+
.
Fabee hahea ates ete anh ded Leda Yi he af .
Ree
.
———
accompanied by an economic development plan fully justifying the homestead area and discussing other
potential economic developments to
be undertaken by the prospective
homesteaders.
Since that time, the
- ee
oe. age as
High Commissioner has not declared
any new areas for homesteading.
The Nathan Report has pointed up
the validity of the administrative
directive by analytic comments which
state that the Government’s homesteading program serves “to compound
the difficulties and to destroy the
possibility of using the land resources
for the best interests of the people.
The ... homesteading program does
not encourage either the wise use of
land or investment in land improvement.” The recommendation of the
report is to suspend issuance of all
homestead permits (village and agri-
culture) except those which are part of
a governmental master plan or an
approved agriculture or village community development program. Master
planning of the Territory is in its final
stages and the Administration is
seriously considering implementation
of the Nathan Report’s recommendation.
Population Pressures
Except for a few outer islands in
the Truk and Marshall Islands Districts
where overpopulation is serious,
population pressure in general is not a
problem. A number of the larger
islands have considerable areas of
public domain and resettlement on
such
land is
feasible
population expansion.
for
future
The Territory at one time supported a muchlarger population than
its present 94,469 inhabitants. Even
taking into account possible exaggeration in early figures, present popula38
2
ad
wis AEM ahia. pak
tion figures have not yet reached leve
of pre-European times. Perhaps ti
most dramatic example of populatic
decline can be found in Yap wheret!
present population of 6,870 is only
fraction of the estimated pre-Europe:
population. Similar examples can |
given for Ponape, estimated at o1
time to have had 35,000, almo
double its present population, and f.
the Mariana Islands and Palau.
Ponape,
on
Babelthuap Island
Palau, and in Yap, scores of desert:
village sites can be seen.
Erosion
Erosion is an ever-present proble
in the high islands where heavy rainf
prevails. Lumbering operations a!
intensified agricultural methods
past administrations stripped certa
areas of protective forest cover. “Sla
and burn”agricultural techniques us
on hillsides by indigenous inhabita:
plus accidental fires during dry peric
also have aggravated erosion con
tions.
On the coral atolls coconut pa
and other flora tend to protect the s
from erosion. Severe damage occasi«
ally occurs as in the disastr<
typhoon of 1958 which denuded pa
of Jaluit Atoll, Marshall
Istar
District, of top soil and drastica
changed the configuration of cert:
islandsin this atoll.
Soil fertility is sufficient for 1
subsistence farming that is practic
Where intensified cropping is im:
tuted, however, soil amendments m
be provided to sustain continu
productive yields.
Plant and Animal Pests and Diseases
Under the Director of Agricultu
the staff entomologist and the st
Part VI—Economic Advancemt