OCR Text |
Show 358 may, in the discretion of the Secretary of Agriculture, be extended to any timbered or forest-producing lands or watersheds from which water is secured for domestic use or irrigation within the cooperative States. Provision is made for federal cooperation with the states in the production and distribution of forest-tree seeds and plants "for the purpose of establishing windbreaks, shelter belts, and farm wood lots upon denuded or nonforested lands within such cooperating States."35 The Secretary of Agriculture is di- rected, in cooperation with certain state officials or in his dis- cretion "with other suitable State agencies," to aid farmers in establishing and managing "woodlots, shelter belts, windbreaks and other valuable forest growth," and in harvesting and utiliz- ing products thereof.36 With the exception of preliminary in- vestigations in the case of the latter provision, the federal ex- penditure may not exceed the amount of the state expenditure.37 This early program enabling federal assistance for conserva- tion work on nonfederal lands has grown to large proportions. For example, $9,500,000 was appropriated for the fiscal year 1951, indicating the expectancy of a like amount to be fur- nished by the states.38 McSweeney-McNary Act.-In the history of legislative at- tention to forest lands, a significant development was passage by Congress in 1928 of the McSweeney-McNary Act.39 In providing for investigations, experiments, and tests by the Secretary of Agriculture, this Act expressly includes, among other forestry purposes, the determination of the best methods "of maintaining favorable conditions of water flow and the pre- vention of erosion." M Sustained-Yield Management.-In legislation limited to certain federal timber lands in Oregon-the so-called "O and C lands"-Congress in 1937 provided for their sustained-yield s* § 4, 43 Stat. 654, as amended, 16 U. S. C. 567 (Supp. Ill). se § 5, 43 Stat. 654,16 U. S. C. 568 (Supp. III). 87 §§ 4, 5, 43 Stat. 654, as amended, 16 U. S. C. 567, 568 (Supp. III). 18 Act of September 6,1950, 64 Stat. 595, -. "Act of May 22, 1928, 45 Stat. 699, as amended, 16 U. S. G. 581-58U. 40 § 1, 45 Stat. 699,16 U. S. C. 581. |