Excerpt
ARAHAM Lincoln might have said:
“Five decades and three years ago, our forefathers brought forth in this nation new legislation dedicated to the principle that our soil and water resources are finite and must be protected if our nation is to survive for generations to come. Now we are engaged in a great debate, testing whether that concern is still valid, and testing whether that legislation, or modifications to that legislation, can long endure….”
Forgive me, President Lincoln; this characterization was not intended to bring dishonor to your Gettysburg Address. I couldn't help, however, but draw some parallel to your concern for the future of the nation brought about by the Civil War and the current concern for the nation brought about by the continuing “war” on erosion. The literature is full of examples of nations that have passed into oblivion because of soil depletion.
Professional soil conservationists are a proud, competent, dedicated cadre of technocrats. For decades they have been educated in the need to control erosion, studied the erosion process itself, and developed techniques to reduce erosion to levels that will allow the maintenance of soil productivity indefinitely. …
Footnotes
Joseph W. Haas, 1318 Juliana Place, Alexandria, Virginia 22304, is a registered professional engineer. He retired in January 1988 as associate chief of the Soil Conservation Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture.
- Copyright 1988 by the Soil and Water Conservation Society
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