice-Chairman, and Ole Ueland was 

 retained as Executive Secretary, 



Watershed Planning occupied much of the meet- 

 ing. There is a good possibility that the 

 Montana Water Conservation Board will be able 

 to participate fully in P. L. 566 projects. 



The next meeting of the State Soil Conservati( 

 Committee is scheduled for Friday, March 26, in 

 Helena • 



EXECUTIVE SECRETARY TRAVELS 



During the paSt two months, Ole Ueland, 

 Executive Secretary for the State Soil Conser- 

 vation Committee, visited with quite a number 

 of districts, meeting with the Boards of Super- 

 visors in each district and also whatever 

 Resource people were available in these district 



He is scheduled to meet with the Boards of • 

 Supervisors of all other districts in the next 

 3 months. 



The visit is a one day session in which 

 resource people and supervisors review the 

 districts program, the programs of the agencies, 

 and make a detailed updating of the inventory 

 of Resource Conservation and Development needs. 



Ole Ueland also attended the NACD National 

 Convention in Portland, Oregon, February 7 - 11< 



SOIL STEWARIBHIP WEEK 



Soil Stewardship Week will be observed from 

 May 23 - 30. The Theme of this year's observance 

 will be "Challenges of Growth", This will mark 

 the 11th consecutive year in which NACD and the 

 men and women of Conservation Districts have 

 sponsored the soil stewardship observance. 



Supplies of all Soil Stewardship materials may 

 now be ordered from the NACD Service Itepartment, 

 P. 0, Box 855, League City, Texas, 



