Probably one of the most important problems which Iowa is facing today relates to adjustments in land use. For many years, conservationists have anticipated the time when a real start would be made in the public acquisition of forest lands which are not best adapted to agricultural use. Apparently this time arrived when the National Forest Reservations commission approved, on January 21, 1935, purchase units with a gross area of 829,000 acres for national forests in Iowa.

As in all the Plains states, in Iowa the first windbreaks were of the quicker growing species of trees. Cottonwoods, boxelders, willows and silver maples were heavy favorites several decades ago when farm homes began to dot the prairies, but after a few years when these trees began to lose what little ability they did have in wind protection, the Iowa farmers considered trees o£ more lasting qualities and more ability to check and effectively block the bitter winds of winter.

Until very recently, these efforts have been practically fruitless. The forces at work obstructing progress along this line simmer down to three major factors: (1) the long-time character of most forest investments; (2) the fear of the many natural agencies which are destructive to forest growing stock; and (3) the inequalities and uncertainties of taxation. The first of these may be corrected only by the building up o£ forests which produce incomes at fairly short intervals, preferably annual sustained yield forests. This building-up process, however, will undoubtedly be slowed down by the other two factors, the most important o£ which is probably the danger of destruction by fire, insects, and fungi. The amelioration of this great obstacle could, and probably will, be accomplished by a combination of insurance with aggressive control measures. The other factor, taxation, while mob generally so destructive to forest investments as the natural agencies, is nevertheless an important obstacle, and one whose removal is urgently needed.

The need for better understanding of the fundamental principles which govern the natural relationship of water, soil and plant cover has long been recognized by students and workers in many fields o£ natural science. More recently the need for better understanding of just how man has modified this natural relationship in a manner detrimental to his own present and future interests has developed in the Intermountain region of the western United States.