OCR Text |
Show 520 zation by the Army Engineers or the Department of Agricul- ture. The practical impact of this standard in the case of Recla- mation projects merits further comment. It appears inevi- table that, with the completion of the development of lands susceptible of cheaper reclamation improvement, the pay-out requirement will tend to limit future irrigation projects to those which have associated reimbursable features, especially power. But irrigation projects with power features may not be the most desirable in terms of relative benefits and costs. On the other hand, the Bureau of Reclamation in practice considers projects not alone on their pay-out ability, but also in terms of their relative benefits and costs.145 Review and Authorization of Plans and Projects Both under statute and under voluntary administrative arrangement, project proposals and plans are subject to dif- fering requirements of review and authorization. In the case of certain projects, provision is made for pre-authorization re- view by states and federal agencies other than the construction agency. After examining these, we shall review the wide var- iations which occur in connection with project authorization. Review by States and Federal Agencies Other Than the Construction Agency.-Attention will be first directed to certain provisions of the 1944 Flood Control Act and the 1946 statute concerning wildlife resources.146 Thereafter, we shall note the unusual review provisions prescribed for water-con- servation and utilization projects. In addition to these statu- tory requirements, other procedures for pre-authorization review within the executive branch will be outlined. The 1944 Flood Control Act.-This statute requires that plans, proposals, or reports of the Chief of Engineers for any 145 Peoposed Practices for Economic Analysis of River Basin Projects, prepared by the Subcommittee on Benefits and Costs, Federal Inter-Agency River Basin Committee, p. 74 (May 1950). 146 Act of December 22, 1944, 58 Stat. 887; Act of August 14, 1946, 60 Stat. 1080, see 16 U. S. C. 661-666c. |