A Land and Water Resource Policy for the United States Department of Agriculture: Preliminary Report

Excerpts from the Letter of Transmittal: Using 1980 as a target year, we have studied available data on population growth, economic activity, technology, yields, imports and exports, and the requirements of all the various uses competing for land and water resources. Our review indicates that of the 2,271 million acres in the United States about 640 million acres in land capability classes I, II, and III are suitable for regular cultivation, of which about three-fifths is cropped. In addition, about 170 million acres in land capability class IV is suitable for limited or occasional cultivation with intensive conservation treatment. Approximately one-fourth of this land is cropped. About 25 million acres being used as cropland is unsuited for cultivation. The study indicates that we could meet food and fiber requirements in 1980 with about 407 million acres of cropland. The cropland that would be used for crops is somewhat less than the acreage we are using now, despite the 53 million acres we had in various temporary land diversion programs in 1961. The projections used in this report are based on a series of factors pertaining to population growth, exports, crop yields, resource utilization efficiencies, and other conditions that affect land and water resource requirements and potentials. The projections should be regarded primarily as reflecting likely directions of change rather than as precise expectations