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USDA Photo Shows Problem Area On Roy Phillips Farm In Mitchell County
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■ Contour Orchard And Farm Pond I
I On The Farm Os J.L. Saylor I
|§ ‘Every American Who Loves His Country Should Support i
* A Vigorous Continuing Policy Os Conservation.’ I
* - Franklin D. Roosevelt 1
I BUCHANAN & YOUNG I
Chrysler-Plymouth-Dodge-Dodge Trucks 1
Wanen Buchanan j OP y oun g 1
J ,-2 Partner phone 688-4913 Partner 1
Bakersville, N.C. I
I Have Wriften Many Verses, But The Best Poems I Have Produced Are
The Trees I Planted On The Hillsides.” - Oliver Wendell Holmes
KAREN DALE
KNITTING
MILLS
REAP Program Reflects
Conservation Needs
By Nell Young
Rural Environmental As
sistance Program (REAP) is
tire chief program in Mitchell
County administered by the
county-farmer committees
under the general direction
of ASCS,
This program became
known as REAP in 1971 and
is basically the same program
known in the past as AC P.
Tlie change in name is sig
nificant because it indicates
change in emphasis. REAP
puts more emphasis on envir
onmental protection and im
provement and places priori
ties on enduring conservation
practices which result in the
control of erosion and the
prevention of siltation.
Siltation caused by soil
erosion is a most serious pol
lution problem. Though
an estimated 50 million tons
of sediment are kept out of
the Nation's rivers every-jear
by use of cover crops alone,
4 billion tons of sediment—
much of it from farmland—
stil erode away and are car
ried to new locations each
year by water. Approxima
tely 30 million tons of dust,
most of it from blowing soil,
enter the atmosphere each
year.
Americans are becoming
increasingly concerned about
the quality of their environ
m art. They are distressed
to find the air they breathe
carries with it dust, exhaust
fumes, and chemicals. They
are disturbed that many of
their once clear streams and
lakes are now so polluted
that they are no longer safe
for swimming, fishing, or
as a source for drinking wa
ter. Therefore, there is no
doubt that farmers will be
subjected to increasing pres
sure to clean up pollution.
So the major purpose of
REAP is to help farmers to
prevent or abate agriculture -
related pollution of water,
land, and air; and to con
serve agricultural soil,water
woodland and wildlife re
sources.
local conservation and
pollution priority needs are
reflected in the list of
approved REAP practices,
specifications andcostshare
rates. A farmer who wishes
to participate in REAPshculd
file a request at the ASCS
ELLEN
KNITTING
MILLS
office before he starts the
practice for which he desires
the cost-share assistance. If
the committee approves the
request, the practice must
meet definite installation
specification toqimlify for
REAP cost-shares. After
the practice is completed,
the farmer certifies this to
the county office. He must
also maintain the practice.
His cost-share may be in tic
form of either a check or a
purchase order for a conser -
vation service or material.
If the farmer pays the total
cost of establishing the ap
proved practice, he is later
reimbursed for the Govern -
ment's share of the cost.
Logging Practices Show Concern For Environment
In years past, when a tim
ber sale was cut out, the log
ging roads used to remove
this timber were forgotten
and left unprotected from
the forces of nature. Today
many of these old logging
roads cm privateland have
active streams running down
them or appear as deep gul
lies on the hillsides. This
means that tons of valuable
soil is wasted into nearby
streams and lost forever.
Now when a timber sale
is closed on Forest Service
lands, these logging roads
are outsloped, water-baued,
and seeded with grass. This
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Logging Road Closed And Seeded Down With Grass Will Not Erode
•, 'j’ 4 •* ■ •
Photo Shows Roy Phillips Farm After REAP Practice Completed
holds the erosion to a mini
mum.
Once a logging road is
seeded, it is closed to all
vehicle traffic. If traffic
continues to use the road
after it is closed, the water
bars will soon be cut outand
the grass torn up, exposing
the soil for erosion. This is
why it is very important tint
these roads not be used by
vehicles.
On National Forest Lands
the timber sales operator
has the option to either plant
these logging roads himself
or pay the Forest Service to
do it for him. If the opera-
THE YANCEY RECORD.
tor chooses to do the work
himself the results must
meet Forest Seivicestanchrcfc.
The seeding of these
roads with grass helps hold
erosion to a minimum but
it also lias another impor
tant function. That is to
provide food for wild life.
Grouse and turkey use these
grassed roads to catch in
sects and deer graze these
areas year long.
So next time you see one
of these seeded roads and
are tempted to drive on it
instead of walking, remem
ber this road provides you
with more wildlife to hunt,
MITCHELL LEDGER
better foot access to hunt
ing areas, and help 6 keep
silt out of the streams you
like to fish. The e xtr a
time required to walk in
stead of riding is well worth
the effort.
Living With Our Land
By Ray Bryant District Conservationist
Many people who live outside our mountain
region cany in their mind's eye a far different pic
ture of the beauty of our area than the one th at
they find exists upon a visit here. This is especial
ly true of our streams. A mountain stream is sup
posed to be clear, cold, and fast running water
abounding in trout and other game fish. When
the visitor first sees the Toe River and some of
its tributaries, he is in for a rude shock, because
these otherwise beautiful streams are so choked
with mud, silt, and sewage that they are far from
beautiful.
Although landscape beauty, sediment control,
conservation and prosperity should go hand in hard,
visitors and industry encouraged to locate in this
region are repelled by the scarred landscape,waste
dumps, eroded spoil banks, and polluted streams,
caused by many years of mining operations.
The detrimental effects of mining offsets the
many favorable factors which could bring about
an economic growth and thus contribute to the
prosperity of the region.
No one denies the vast amount the mining
industry has played in the industrial and economic
growth of the region. It has provided jobs, raised
the standard of living, and contributed to the happi
ness and well-being cf those that worit and live
here.
Whether we like it or not, we have to live with
the environment we create for ourselves.
The waters of an unpolluted stream can be put
to many uses, and yet the purity and beauty can be ~
protected.
The earth can still give up its minerals and still
be managed to provide a wholesome and satisfactoiy
environment.
The need to restore and enhance the beauty of
the mining areas and control the sediment in the
streams in order to provide an attractive and whole
some environment has long been recognized by the
Mitchell County Soil and Water Conservation Dis- *
trict.
In 1969 the District initiated the first serious ef
fort, in cooperation with the Soil Conservation Ser
vice and the Future Farmers of American, to find
remedies that are more satisfactory and more effici
ent for the use of the mined areas.
We know that plants can, and we know what
plants will grow on these critical areas, butthecost
of establishing such plants prohibits the use of
them. We are seeking and searching to find a plant
or a combination of plants at the lowest possible cost
that will grow, prevent run-off, thereby control the
sediment in the streams, and still be of value for
future use.
. - A
In April or 1970, we plsmted plots, on a trial
basis, of low growing shrubs, plots of grasses, plots-..
of legumes, and different combinations of these.
Some of the shrubs are: Autumn Olive, Jersey TeaA
Honey and Brickly Locust, also plots of Fescue with.
Crown Vetch, Weeping Lovegrass with Crown \fetcb,
Switch Grass with Lespedeza, Lovegrass with the dif
ferent Lespedezas, and Lovegrass alone. These plots
are on both the sand and mine spoil areas. A
All the grasses and legumes planted on the hot,
dry sand came up, but died during the hot summed
months, with the exception of the lovegrass. Non*'
of the plants died on the mine spoil areas.
It is too early to make an accurate appraisal o%
•ill these plants. By this time next year,we shadA
have the information to pass onto anyone that dej
sires to heal the land and clear the waters.
■ty Loans jj
lable to communities ! *
te of installing aid ! •
bmestic water a flpH ! |
ing sanitary sewer ,^a- ! [
es, treatment plants, < |
5. , I |
for the collection and «!
grant may be obtaifc- J
aci titles for solid ]i
FEBRUARY 24. 1972
Recreation
Enterprises
The American farmer la
the most successful f amier
In the world. One reason is
that he is always ready to
capture new markets for his
products. The door to ano -
ther new market has now been
opened to him—perhapk the
most lucrative of all. '
City people who don't
have room to play, hihfc ,
swim, or camp are locking
for outdoor fun and are'will
ing to pay for it.
If you are a landowner or
operator and want to know
more about this coming busi
ness boom, you should ask
the local representative of
the Soil Conservation Service,
or the local office of other
agencies of the U.S. Dtspt.
of Agriculture for a copy of
AIB 277, "Rural Recreation
Enterprises for Profit". A**
off the press this publication
lists and describes the many
ways you can get started in
the recreation business and
take advantage of the increas
ing demand for fun in the sun.
The local SCS Offices have
copies.
PAGE 7B