wanted. It is now much more than just a dream, for many years of work of surveying and testing the soil plus organizing the State into water conservancy subdistricts and irrigation districts, has been accomplished. Beadle County Farmers Union has been working for this dream since the idea was first conceived. We have cooperated with the various committees and supported them all the way. When the Oahe Conservancy Subdistrict was formed, our Beadle County people voted 86 percent in favor of the proposal and in the last election we gave overwhelming approval to a measure giving the Oahe directors contracting authority. We believe this project will benefit everyone in our State-either directly or indirectly by providing a more stable economy, since agriculture is our primary industry and no doubt will continue to be so for many years hence. We want this water and we want to use it. We are ready to accept the responsibilities and the obligations that go with such a project. We urge this subcommittee to give favorable consideration to House bill 27 and to take whatever steps necessary toward expediting the eventual completion of the Oahe irrigation project. Mr. JOHNSON. We want to thank you, Mr. Christensen, for a very forthright statement here. And I would say that you are one of the real grassroots supporters for this project. Mr. CHRISTENSEN. Thank you. Mr. JOHNSON. Are there any questions from any members of the committee? Mr. BERRY. No questions, Mr. Chairman, but I just want to add, a very grassroots statement, Mr. Christensen. Mr. CHRISTENSEN. Thank you. Mr. JOHNSON. Our next witness is Mr. William Schuette, president of the Ree Electric Cooperative. STATEMENT OF WILLIAM SCHUETTE, PRESIDENT, REE ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC. Mr. SCHUETTE. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, members of the committee. My name is Bill Schuette. I am a rancher near Highmore, S. Dak., and I am here today as president of the Ree Electric Cooperative, Inc. of Miller, S. Dak. Our cooperative urges the authorization of this project because we believe in the 1,435 rural families who are our members in Hyde and Hand Counties. The great bulk of these people are livestock growers like myself. As such, they are vitally interested in the source of supply of feed grains and hay for the feeding of our cattle. In addition of 190,000 irrigable acres, which is the first stage of this project, would have a tremendous impact on stablilization of the feed supply for eastern South Dakota. As a livestock grower, if I had an assured supply of feed, I could increase the size of my herd and make my operation more efficient. If feed is available in our area, we can finish our cattle here in South Dakota, instead of sending them to Iowa and Minnesota. Being near the proposed canal site, I intend to irrigate a portion of my land. Only hay and feed crops will be raised on this irrigated land, so we will not be in competition with the grain farmer. My son and I cannot continue to enlarge our ranch to meet the rising operational costs. We must make our land more productive, and this can be done through irrigation. Ree Electric Cooperative supports the Oahe project also because we believe it is good for the economy of the State. The added income, rural and urban, which Oahe would provide will be ably expressed here by others today. We believe Oahe would be good for the Nation because it would incrase the production of food that will be so badly needed by mushrooming population. Ree Electric believes that the Oahe project is essential and that it should be approved as fast as possible. The two counties we serve will benefit also from the construction of this project. The primary feeder canal crosses the northern parts of our project area. Water will stabilize some of our smaller lake levels and provide recreation in our two counties. The second stage of the Oahe project should give us some direct irrigation benefits. While we heartily endorse Oahe, we urge the committee to take another look at the fish and wildlife portion of the project. Ree Electric fears that our decreasing farm population will further decrease, if 12,000 acres of our good farmland is taken out of production. Members of the subcommittee, we urge you most strongly to press for the authorization and construction of this most critically needed project. Thank you very much for giving me the opportunity to represent Ree Electric Cooperative today. Thank you. Mr. JOHNSON. Are there any questions of Mr. Schuette? Mr. Schuette, you know that one of the reasons this fish and wildlife portion of the project has been included as a nonreimbursable benefit, is that if this is not included it is going to increase the cost of water. The cost of the project will still be as high, and it will be more for the farmers to pay. That is why some of us who have taken a look at this project feel that the fish and wildlife portion of it has some real benefits. Mr. SCHUETTE. Well, we know that there are a lot of our good farmlands being used for roads and cities and so forth, and we feel that the use of our good farmlands should be well planned. Mr. EDMONDSON. Mr. Schuette, you would be for these fish and wildlife areas if they were in another county instead of your own, wouldn't you? They go down a little easier when they are in another area. I know from experience in my own State. Mr. JOHNSON. Are there any further questions? We want to thank you for appearing here. Our next witness is Mr. Sampson, Beadle County Izaak Walton League. Mr. Sampson. STATEMENT OF W. F. SAMPSON, BEADLE COUNTY CHAPTER, IZAAK WALTON LEAGUE Mr. SAMPSON. Mr. Chairman, members of this illustrious committee, I am W. F. Sampson, State-elected representative from Beadle County, S. Dak. I am not here today to represent that body. However, I can assure you that if I were, it could be stated that we would cast a unanimous vote for your two bills, House Resolution 1163 and House Resolution 27, and we did pass our House Resolution No. 2 in the last session. I represent a group that is nationwide and well respected for its ideals. With your permission, I would like to read you this statement. Beadle County Chapter, Izaak Walton League of America, Huron, S. Dak. October 19, 1967. Subcommittee on Irrigation and Reclamation of the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs. Gentlemen: The Beadle County chapter of the Izaak Walton League of America fully reaffirms its position of unqualified support of the Ŏahe irrigation project development. On previous occasions this chapter, representing nearly 300 members from Huron and the surrounding area, has endorsed the conservation and water use aspects associated with this project in line with its principles to preserve and protect our land, water, and wildlife heritage. The efforts of the league in this respect are well known and are reflected in its many accomplishments. The development of the Oahe project will provide major benefits to this area by providing for additional wildlife mitigation and enhancement areas and aid in improving those already in existence. It will provide for recreational areas for hunting, fishing, camping, and boating. Pollution, a major problem, can be alleviated through water supply and management. Increased land use will bring more industry resulting in a larger population requiring increased facilities. The Beadle County chapter is dedicated to the preservation and development of all projects of this nature that will provide for this and coming generations all possible benefits for making for a useful and generous abundance. We believe the development of this project will provide these benefits. We fully endorse H.R. 27 and H.R. 1163 and support an early start on construction. Conservationally submitted, Beadle County Chapter, Izaak Walton League, Glen W. Bauman, president. Mr. Bauman has been a member of the State board of directors of the Izaak Walton League in South Dakota for several years and was recently elected to the national board which represents some 50 States. And I might also mention that we have as one of our members a man I am sure you all know, Hubert H. Humphrey. He is a member of our local club. Mr. JOHNSON. Are there any questions? If not Mr. SAYLOR. Mr. Chairman, one question. Mr. Sampson, when you said you were a member of the State legislature, my ears went up. You heard me talk to the GovernorMr. SAMPSON. I am sure of that. Mr. SAYLOR. And when you say that your State legislature would vote unanimously for this, I do not doubt that they would. I think I have raised a question here that should cause your State legislature to take a real good look at some of the laws they have in the State at the present time. Mr. SAMPSON. Mr. Saylor, I will make a confession to you. I am a member of the house game and fish committee, and this certainly was brought up at our last session. The ramifications of our so-called famous goose bill are many, and to go into that here and now, I haven't all the answers, but I certainly have some of them, and I would be glad to discuss them with you personally and try to tell you our side of the situation. It has its ramifications. Mr. SAYLOR. There must be some reason in back of it, but, you know, you are faced with a situation where you cannot have it both. ways. Mr. SAMPSON. We realize that with the coming of this project drastic changes will have to be made in our laws. We realize this, sir. Mr. SAYLOR. Thank you. Mr. JOHNSON. Any further questions? Mr. BURTON. Mr. Chairman. Mr. JOHNSON. Mr. Burton. Mr. BURTON. I would suggest, following Mr. Saylor's line of comment here with Mr. Sampson, that I think there is a strong possibility there would be hearings in Washington next year on this project, and we will be still asking these same questions. Mr. SAMPSON. There is a definite answer. Mr. BURTON. Thank you. Mr. JOHNSON. Our next witness will be Elmer Faulstich, a farmer from Hyde County. STATEMENT OF ELMER FAULSTICH, FARMER, HYDE COUNTY Mr. FAULSTICH. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I believe you have copies of the statement that I was going to present this morning, and so that you may not think I am urban oriented, I would like to introduce myself. My name is Elmer Faulstich. I live in Hyde County. I am a rancher. With the cooperation of my two sons, we own and operate 31 quarters of land north of Highmore in the general area of the proposed Highmore Canal. I also am an irrigator, not a large irrigator, but I have found some of the benefits of irrigation. I have been somewhat intrigued here this morning by the humorous discussions on the ducks in the circle over on the map because I own one of those ducks placed on that map on my ranch. There is a proposed wildlife project that will affect me directly. However, I would like to say that though I will be a loser of some valuable land, I feel that the overall benefits of this project to our community and out State far outweigh the sacrifices that I will be required to make. I would now like to read the statement from the Kiwanis Club in Highmore of which I am a charter member and also the chairman of the Agricultural and Conservation Committee. Honorable members, Subcommittee on Irrigation and Reclamation of the Committee of Interior and Insular Affairs, House of Representatives: For reasons stated so elaborately and forcefully by witnesses in testimony at the hearings before the Subcommittee on Water and Power Resources of the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs in Washington, D.C., on September 13, 1967, and also at the field hearing before members of the same committee at Redfield, S. Dak., on May 22, 1967, the Agriculture and Conservation Committee of the Highmore Kiwanis Club unanimously supported by the entire membership of the same Kiwanis Club, support and urge the passage of H.R. bill No. 27, authorizing the first State of the Oahe Irrigation project. In the past, South Dakota has experienced large loss revenue from acreage inundated by water in the four main stem dams on the Missouri River which has been beneficial to many in the central part of our Nation through flood control, navigation, and hydroelectric power. We believe that these sacrifices could in part be compensated for through the availability of water for irrigation wherever feasible. Signed by the Agricultural and Conservation Committee of the Kiwanis Club. I also would like to file statements for the record from the Hyde County Farmers Union, the Highmore Booster Club, and the Hyde County Water Development Committee. I thank you, gentlemen. Mr. JOHNSON. Do you have those statements? Mr. FAULSTICH. Yes, sir. Mr. JOHNSON. If you will leave them with the reporter here, without objection, they will be placed in the record at this point. Do I hear any objection? No objection heard, so that will be the order. Mr. FAULSTICH. Thank you. (The statements referred to follow:) TO THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON IRRIGATION AND RECLAMATION OF THE COMMITTEE ON INTERIOR AND INSULAR AFFAIRS, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Gentlemen, South Dakota has contributed heavily in rich bottom land, many homes and ranch head quarters, of the most desirable type. Thousands of acres of taxable lands were removed from the tax rolls to make way for the great power producing chain of dams, that cross our state in four big steps. A large part of this power goes to other states. For over twenty-five years most of our young people have had to leave the state in order to find gainful employment. Yes! South Dakota has paid dearly for the millions of acre feet of water, that now lies on her precious soil. In the last election the people indicated by an over-whelming majority that they wanted an opportunity to use a part of this water on rich irrigable lands to produce some of the food our nation will desperately need in the future. Furthermore it will create thousands of jobs for our young people, which in turn will call for building new homes, new industries, new roads, new schools, new churches, and new towns. Yes, it will start an economic boom in the state of South Dakota. You ask us, do we want this in our state? The answer gentlemen is YES! DAVID ZILVERBERG, Chairman, Hyde County Farmer's Union. STATEMENT OF HIGHMORE BOOSTER CLUB, BY LEROY B. HAMLIN, PRESIDENT The executive committee of the Highmore Booster Club having discussed the matter of the Oahe Irrigation Project, hereby resolve to support the said project and hope for its completion as soon as possible. As citizens of the Oahe Irrigation District, it is our belief that this project would tend to stabilize the economic conditions of this area, provide fuller em |