CONSERVATION CHARLEY by Harry Corry 



Thamugadi. Have you ever heard of It? 



No, it isn't the latest in dance steps - nor 

 is it a new way of disguising hamburger. It's 

 our history lesson for today. 



WYOMING WILDLIFE, a publication of the Wyoming 

 Game and Fish Commission, is the source of the 

 following: 



"The Roma^ city of Thamugadi, at the site now 

 called Timgad in Algeria, was one of the most 

 famous centers of Roman power and culture. 

 There is no counterpart today of Thamugadi 's 

 magnificence. This great city was supported by 

 vast fields of grain and extensive olive 

 orchards. All of North Africa produced the 

 grain that fed the Roman legions as they con- 

 quered continents. But the marginal land was 

 overworked, the hills overgrazed and soon the 

 soil that produced such rich harvests began to 

 shift with the wind. This was a new, almost in- 

 visible force that could not be conquered by the 

 Roman shield and sword. The wind was the victor 

 in this silent war. Thamugadi was buried under 

 the sand. 



"Thirteen hundred years later it was exhumed 

 as mute testimony that there are greater forces 

 at work than those controlled by man. 



"Eons ago and half a world away, Thamugadi 

 disappeared beneath creeping African sand dunes. 

 Much time and space lie between Rome's Thamugadi 

 and America's Wyoming. But time and space, Tham- 

 ugadi and Wyoming are tightly joined by a common 

 human attitude. To protect himself from un- 

 pleasantness, Man has learned to say, *It cannot 

 happen here - It will not happen to me.' 



"Yet look around you. What you see Is not 

 Africa. I'/hat you see is Wyoming, U. S. A. The 

 sands of Wyoming are building. Hundreds of 

 thousands of Wyoming's acres have surrendered 

 topsoil to the winds and waters. Some authori- 

 ties place the loss of topsoil at one-fourth 

 inch to two inches. And this in less than a 

 century of usel 



"No, Thamugadi is not so distant. 



"We may look forward to an age of atomic power- 

 ed pumps, to chemical gardens, to the wealth of 

 the oceans for new sources of food. But what 

 of our land - our mountain meadows that fatten 

 our elk and our cattle? What of our prairies - 

 will they always support healthy herds and flocks 

 Our streams - will they run clear and good? 



"Yes, most certainly yes - but only if all of 

 us accept and assist the many Individuals and 

 agencies dedicated to wise use of our soils, 

 our forests and our waters. 



"Look to Europe; Deer and trout abound in the 

 well-kept forests of Germany - and In Belgium, 

 one of the world's most heavily populated- coun- 

 tries. Then look to Spain and across the sea to 

 the sands of Africa. 



"Wise use is our hope and our promise of a rich 

 and pleasant land." 



What will YOU have? 



SSCC RECEIVES A P. L. 566 APPLICATION FROM 

 FERGUS SWCD AND LEWISTOWN CITY-COUNTY PLANNING 

 BOARD 



Members of the Lewlstown City-County Planning 

 Board and Fergus County SWCD met with the State 

 Soil Conservation Committee, September 13 to pre^ 

 sent an application for a Flood Control Project 

 on Big Spring Creek southwest of Lewlstown. Con- 

 siderable flooding occurs In the City of Lewis- 

 town when this creek goes over its banks. The 

 members of the Committee toured the project area 

 and approved the application for planning. No 

 priority has as yet been given. 



The State Soil Conservation Committee at its 

 meeting also decided to visit various project 

 areas having applications for planning to get a 

 better idea of the situations and the attitude 

 of local people so as to set more realistic pri- 

 orities. Committee members are to visit Cove 

 Creek near Billings and Valley Creek In Still- 

 water County In October, Burnt Fork in Ravalli 

 County In September, Boulder River, Brown's 

 Gulch, Racetrack and Little Blackfoot In November 

 Little Beaver, Thirty Mile, City of Shelby, 

 Pondera Creek, Birch Creek, Hlghwood Creek, and 

 Sand Coulee in November, Carbon Hills, Klnsey, 

 Sidney, and Shot Gun in January. 



PUBLIC HEARING FOR CONSERVANCY DISTRICTS 



The subcommittee of the Montana Legislative 

 Council will conduct a hearing beginning at 

 9:00 A. M. on November 5, 1965 in the House 

 Chamber of the State Capitol in Helena relative 

 to its study to determine whether there Is a 

 need for the creation of water conservancy dis- 

 tricts. 



All persons and organizations Interested In the 

 subject of this study will be given an opportun- 

 ity to be heard. 



Water Conservancy District Subcommittee members 

 are Senator Gordon McGowan, Chairman, Representa- 

 tive Norris Nichols, Vice-Chalrman, Representativi 

 Virgil L. Hanks, Representative Hubert E. 

 Woodard, Represeritative Ray M. Loman, Senator 

 C. R, Thlessen, Senator Jerry W. Breen, and 

 Senator William A. Groff . 



LEE ROVIG & GEOGRAPHY 421 



Lee Rovig is teaching a course In Conservation 

 Education (Geography 421) at Sidney. A letter 

 from Lee relating to this course is quoted below: 



"The first class in Conservation Education 

 (Geography 421) was held in Sidney, September 18, 

 with 25 people registering and indications of 3 

 more registering late. 



This came about from a request from Mrs. Mabel 

 Ernster, Richland County Superintendent of Schools 

 The class x^lll be held for ten sessions of 4 

 hours each. Class to be held in the Sidney Junior 

 ^- High Building on Saturday morning." 



