owners offered no solution to this problem, luil pointed out that they had 

 bought these properties with a view to their long-range appreciation in 

 value, and that such appreciation now accrued to a federal or state agency. 

 They felt that acquisition had deprived them of this future income which 

 they had preferred to seek in such fashion rather than through other alterna- 

 tives. 



Perhaps in view of the findings of this study, and of other studies in 

 olher areas, the short-run impacts on agricultural units can be minimized 

 through closer cooperation between federal, state, and local governments 

 and the individual landowners involved with future projects, and certain 

 adjustments in procedures and interpretations. Certainly improved public 

 reaction should result without any lessening in long-range benefit. 



Alternatives to Outright Purchase and Continued Federal Ownership 

 and Management of Reservoir Lands 



Principal alternatives are: (1) use of easements in place of fee simple pur- 

 chases, (2) reselling lands back into private ownership by the government, 

 and (3) assignment of management rights, subject to prescribed conditions, 

 to state agencies or private individuals. All three have loeen used to some ex- 

 tent on the projects studied. 



With easements, title to the property remains vested in the private owner, 

 with the government acquiring the right to flood the land in connection 

 with operation of the dam. Where used in the study situations, flowage in- 

 volved only a minor portion of a holding. This method could give rise to 

 adverse public relations because of damage claims based on alleged misrepre- 

 sentation or lack of prior information on flooding. 



Selling lands back into private ownership would appear feasible only if 

 such lands were entirely above the flow-line, or if the government retained 

 an easement or ownership to those portions subject to inundation. This 

 method is essentially similar to purchase of easements with the added ad- 

 vantage that such lands could be regrouped into more economical units 

 prior to resale. 



Both former owners of timber and woodland tracts and private firms 

 have displayed interest in stands developing on reservoir lands. To date, 

 these have not been let out to private enterprise. In the Blackwater area, the 

 State Forestry Department has undertaken management of certain non- 

 agricultural tracts. Many tracts in the reservoir areas are now relatively in- 

 accessible. To protect its dam and pool areas from excessive debris, the 

 Corps might also require clean-cutting and brush removal. This might prove 

 costly to operators. 



It is doubtful if use of easements or resale of land into private ownership 

 would materially enhance optimum use and tnanagement of reservoir lands. 

 Possibly influence toward such an objective could be exerted by added con- 

 ditions involving performance of certain measures to maintain productivity 

 and use of such lands according to capabilities. 



Compensating Towns for Loss of Tax Base 



Acquisition of substantial holdings for establishment of a flood control pro- 

 ject may have a considerable impact upon taxable valuation in particular 

 towns. Because of the importance of the property tax as a local source of 



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