Federal, State, and Local Cooperation 



TThen the Emergency Conservation 77ork Program came into "being, the Forest 

 Service, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Bureau of Reclamation, the Division 

 of Grazing, and the Bureau of Biological Survey took the opportunity to treat 

 a vast acreage that would have "been treated years ago had funds permitted. 

 During the three fiscal years 1934 to 1S36 a total of almost 20,000,000 acres 

 had "been covered "by B.C. 17. for the control of these various rodent pests. On the 

 statute books of several Western States rodent-control laws provide that land- 

 owners may establish rodent-control districts wherein all lands are treated 

 simultaneously by paid crews working under the supervision of the Biological 

 Survey. Never "before the S.C.T7. program were there adequate Federal funds to 

 make these laws effective by taking proper care of infested public lands adja- 

 cent to private holdings. 



The most concrete proof of the necessity of rodent control is found in 

 the amount of money expended by private individuals throughout the TJest for 

 this purpose. The Federal Government, while owning as much as 60 percent of 

 the land in many of the Western States, contributes only about 25 percent of 

 the total cost of rodent-control operations. During the fiscal year 1936, 

 States, counties, and private individuals expended $665,785 for the purpose, while 

 the Biological Survey was able to expend only $226,623 from regular appropria- 

 tions. The S.C.T7. program afforded the first opportunity of somewhere near 

 meeting the Federal Government's obligations to the citizens of the TTest in the 

 matter of adequately controlling the rodent pests that breed and range on public 

 lands and from these strongholds infest and reinfest adjacent private holdings. 



Training of E.C.T7. Crews 



Rodent control is one of the most popular projects with E.C.T7". enrollees 

 themselves as well as with the local people benefited. In many cases, crew 

 foremen supplied by the Survey took boys who would not work satisfactorily on 

 any other type of project and made real hands of them on rodent-control crews. 

 The boys liked to work in these crews, as it afforded them opportunity to be- 

 come acquainted not only with methods of rodent control but with the various 

 habits of wildlife as well. 



In order to employ proper methods and place all possible safeguards 

 around poisoning operations for the protection of beneficial and harmless spe- 

 cies, the Biological Survey has insisted upon approving the appointments of all 

 men employed on the supervision of rodent-control work for its various cooperat- 

 ing agencies. This is for the reason that when poisoning campaigns are properly 

 handled and carefully supervised, there is little danger of the accidental poison- 

 ing of other animals. The records indicate that there have been practically no 

 cases of destruction of othur forms of life through the E.C.W. rodent-control 

 program. Naturally, the supervisors not only must know rodent control but also 

 must be acquainted with the habits and status of wildlife in general, and in hand- 

 ling the crews they have imparted knowledge to the beys that will be of perma- 

 nent benefit to them and to the Nation. 



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