one wet year in the early 1940' s- Twenty-five years later we were offered 

 $150 per acre for this land. 



With 62 years experience on the range, my Father evidently learned some 

 dear lessons. As a kid I had to herd the beef herd that was being assembled 

 and moved to the rails. My recollection of this dixring the 1920's was that 

 the cattle had lots of grass for grazing. 



I believe this experience was typical of many ranches and ranchers — they 

 learned from experience to reseirve grass. 



Land Use Planning 



Modern transportation, campers, motor homes, the population boom and 

 consumer spending have put people on the highways. Our national parks are 

 overflowing with people and creating many problems of human erosion, health 

 conditions, and bear hazards. The walking trails in the Appalachians are 

 being ruined by motorcycles and four-wheel drives. Vlany parks require reser- 

 vations in advance. Rather than government expansion it looks like an oppor- 

 tunity for private enterprise to assist. Look at Big Sky, a 25 million dol- 

 lar development on the tax rolls, employing many people, and bringing outside 

 money to Montana. These customers won't end up on the local welfare rolls. 



Our highway system uses much of the best land in America. Highway 90 

 that goes within a mile of here takes the best crop producing land in Montana 

 out of production. A new farm to market highway at home is doing the same 

 thing. I asked why they needed so much land — it is required by the federal 

 government . 



Land use planning in Montana evidently has not resisted urban sprawl 

 from taking the best producing land from crop production. Look at the Bit- 

 terroot Valley, the Gallatin Valley, and the bottom land above and below 

 Billings. 



One of the most important land problems today is breaking large blocks 

 of sod for farming and exposing it to wind erosion. None of our laws con- 

 cerning Land Use Planning prohibit this practice. When the top soil is gone, 

 it will never be replaced. I believe some type of action should be taken 

 to prohibit this practice. 



Many of these areas will probably end up in a government program and 



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