 In the early 1930′s, admidst the greatest depression this nation has ever experienced, came an equally unparalledled environmental disaster know as the Dust Bowl. Following a severe and sustained drought in the Great Plains, the region’s soil began to erode. Mixed in with strong winds, this sediment created huge black dust storms that swallowed the countryside. Black dust storms reached across the nation; south to Texas and as far east as New York.On Capitol Hill, while testifying about the erosion problem, soil scientist Hugh Hammond Bennett threw back the curtains to reveal a sky blackened with dust. Congress unanimously passed legislation declaring soil and water conservation a national priority.Nearly three-fourths of the continental United States is privately owned so in 1937, President Franklin Roosevelt wrote the governors of all states recommending legislation that would allow local landowners to form soil conservation districts. The movement caught on across the country and we now boast nearly 3,000 conservation districts dedicated to conserving our natural resources.
Visit Colorado NRCS for more great historical info! “If we take care of the land, it will take care of us.” |