+ . 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