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<br />.
<br />
<br />,,\\n~r, "'Inc~ the rrll\lsi{ln h.J> nOl becn
<br />~nfMc...J 'In.:e 1<l:t>.ther"'Jn:nofC'I;or,j.
<br />P..llrlC~ O.\I....lf..l. ...,eCUln(' \ Ice pr""I"
<br />lh::m .,f :he "'~lll,'nJI \\JUf Re'l.lur.:::,
<br />.\,~,I(:IJ11,'n. 1,'!'Jlilo in \\J.hln!!l"n lor
<br />the Iffl!!.!lln" dlllf;'::' \1.1 Dc,"eml'>er
<br />i'>nefln~ hH "'"n~r::,"I..lI1..d '(..I::.,
<br />O'\lcarJ In'l,ted lh.ll ..ny k.;!I,I;na'" 1,'
<br />,Imend the f<.'c:IJrr..HIIln 1.\\\ ,hl'u!,,: In-
<br />dude e\p.Jn'llm .:If the ~O.mlk re,["::e-:.::_
<br />lima. ,oRJ.;). In 1I)U:. SO mile, \\..1. JIll".
<br />d.lY IrIr.-O"k..lfJ '.lid. ,u!lge,lll1g:h;!t
<br />C"np\.'" ought t.) c.>n::: up \\,(- ..I
<br />m'ldern e-lUIIJI.-nl ,)1[\\0 d.l~; lr;J\e~
<br />
<br />I.EASES :\.'\0 SAI.ES
<br />
<br />t
<br />
<br />In "h;.ll Il.lbby.'1 O'\I':JI.l de,enbd..l'
<br />"Ihe \l.;Her IJ\\ otthe We,Ldeleklro:d I'n
<br />the bJ.l' uf ~5 ye.tr' of ('\penencc:' J
<br />number llt prJ.:tlcc. are con,lIkr<:1J p~r-
<br />ml.slbk under present Bure.\u (Ii
<br />Recbmallon p<.'llicies
<br />Jndl\ iduab are not Iimlled In the
<br />:lmoun! of land the~ can Ica.e and fJrm
<br />along ....Ilh the acreag~ thc~ o\.ln There
<br />ha. been nil reSlrll:tlOn on .Inmdl\lduJrs
<br />righltllc1almenllllemenltolrng;lIl\mfllr
<br />lbO ;h:rc. in as man~ different projecb J..
<br />heehoo'>C.. And. In selling landsunderJ
<br />recordahle contract, th..: O\.lneh hJ\e
<br />!leen free to sckct bU~ers of their 0.... n
<br />chOice. subject onl~ to tho: bureau'.
<br />scrutin\' of the ~le price.
<br />.-\cc~rdinglocrilics,lhesepolicieShJ\e
<br />th....aned Ihe intenl of Ihe 190: act The
<br />Admlnislr.lllon\ propll.als \Ooould lima
<br />leasing 10 160acre.~ro\'ner,restrictan
<br />indi\idual 10 ....ater in a single federal
<br />irrigation projc:'l;t and '>C"l up a louer~
<br />system 10 gl\e all pr,'.peCII\e bu~er'.In
<br />equ.\1 chance to purchase e.\ce.. land,
<br />The propo.ed regulations also ....ol.lId
<br />reduce from 10 ~cars to fi\e theamounl
<br />of lime lhat an indl\idual could COntlnue
<br />10 reeei\e ....aler on excess lands befl,re
<br />dispOSing of lhem.
<br />The'IC proposal. ha\e prompted J
<br />\'ariet~ of objections by man~ farmea
<br />and lease.holders_ The louerv. for e\am-
<br />pie. mighl mean lh;l.l a youngiumer leH-
<br />ing a parcdofexcess land ....ilh the hope
<br />of someday bUYing il ....ould ha\e no
<br />bctlerchanceal itlhanalolalstranger.1t
<br />mighl also disrupt the cohesi\en('.. of
<br />nable farmingcornmunitles ....hereexces.
<br />[and. tradi[ionally ha\e been sold to the
<br />childr('n of friends and neighbors.
<br />Or'l the other side llf Ih(' coin. crilic~
<br />ha\CJocumenled cases....hereth<: right 10
<br />select the bu~er has resulled Ir'I unaer-th('-
<br />labl~deaborMs....eelheaflarrangemer'll...
<br />thai disreprd the anti-profitcermg.
<br />prll\i~ions of the reclamallon la.....
<br />
<br />REPA \'.\IE:'\T
<br />
<br />Although not .11 issue in the propo~ed
<br />regulalior'lS dealin!= ....ilh execs. land~. a
<br />I.e~ Ihem(' in an~ dls.:ussion of the
<br />
<br />
<br />I
<br />.
<br />
<br />--
<br />I//I..'IU', Julin [) (.<'fln: "II'hl t!tou'"
<br />Ih.. d..li, Ul,' DdlU Sun Frail< 1),'0
<br />"nI/f("ml..m 1'1' 11"..<11.."..,/ 10 b"'iIOIl
<br />"ur.lfl1!1I'<'Il..lil.l un <1f>h'm.... u"l'u'a/t'
<br />/oJ'1I/"r{'"
<br />
<br />go\crnmcr'lt', role In dll'lallng policle. 10
<br />recl.J.mallnn projecb IS Ihesuhsidy.
<br />Lnder lh(' 1'1()::! .J.Cl. a. J.mended In
<br />]'1:b.larmer. are required 10 repa~ onl~ a
<br />ponlon of ....aur projcl;l eoSlS. bascd on
<br />an J.s.e~.mcnt of lheir .J.bilit~ to p.J.\. In
<br />pral;lll;e.the bull. of the e\pendlturesin-
<br />\o/H'd In multl-purp\h(' federal ....aler
<br />prl'Jec!> h.\s been alloc:ll<:d 10 non-
<br />irrig.ati,lO luncllor'l, such as h~dropow('r
<br />genl'ratlor'l. FUllhcr. larmers are gl\('n
<br />~O ~ear'. Ir'I .llme instar'lce. e\en 10r'lger.to
<br />repJ~ th('lr sharc of the \)fI!=lOal projecl
<br />CO~! ....lIhOul mtere.t chJrges.
<br />Record, or [h(' Bureau 01 Reclaffi.J.!lon
<br />sho," thallhrllugh Jun(' 30.1'176. J Illlal
<br />or51.0 bilhonre[Midagainst projectco,[S
<br />,'l 57.9 billion. Hll\\C\er. nC.J.rly 5 I billion
<br />of the amounl relurncd to th(' Treasur}
<br />came lrom pn....er re\('nu('. Rcpaymer'lls
<br />from farmeu and -special sources"
<br />.Imounted In onl) S677 millior'l.
<br />In an earlier _\at/uno! jo"mof inter-
<br />\Ie.... (s.... \j. -I.'J6/77.I'_ _HN). Andru.
<br />I/Uc.tl\)lled the f:llrr'l<:" vI ra~lng off
<br />Irrlgallon costs ....ilh hydropo\Ooer
<br />rCler'lUe, -Iha[ would be commg to
<br />Ihe TrcJ,ur: \Ooh('lher they ch..uged
<br />al!amstll or nOI
<br />~A JJnU-lr: 197~ Ir'lteflor Deparlmenl
<br />ne\Oo. reka~ n<.'lle' thaI Ihe reclamatIOn
<br />la\Oo\ -liberal fin.!ncla] ll'rm. crealed a
<br />sub.tanllal IllCentl\e for agncultural
<br />\OoJter u,ers III participat(' In bureau pro-
<br />Jecl~"
<br />Hll....<:\er. .n Pr('sldenl Cartn has
<br />sugge~ted. \Ooalcr in th(' arid Wesl IS "a
<br />preclOU~ rc:'\ource.- The claimanls for e\-
<br />cess lands in fed('ral Irrlgallon distriCts
<br />arc mJny. The eaHern('r ir'llh(' While
<br />House \\aMs 10 ..no.... .... h~ illS ne~e".H~
<br />ir'l 19-~ ll' pro\ld(' a "sub,[Jntlal mccon-
<br />
<br />"
<br />,<0'
<br />
<br />lI\(''' t(l in..:!lh';: ;'<'Ilrlt: to1 .Jcct:rt '\:ller.
<br />Th<:_llUatl,'nIn til<: We_! haschangl'll
<br />\a,l!\ ,In.:e [9u: \',It \lnl~ nolI': maSSI\e
<br />urholr'I [hlpulalllln'flrl'....n up tllcompe!e
<br />lilT lhc re!lllm', llmll' \Oo.Jtcr supplle,. tmt
<br />.!CrI.:U!tUf.11 .11;11'11\ has <:\[1JndeJ
<br />~T,'d.l~ mll,t oj- Ih<: \\,s(. f.lrmlng
<br />tal.e, p!;lce "UhhJC m IcderJllrngatlon
<br />proJ<:...t- \Lln~ "i Ih"... larmer' pJ' tJr
<br />hl~h.:r rrK<:- ;.'f ".Iler ('::h,r pump<:d
<br />irrl:':lllon lr.1m.1 d::rklml' \\.tter t.Jhk or
<br />....al~er ~urrh...,j h~ 'tal::' [H"JCC\s buill
<br />thr,'u;h !""'nJ 1",le, lh.l! ~equir~ ~"tll!
<br />.Imurlu;lll,ln tnoln Ill1 tile reciplent-,'l
<br />t,der.II".J!l'f 11J.lrl":le[,c.ln""rJ:-thelull
<br />ir...lo:ht:..l'..'-\n<lru'.-"eh.l..c!l>.j\....l,
<br />the -Io:d<:ral prd)I'Cl ncc::"ar: ,,,.
<br />
<br />Ol'Tl.OOK
<br />
<br />.-\ Calitornl.lJudge's ruling lhat ar'len-
<br />\'lronmem.d Imp.!ct .tJlemer'll should be
<br />prepar<:d ~l,lfe .In~ r'l1;.... reclamJlIon
<br />regublllln' .Ir(' prnmul!lJ[ed has gi\cn
<br />[1'10: C.lrlL'r \dmlni~lraljon ,('me breath-
<br />ing mom ,\nJru. announced on Jan_ 9
<br />Ihal h<: inl<:r'lJ, llll;ompl~ \\llhlho:court'.
<br />ord('f.lnd thaI 1l....lllIJ..eal lca.[ayeano
<br />c(lmrletelh.lt.LS,o:s,m('nt
<br />OUrlngthl'perlOd.lho: --\dmlllistratior'l
<br />....ill be askm!l Clmgr<:s~ 10 ta..e a fresh
<br />]001. Jt th<: nallon's o\er-JIl ....ater
<br />re.ourc('., policy. Within a momh. the in-
<br />terior Departm('n! plans to submit
<br />.peclfic sugge.lions for .1mer'ldmg por-
<br />tilln.ofthe 190::! Reclamalion.'\.I.Short-
<br />11 th\'r<:aller.thel'rCSldenlis.cheduledto
<br />r~c"'I\O: recommendJ\I\ln, from an imer.
<br />J.g<:nc~ .lud~ group charged "llh map-
<br />ping a comprehensl\c ....aler polic~.
<br />1I1he' ,\dmini.tration is r'lot careful.
<br />ho....('\Cr. It m.l~ end up appearing at
<br />cro".purpose, "llh it,df_ The fighl over
<br />th(' famil~ farming is.ue has !leer'l pres~ed
<br />o\er Ihe year. b~ Iibc::ral .:!o:menls in Con-
<br />gress \\ho h.lle no Ql.Iarrel....ith thccon-
<br />cept of fed(fall~ suh.idiled prOj!rams
<br />pro'id('d Ihal lhc~ promote a social
<br />obJc:'ctl\('-m Ihis instance. es[ablishlng
<br />small and pr('sumabl~ less ....eahhy
<br />farmer. on publid~ irrigat('d [and.
<br />Can<:r. on Ih<: olhcr hand, has in-
<br />dlcaled an Ir'lterest In reducing or
<br />ellmm;Lllr'll! f,der;J1 subSIdies for ....alCr
<br />prOJect. He ....ant. 10.('(' "aler uSt.'rsab-
<br />sorb a larger shJre of projectcosls. While
<br />thi, appfllJch ....ould ad\Jnce hisg(l,J1 of
<br />Ir~in!" 10 haLmce the federJ! budgel.;t
<br />....\luld nllt r'I('C('~'Jtll~ ImproH' oppor.
<br />tunitles fOf Ill\Oo-budcet farm families.
<br />Ir'llhc:' ('nd. Congr~~s mJy hale to face
<br />up 10 Ihl. plll<:nlial contradictior'l.
<br />Allhough 11 ha, CO~I hIm poliliC311~ in the
<br />\~('~t. Carl('r mJ~ ha\C succeeded in
<br />arousing \\Idespread public ~..eptici~m
<br />aNul the politic. of \.Ialer projects, If
<br />that turn, out 10 be Ihe case, Congress
<br />ma~ hale 10 c1aflf~ \\ho \00 ill benefit from
<br />fUlure ....ater prOject ~pendmg. 0
<br />
<br />'",TIO'",l JOCR'",ll ~8 78 153
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