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Show should take into consideration the extent of actual existing tax loss, the local benefits from Federal ownership and its effects on requirements for serv- ices of State and local governments; (3) where de- termination of these factors is difficult or imprac- ticable, contributions may be made on a receipt- sharing basis so determined as to approximate the desired results; (4) Federal contributions should not be ma.de in such a way as to encourage per- petuation of uneconomic units of government or to impede reforms in the organization and function- ing of local government. The lands to which these principles chiefly apply include the conservation lands in the Department of Agriculture and the Department of the Interior. The Board did not make recommendations on pri- vate lands acquired for reservoir purposes. It is believed that principles set forth by the Board are generally applicable to land acquired for reservoir purposes or for other tax-paying facilities removed from the tax base. The alleged loss of taxes from public power ownership is not considered a valid claim against Federal power developments, because it cannot be proven that private enterprise would have devel- oped the sites used, and all local units share directly or indirectly to an extent in the benefits provided by public power developments. 3. Desirability or Handicap of Having Acreage Limitation Laws The Problem The hamdicap, if any, to Columbia Basin irri- gation farming, of the 160-acre limitation. The Situation The Colombia Basin Project is the largest and most discussed irrigation project in the Columbia drainage system. The acreage limitation estab- lished by la.w for this project is that water may be furnished From the project for no more than 160 acres per family. On other Federal projects the limit is 16O acres per person, which has been con- strued as p»ermitting a husband and wife to hold 320 acres. Moreover, the law does not preclude combined farming operations by any number of owners, me imbers of a family or otherwise, as long as each owns no more than 160 acres. Basically, where supplemental water is applied, the limit of the water made available is equivalent to full supply for the permissible acreage. In some parts of the basin, projects will be con- structed in areas already developed and occupied for dry land wheat farming, where acreage limita- tions will conflict with large individual ownerships. The more intensive operations on irrigation farms will, however, provide an adequate living for a farm family within the acreage limitation. Further- more, most of the areas needing supplemental water are generally in small holdings, on the average well below the limit set in reclamation law. One purpose of the reclamation laws is to pro- vide for settlement of an optimum number of people on a project. The smaller the acreage per individual, the larger the population in the area. However, the farm unit should be large enough to permit relatively high living standards, after the development period, to compensate for the hard work and risk involved. In the Columbia Basin, it appears that the acreage limitation is adequate for this purpose under present conditions. Conclusion The current limitations on the area in one own- ership to be served by Federal reclamation projects within the Columbia Basin appear to be sound. There is no hardship occasioned by present prac- tices. The Columbia Basin alone does not offer cause for changing the present law insofar as irri- gation lands are concerned. 4. Extent of Federal Government Concern With Pollution Control The Problem The part of Federal action on pollution abate- ment in a comprehensive water resources plan for the basin. The Situation Thus far the concern of the Federal Government in developing Columbia River improvement facili- ties has been mainly in those actions in which water quantities are of prime importance. Maintenance of quality has not been as extensively considered. State and Federal agencies concerned with water pollution are only now commencing to participate in programs for basin development and project formulation. 40 |
