Conservation of national resources is a fixed policy of the Government.
Three important questions bearing upon conservation of the public lands
have become urgent.
Conservation of our oil and gas resources against future need is a national
necessity. The working of the oil permit system in development of oil and
gas resources on the public domain has been subject to great abuse. I
considered it necessary to suspend the issuance of such permits and to
direct the review of all outstanding permits as to compliance of the
holders with the law. The purpose was not only to end such abuse but to
place the Government in position to review the entire subject.
We are also confronted with a major problem in conservation due to the
overgrazing on public lands. The effect of overgrazing (which has now
become general) is not only to destroy the ranges but by impairing the
ground coverage seriously to menace the water supply in many parts of the
West through quick run-off, spring floods, and autumn drought.
We have a third problem of major dimensions in the reconsideration of our
reclamation policy. The inclusion of most of the available lands of the
public domain in existing or planned reclamation projects largely completes
the original purpose of the Reclamation Service. There still remains the
necessity for extensive storage of water in the arid States which renders
it desirable that we should give a wider vision and purpose to this
service.
To provide for careful consideration of these questions and also of better
division of responsibilities in them as between the State and Federal
Governments, including the possible transfer to the States for school
purposes of the lands unreserved for forests, parks, power, minerals, etc.,
I have appointed a Commission on Conservation of the Public Domain, with a
membership representing the major public land States and at the same time
the public at large. I recommend that Congress should authorize a moderate
sum to defray their expenses.