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<br />I <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />U/e5tern Irrigation Economic 8enefit5 HevieUl <br />Irrigated Hgriculture'5 Hole for the c15t Centur!/ <br />H Polic!/ U/hite Paper for Deci5ion maker5 <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />I <br />I <br />I <br /> <br />1.0. H'es/ern Irrigated Agriculture mltl tlte "New JVe.\L" <br /> <br />Fcdl'ral w:lIl'r rcsoun'(' managers oftell r(.'fcr to the I.lte IlJ90s as thl' Cl1ll.'rgmg <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />period offhl' ";'Ill'\\' '''est.'' The ;\'C\\' \\-l'st hl'ing a plat't' of social and l'conomic transition. <br />as the land ('hangcs from rural. rl'SOurl'('*hascd ('(llIImunities and ~oung. gro" ing cities to <br /> <br />an area of mostly urhan anti suhurban popuhltions. posSl'ssing din'nil' \'alues :'Ind heliefs. <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />Thl' ,\'c\\' \\'esl is indl'cd :.1 place of change, involving r:lpid social and ('('ollomk growth, <br /> <br />bringing "ith it more dcm:mds for \\':lIer, land. and cll\'ironmental resources. <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />Irrigated :lgriculturc has phl)'('(J an important rolt' in Iltl' development of thl' \Vest <br />during the past centur~y. and it will he an inlegral part of the emerging ;"\ew West's <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />characler, ~IS well. Likc the \\'l'st in gl'fil'ral. irriglltl'd agriculture has changl'd and will <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />continue to evoln through time. Irrigated agriculture has responded In changing natiunal <br />and inH.'rnational marketing conditions, technological impronments to production :lOd <br />water management. :lnd the Iife-st~l(' or market dem:lnds of a prosperous society. Yet in <br />many respects, irrigated agriculture has sernd :.IS, and continues to he, the West's "quid <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />industry." producing a ",,1st number of food and fiber products without much fanfan' or <br /> <br />puhlic attention; and steadily and rcliahl~' contrihuting to national. statc. and regional <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />economics. <br /> <br />I <br />I <br />I <br /> <br />What this White P:lper secks to conny to decision nHlkers is a hetter undcrst:mding <br />of the \Vest's. and nation's. quiet industr)' and perhaps introduce a prudent framework <br /> <br />for considering the value of irrigated agriculture within the emerging nCl'ds and demands <br /> <br />Econom/c. Bcncfit /lcv/cUI/Pagc-1f <br />