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<br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />II <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br /> <br />OJ2237 <br /> <br />I -- INTRODUCTION - BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES <br /> <br />The genesis of the High Plains Study Plan and its several <br /> <br />Study Elements is the research report or "Study Design" by Resources <br /> <br />for the Future, Inc., Washington, D.C.. in July 1976*. This study <br /> <br /> <br />design was in large part adopted by the High Plains Study Council <br /> <br /> <br />of six States in the High Plains region as its Plan of Study. The <br /> <br /> <br />Plan of Study has in turn charted the course of the several State- <br /> <br />agency and private-sector research contractors in performance of <br /> <br />the defined Study Elements. <br /> <br />The citing of this original study design work, conducted more <br /> <br />than five years ago, is particularly appropriate to Study Element <br /> <br />B-9, Dryland Farming Assessment, because of the study design's <br />underlying premises and assumptions. These are embodied in the <br />following statements quoted from the 1976 research report's intro- <br /> <br />duction: <br /> <br />"The economy of the High Plains region of the United States, <br /> <br />encompassing large areas of Colorado. Kansas, New Mexico, <br /> <br />Oklahoma, Texas and Nebraska, is currently dependent on a <br /> <br />rapidly declining and essentially non-renewable supply of <br /> <br />ground water.,., <br />"The combination of increasing pumping depth, declining water <br />extraction rates and high energy costs will force many more <br /> <br />*Resources for the Future, Inc., "A Study Design for the High <br />Plains Development Project," A Research Report submitted to <br />Economic Development Administration. U.S. Department of Commerce <br />(July 1976) <br /> <br />1-1 <br /> <br />Arthur D Lillle.lnc <br />