WPA Conservation Projects - Report on Progress of The Works Program 1936
In keeping with the general recognition of the need
for conservation measures, a
group of projects has been
included in the WPA program
whose objective is that of
protecting and developing the
national resources as well as preventing, in
some measure at least, the destruction and
loss so often associated with floods and
drought. The need for the latter kind of
conservation work has been reemphasized by
experiences of the ourrent year.
The work that has been done to alleviate the distress and loss following in the wake of recent floods and drought is noted elsewhere in this section, in the discussion of emergency flood and drought relief. The WPA has also instituted projects which tend to prevent the recurrenoe of serious damage. These activities are included within the conservation group in addition to other work equally constructive though less dramatic.
The conservation group of WPA projects constitutes about 5 percent of the entire WPA program and covers a fairly diversified field. Irrigation and water conservation, forestation, erosion control, land utilization, plant, crop, and livestock conservation and similar activities undertaken by WPA work projects all contribute generally to the conservation of natural resources and in many instances are specifically operated as measures for reducing possible future destruction by floods and drought.
In same areas, control of floods and
