| Some people don't believe there is any Desert | | | | of the land to produce plateaus of small |
| Land Still Available For FREE. | | | | acreage, five acres here, twenty there -- |
| | | | that with just a little bit of earth moving |
| They are wrong. There is still some | | | | can be prepared to produce a crop on a |
| available.Certain restrictions do apply. For | | | | plateau. Those plateaus don't have to be the |
| example: You must be a resident in one of | | | | same size, or even go in the same direction |
| these states where the desert land is | | | | either. The last piece of land I leveled |
| available ... Arizona, Nevada, California, | | | | this way was only 19 acres altogether and it |
| Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, North | | | | had huge ravines running through it in every |
| Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, or | | | | direction. Using a dozer and pulling a land |
| Wyoming. No State residency is required in | | | | plane(TM) behind me I leveled that ground to |
| the State of NevadaThe Desert Land Act was | | | | farmable smoothness in less than one day, but |
| passed specifically to encourage the economic | | | | it was in three plateaus which fed each other |
| development of arid and semi-arid public | | | | and the last plateau drained to the middle |
| lands of the Western United States. You may | | | | and ran out from the middle between plateaus |
| apply for one or more tracts of land totaling | | | | three and one. No, it wasn't conventional, |
| no more than 320 acres. Individuals may | | | | but it worked.Remember too that the term |
| apply for a desert-land entry to reclaim, | | | | "agriculture" includes animal husbandry. |
| irrigate, and cultivate arid and semiarid | | | | Instead of bringing in holsteins or |
| public lands.You'd better take note before | | | | thoroughbreds, bring in MINIATURE horses, |
| heading off across the landscape, most of the | | | | miniature donkeys and even goats. These can |
| suitable lands for agricultural development | | | | be easy maintenance, high value "crops." |
| have already been placed into private | | | | Again, look for strategic points where the |
| ownership. The remaining acres are managed | | | | flow wants to escape and with just a little |
| for multiple uses. There is fierce | | | | effort you can dam up natural outlets to |
| competition among users for these public | | | | create your own reservoirs for your stock, |
| lands. Along with the problems of finding | | | | and you will only need to haul in minimum |
| suitable public land, you can expect to find | | | | amount of hay and water to sustain your |
| limited water available for irrigation, and | | | | animals.After you have found lands that you |
| an extremely high cost of development. On | | | | feel can be economically developed you'll |
| top of that, it is extremely difficult to | | | | have to determine the legal land description. |
| acquire a desert land entry. But, and this | | | | Then you contact the BLM State Office where |
| is a big but, you can turn the land into very | | | | the lands are located and have them verify |
| high cash value property. Just for an | | | | that the lands are available for desert land |
| example, worhtless land I walked over as a | | | | application. Next you must acquire an |
| child was worth thousands of dollars per acre | | | | application from the State Office and also |
| by the time I was grown. What made the | | | | find out which BLM District administers the |
| difference? It was mostly natural population | | | | lands.The application form you want to use is |
| expansion and highways coming through.There | | | | No. 2520-1. Two copies are required. File |
| are other ways to improve the land.. #1, cash | | | | your application with the administering BLM |
| crops that thrive in the desert, like the | | | | District Office.In the application you will |
| jo-joba bean plant. Then there are plants | | | | include the description of the lands. You |
| that should be cash crops like your mesquite | | | | must include evidence of your legal right to |
| beans and cactus pears. Given just a tad of | | | | the use of any water for irrigation. That |
| water in dry years mesquite beans are sweet | | | | means you must secure a permit from the State |
| and delicious. In two years out of five the | | | | Department of Water Administration to explain |
| tree doesn't even need the tad of water. | | | | where your water is coming from. You must |
| Cactus pears and cactus pads are becoming | | | | include a detailed description of soil |
| more acceptable to American palates all the | | | | characteristics, irrigation requirements, and |
| time. #2, Get your land first, then you | | | | economic feasibility.Here's the worst part of |
| could be the one that convinces Congress to | | | | it. You must include full disclosure of your |
| pipe ocean water back up along the Gila River | | | | plans, arrangements--financial and |
| Bed and create ocean front property all along | | | | otherwise--pertaining to the development and |
| the way with dams like the one at Painted | | | | operation of your desert-land entry. Your |
| Rock. With huge surges of population growth | | | | application must be accompanied by a |
| in the States of Utah, Idaho and Montana | | | | non-refundable fee of $15.00 and a partial |
| Congress could see the wisdom of diverting | | | | payment of 25 cents per acre.The BLM will |
| streams of fresh water down into areas now | | | | approve your application if it decides the |
| called arid. The only railroad left in the | | | | lands are classified suitable for desert-land |
| United States that is making a profit is the | | | | entry. The BLM will reject your application |
| Union Pacific. By issuing contracts for | | | | if it decides the lands are classified |
| trainloads of ice to be delivered to | | | | unsuitable for desert-land entry.After your |
| reservoirs in these regions. Where could the | | | | application is approved you have four years |
| ice come from? Tugging ice bergs to | | | | to develop an adequate water supply to |
| Washington and Oregon for loading. When you | | | | reclaim, irrigate, and cultivate all of the |
| import water into the area in front of the | | | | lands. At least one eighth of the land |
| Rocky Mountains Congress will increase the | | | | applied for must be properly cultivated and |
| flow of rain and moisture in this area.Before | | | | irrigated by the end of those four years. |
| you can claim any of these lands you must | | | | Each year for three years from the date your |
| prove they are unreserved, unappropriated, | | | | application is approved, you must account for |
| non-mineral, non-timber, AND incapable of | | | | the money you spend on improvements to |
| producing an agricultural crop without | | | | reclaim, irrigate, and cultivate the |
| irrigation. There is an addendum to that | | | | lands.You must submit statements of two |
| criteria.. the lands you want must be The | | | | credible witnesses who can testify to the |
| lands must be more suitable for agricultural | | | | expenditures made for improvements on your |
| purposes than for any other. Boy, what a tall | | | | desert-land entry during the preceding year. |
| order. But I've had friends do it and they | | | | You must submit itemized statements showing |
| cvouldn't be happier. After you find them, | | | | the manner in which the expenditures were |
| these properties must be surveyed. If you | | | | made. At the end of the third year you must |
| get more than one tract of land they must be | | | | submit a map or plan showing the character |
| sufficiently close to each other that the BLM | | | | and extent of the improvements placed on the |
| will be foreced to believe you can manage | | | | desert-land entry.Under no normal |
| tgen satisfactorily as an economic unit.To | | | | circumstances will the BLM extend your time |
| apply for your land you must be a citizen of | | | | to meet the annual proof of compliance. To |
| the United States or at least have declared | | | | wit: the BLM will cancel your entry.There is |
| your intention to become a citizen. Being an | | | | an out for some of these problems; a group of |
| illegal alien is not good enough at this | | | | applicants can band together to develop a |
| time. Oh yes, you must also be more than 20 | | | | common water delivery system and share in the |
| years old.The BLM estimates that a 320-acre | | | | cost of a common water delivery system to |
| tract of land will cost you in excess of | | | | reclaim the land parcels. The group as a |
| $250,000 to construct the irrigation system | | | | whole must show that each individual |
| and prepare the land for cultivation. That's | | | | desert-land entry involved in a group |
| because they are thinking too big. The | | | | proposal is economically and physically |
| government thinks square fields -- I invite | | | | feasible.Before you get your title the BLM |
| you to think about farming within the natural | | | | will conduct an on-site examination of your |
| barriers the land provides. It is said that | | | | desert-land entry to determine whether the |
| a tourist looks at the (desert) scene and | | | | requirements of the act have been met. If |
| sees what is left while a geologist sees that | | | | you meet the final proof requirement, you |
| scene and studies what is gone.I want you to | | | | will receive a patent from the BLM which |
| look for pressure points where the lay of the | | | | delivers a completely legal title to the land |
| land tries to rise, and strategic points | | | | tracts into your hands. Your FREE land is |
| where the flow wants to escape and just a | | | | now YOURS!Independently less than wealthy, |
| little effort can make a major difference. | | | | Lin Stone is the author of: HOW TO BUY LAND |
| If you think NATURAL PLATEAU farming you can | | | | AT TAX SALES. That book is so good it is |
| take a dozer in there and follow the contours | | | | still selling after seven years. |