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<br />--- <br /> <br /> <br />50 <br /> <br /> <br />1 <br /> <br />~ODERATOR: Thank you very much. <br />Bob Roper of the Gunnison County Farm Bureau. <br />MR. ROPER I Iem Bob Hoper. Ilm the president of the <br />Gunnison County Farm Bureau and a rancher on the Gunnison <br /> <br />2 <br /> <br />3 <br />4 <br /> <br />River between Gunnison and Almont, near Almont. <br /> <br />I have often <br /> <br />S <br />6 driven through this area and I know of their shortage of <br /> <br />7 irrigation water. I know from my own experience the import- <br /> <br />a ance of adequate and dependable water for a successful farmin <br />9 and/or ranching operation. I also have noticed a large amoun <br />10 of what looks to me like good land that could be irrigated, <br />11 some of which I understand would be irr!gatedby this project. <br />12 I would also like to point out that, in my opinion, the <br />13 damage to wildlife is being greatly overestimatoad. . I have <br />14 always seen more deer near farming and ranching areas than <br />15 in isolated areas, and believe that throughout this area deer <br />16 find a large 'percentage of their feed on irrigated land. <br />17 Therefore, I ,.,ould question the need elf the Game Depart:ment <br />18 acquiring or controlling large amounts of land for replacing <br />1? lost wildlife habitat. <br /> <br />20 <br /> <br />~here seems to be a lot of concern expressed today <br /> <br /> <br />out the large numbers of young people leaving the land. <br /> <br /> <br />he project such as Fruitland Mesa may well offer the incent- <br /> <br />21 <br /> <br />22 <br /> <br />23 va needed to keep young people on the land. Agriculture <br /> <br />24 n the western slope is big business and as such provides <br />25 <br /> <br />ny communities with a steady income and livelihood which <br /> <br />- <br />