tion. The Department of the Interior is fully in accord with those cbjectives.

We are particularly interested in capital improvements that would be made in natural resources. There is a large backlog of such investments that should be made to stimulate and sustain long-term economic growth. Most of that investment brings forth products and services that add to our national productive powers. It is not "make work" in any sense of that term. Much of that investment, however, involves a relatively high percentage of direct expenditure for labor, and much of it would be located in rural communities that have problems of unemployment or of underemployment.

Our purpose in this statement is briefly to indicate the kinds of projects and of project work that could be carried out by the Department of the Interior-if the proposed legislation were to be enacted. The term, "capital improvement project," as we understand it, would include a complete facility, such as a national park visitor center, and also a discrete sector of larger undertaking, such as a section of parkway, that would normally be initiated and finished under a separate construction contract. We use the term, "project work," to describe that type of capital improvement that does not involve a physical structure, but is a measure for the improvement of resource productivity of usefulness, such as tree planting and range improvement. In all cases we refer to capital improvements that can feasibly be planned and carried out in units requiring 1 year or less from time of initiation to time of completion.

PROJECTS THAT WOULD QUALIFY

Range improvement and rehabilitation

The Department of the Interior administers 181 million acres of Federal land on which livestock are grazed under permit. Large acreages need improvements that will conserve soil and moisture and increase forage production. Such improvements involve: 32 million acres needing brush control; 12 million acres needing to be seeded; 16 million acres needing weed-control treatments; over half a million. water development and water control structures should be constructed; more than a thousand miles of fencing is needed to obtain better distribution of grazing animals and better timing of grazing use; there is also need for improvement of wildlife habitat, particularly on lands used as winter range by big game.

Interior provides technical and other assistance to Indians in the management of their grazing land. Much of that land is also in need of improvements and rehabilitation. None of this work requires a long period of time for plant preparation. All of it involves a high percentage of expenditure for labor. Most work projects of this type could be started on short notice and carried to completion within 1 year.

Not all of the work could be done in a year that needs to be done but taking an area at a time and getting a project completed in a particular area and then we can stop it if it is so indicated.

Improvement of forest resources

Some 50 million acres of commercial forest land are administered by the Department of the Interior. This includes about 6.5 million acres of forest in the Indian reservations.

Capital improvements needed on these forest lands involve tree planting, or some other means of establishment, on 520,000 acres and timber stand improvement measures on 1,150,000 acres. Timber stand improvement includes measures such as thinning, pruning of tree crops, removal of nonmerchantable cull trees, and various other operations to increase growth and to improve the quality of salable timber products.

Other capital improvements needed on the forest lands include better facilities for fire protection, especially in Alaska; and facilities for better protection against insects and disease, especially in areas of infestation and of high risk.

Work projects relating to forestry can readily be planned and carried out under flexible timing of operations.

Improvements on the national wildlife refuge system

The national wildlife refuge system, administered by the Department of the Interior, comprises 284 refuges containing some 28 million acres. These areas have been established for the preservation and conservation of water fowl, big game, upland game, rare and endangered species, and for public fishing and hunting where that is desirable from the standpoint of management.

Capital improvements constantly being made on the refuges include water control works, small structures of various types, boundary fencing, roads and trails, development of camp and picnic grounds for public use, and various other facilities. Almost none of these improvements involves heavy construction. Most of these projects can be scheduled for completion within short periods of time.

Interior also operates 100 fish hatcheries. Capital improvements at the hatcheries involve buildings of various kinds, ponds, and water supply facilities again, all light construction that can be completed within short periods of time.

Closely related to the national system of wildlife refuges and fish hatcheries is the State system of refuges and hatcheries. Interior administers a grant-in-aid program of financial assistance to the States to assist in their wildlife management programs. Acceleration of the States program of capital improvements on their refuges and their hatcheries (heretofore not assisted) by short-term grants in aid would be entirely practicable. Such improvements would not necessarily be limited to facilities on refuges and at hatcheries. Improvements to fish and wildlife habitat are now being made under the existing grantin-aid program, and such work could readily be accelerated for periods of 1 year or less.

Highways and roads

Department of the Interior has responsibility for planning and construction of the road system within national parks and national monuments. In some cases, it also plans and builds entrance roads to such areas. It also has responsibility for planning and construction of those highways which Congress has designated as national parkways. Both programs could readily be accelerated for periods of 1 year or less.

Interior is likewise responsible for planning and construction of the local road system within Indian reservations. Many of these reservation roads are not usable by vehicles during part of the year.

Where such conditions prevail, they constitute a serious handicap to economic development of reservation resources and to the schooling of Indian children. A sizable program for the building of local roads on Indian reservations is urgently needed. And it could easily be handled in units that would qualify under the proposed program for accelerated capital improvements.

Finally, Interior is responsible for planning and construction of the local road system on the public domain. Some of those roads are being financed out of proceeds from timber sales. But that source of funds is available only within forested areas of the public domain and within the general area of the revested Oregon & California Railroad land grant. Elsewhere, there are critical needs for developmental roads to make resources economically available, to facilitate more adequate protection against fire, to facilitate more intensive management of resources, and to make certain areas available for public recreational use.

Mr. DOOLEY. Mr. Chairman, since we still have another witness to go this afternoon, would it not be wise to have the witness summarize his statement instead of giving it in full?

Mr. FALLON. Well, that is a very good suggestion, Mr. Dooley, if the witness would like to file his complete statement for the record or try to summarize it.

Mr. STODDARD. I will try to do so.

Mr. FALLON. Without objection, it is so ordered.

Mr. STODDARD. Public recreation facilities: Capital improvements to accommodate public recreation are a critical need in most of the national parks and national monuments, at reclamation reservoirs, at many of the wildlife refuges, and at certain locations on the public domain. Such improvements include a very wide variety of facilities ranging from the types constructed in the national parks to boatlaunching ramps and the familiar picnic area-equipped with tables, a water supply, and a sanitary facility. Virtually all projects of this kind can be initiated and completed within short periods of time.

Extensive recreational facilities are contemplated for Indian lands. At the present time there are no firm estimates about the amount of work involved, but extensive improvements are highly desirablenot only to meet the needs of the Indian people, but also to develop the tourist business and the income which the Indians would gain therefrom.

Grants-in-aid that would be available under the proposed legislation would be very attractive to the States for use in capital improvements in the State parks system. In general, the State parks get heavier use than most Federal recreational areas. Financial assistance to States for purposes of park improvement would, undoubtedly, be utilized.

Water facilities

Department of the Interior administers the Small Reclamation Projects Act-a Federal loan program to assist in the construction of small projects by districts or other locally organized agencies. As of June 30, 1962, some $58 million of loans had been approved. Another $20 million of loan applications had been received. Some of these projects may be too large to be initiated and completed within 1

year. But many would qualify under the proposed accelerated capital improvements programs. And there is a distinct probability that many more small projects would be planned to meet requirements for short-term construction schedules-if loans and grants become available under such conditions. Small reclamation projects require individual project authorization by the Congress.

There are approximately 870,000 acres of Indian lands under irrigation project works. The irrigation and power construction and rehabilitation and betterment programs on these lands could be accelerated to the extent of doubling the present amount of appropriation for this work. The types of work involved include replacement, enlargement, extension, relocation, canal and lateral lining and upgrading, enlargement and extension of project power systems.

In addition to new projects, there are substantial opportunities for sound investment in the replacement of obsolete and wasteful irrigation canals and other irrigational facilities. Most of these are owned by local irrigation districts that would welcome any type of financial assistance that might become available under the proposed legislation. There is also the possibility for organization of many small districts in the eastern section of the United States-where supplemental irrigation has been developing to an impressive extent. Construction and reconstruction of field laboratories

Many agencies of the Department operate field installations of various types. Examples include the laboratories of the Bureau of Mines, Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife, Bureau of Commercial Fisheries, and the stream gaging stations of the Geological Survey. Some of these are obsolete and could well be replaced during periods of accelerated capital improvements. In other cases, new facilities have been authorized and could be constructed as funds become available.

Other types of conservation projects

The field of possibilities for sound investment in resource conservation is very broad. Some, heretofore not well developed, include the sealing off of drainage from abandoned coal mines, restoration of cover on strip mine spoil banks, stream bank stabilization to reduce siltation and improve fish habitat, and a host of other possibilities. All work of this kind can readily be planned and accomplished in project units that occupy 1 year or less.

PROJECTS THAT MIGHT NOT QUALIFY

The only Department of the Interior projects that might not qualify for participation in the proposed accelerated capital improvement programs are the large dam construction projects of the Bureau of Reclamation and the large power transmission projects of the power marketing agencies.

But even with these, the case against them is not conclusive. All projects, no matter how large, are normally subdivided into contract units, initiated and completed within relatively short periods of time. The objective sought in the proposed legislation is not completion per se within 1 year, but actually quick acceleration of capital expenditure followed by quick tapering off, all within 1 year.

That same economic effect can be obtained by temporary acceleration of an ongoing project. The only problem is not whether a given project can be initiated and completed within 1 year, but whether an ongoing project can be accelerated temporarily, without incurring undue costs or other undesirable consequences. We think this matter will deserve careful study.

NO SPECIAL PROBLEMS OR DIFFICULTIES FORESEEN

So far as can be seen at present, the proposed legislation would not involve any special problems or difficulties for the Department of the Interior. Planning and budgeting procedures, up till now, have not made clear distinctions between capital improvement projects that can be initiated and completed within 1 year or less, and those which require longer. But that distinction could readily be developed for most of Interior's activities in a few months' time. If the proposed legislation were enacted, Interior would immediately undertake establishment of a continuous inventory of projects and project work eligible for accelerated capital improvements financing.

BACKLOG OF PROJECTS ON HAND

The volume of eligible projects and project work now programed, or in process of being programed, by the Department of the Interior hasn't yet been fully canvassed. Our incomplete figures add up to about $1.5 billion. The composition of that $1.5 billion is as follows:

A preliminary survey made some months ago in the Department of the Interior (at request of the U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency) on public investment needs in the whole field of natural resources indicated a total of well over $200 billion. I mention that estimate only to stress the point that there is no scarcity of excellent public investment opportunities in resource conservation and development. And many of these are investments we simply must make if we are to keep an adequate resource base under the Nation's economy. This could be necessarily programed over a long period of time. I want to make it clear that investments in natural resources yield timber in the future. They reduce siltation and, in general, contribute to the economic growth in the long run as well as in the short run. Thank you very much.

Mr. BLATNIK. Well, the prepared statement is a very comprehensive summary of the programs under the jurisdiction of your Department

of Interior.

Are there any questions?

Mrs. PrOST. Mr. Chairman? I am sorry.

Mr. WRIGHT. After you.

Mr. BLATNIK. Mrs. Pfost?

Mrs. PrOST. I should like to ask a few questions of Mr. Stoddard regarding improvements to forest resources.