down and taken many, many pictures, and are using them on cards--Arabian horses on the Buffalo River-1972, a calendar with horses on them. Several of these horses are on the Valley Y Ranch on the Buffalo River.

The area is unique because of the climate, the freedom from noise, the shelter from winter elements, and also year-round grass and pure water, which of course runs the entire length of this 5-mile piece of property.

I have to also stress that freedom from noise is very important because purebred Arabians just can't be raised in an area of high noise level.

The next chart I want to show you is the cattle operation involving this particular piece of property. Mr. Yarborough's headquarters are on the Buffalo River, that we've already talked about. In addition to this, there are three other pieces of property-in Oklahoma, southern Missouri, and in Kansas.

Now, to give you an idea of what the properties are, in southern Missouri, there is a commercial herd where the artificial breeding takes place. From this, feeder calves are then sent into the Kansas area, which is only 30 minutes from one of the beef markets in the United States. The feeder operation is in this area with everything that this entails.

On the Oklahoma property, it is largely a feed production business where grain and feed are shipped to the other properties.

Now, the Arkansas headquarters, and this is the headquarters of the entire operation, is the piece of property that we're talking about which is affected by this piece of legislation.

Now, this is best suited for this particular operation, for horses and for cattle in this purebred area, and this is why this particular property was chosen. In this entire operation, there are 14 men hired fulltime, heads of families, and of these-and there are many part-time people of these, nine are full-time in the Newton County area, where this Buffalo project affects Mr. Yarborough's property, and spent through the Valley Y Ranch in the Buffalo-Newton County area, is an excess of $100,000 a year, which goes into this economy.

All the ranch properties have been valued at $3,815,000 by an independent appraiser who has more than 30 years' experience.

The Arkansas land, and improvements, that we're talking about right here on the Buffalo River, of that total, they amount to $2,169,000.

Now, the last chart I want to show you is about planned commercial development. For over 10 years, Mr. Yarborough has been planning a commercial development on part of his property that encompasses approximately 400 acres.

Now, this particular plan or modifications of it have been in the hands of the park departments for from 4 to 5 years. This isn't something new. This isn't something that was just planned before we came to Washington.

In this particular plan, there are things like a motel and shopping center, 25 vacation and retirement homes, condominium units, a golf course, landing strip, road facilities, and sanitation. This would alone increase the value of the land, not including the improvements themselves, by $2 million, once this is accomplished. And the improvements

that are projected at this time for this particular property amount to $10 million-$10,410,000.

Now, considerable work and study has gone into this, as you might imagine. Other projects both in Arkansas and in adjoining States have been surveyed for the last 2 years, and the economy has been slightly weak, and at this time, along with roads being placed in this area, it is quite feasible to perceive that at this time that $300,000 in preliminary development alone has been spent.

Now, I would like to comment briefly on relocation for Mr. Yarborough for Valley Y Ranch, presenting a very, very serious problem in that No. 1: much time and money has been spent in establishing a national image which would be lost. This headquarters property that we're discussing, of course, ties in very closely with his cattle operation in three other States. This just presents a real problem involving his entire cattle operation.

Also, here there's a fine climate with clear water-and I was very pleased to hear there was no pollution in the stream, and this operation has not polluted the stream.

The resident veterinarian who operates for Valley Y Ranch out of Fayetteville, Ark., is named Dr. Doyne Hahn. He's made comments to us that if the purebred cattle and purebred horse operation were to move, it would be an expense of slowing down the breeding program for 1 to 2 years, just in the move itself.

Based upon what I've presented to this one point, I have to state that you can see why I would hope the committee would not approve the 1967 cutoff date, rather than 1971. It would be disastrous. Only part of this has been developed in the last 4 or 5 years, but part of it

has.

Mr. Yarborough has written a letter to Congressman Hammerschmidt, advising him that he was going to proceed with these developmental plans. He has also advised the park people who have been on his property many times and visited with him, and nobody has ever said, "You'd better not develop any further, because if you do, you're going to have to give it away." But this is the effect, or net effect, of what would happen if this committee passed a bill with the 1967 period like the Senate bill has.

So we are kind of strong on this 1971 figure.

The public has always been welcome to this area. There are many letters in Mr. Yarborough's file from many of the canoe clubs, wilderness, waterways clubs, thanking him for his hospitality and thanking him for allowing them to camp on his land and also thanking him that his property has never been posted, never once.

I am concerned also, in light of what I am telling you, in relation to figures, that the cost of benefit ratios here, the acquisition costsand I have no figures on this, but I am concerned about it, as I know that you are.

Also, I must state that because of this particular purebred operation, it's very difficult it would be impossible for Mr. Yarborough or the Valley Y Ranch to proceed with this type of a development on an easement basis because people make the horses nervous and cause real problems.

The canoeist coming down the river doesn't cause a real problem, but an influx of people went into this area where Mr. Yarborough has

his ranch, this would cut the whole thing right off, as far as his breeding program.

So it would have to be his position that he would have to either sell out and relocate, but there couldn't be anything in between because of the very nature of this type of business.

Mr. TAYLOR. You can find out from the Park Service whether or not they plan any public use facilities in the immediate area.

Mr. ALLEN. They have, right down below this, but since these are proposed, I would like their comment about wildlife, and who's going to take care of the wildlife. You know, they can change their mind and I don't know what's going to happen. We're concerned about this. I don't mean to cast aspersions on them, but it's the same thing as controlling the fish and game in Arkansas. They're going to have the final say-so, and they can change their mind as to how this affects this property.

As an example, one of the valuable mares was killed by a deer hunter, and this occurred only last year.

Mr. TAYLOR. Now, we will have to go to the House floor in just a minute.

Can you finish in about 2 more minutes? I'm anxious to hear the property owners, just as much as the conservationists. Now, you are the first property owner representative, and for that reason, we have given you a fair amount of time.

Mr. ALLEN. I appreciate your time and your consideration. I only want to wind up with one thing, and this is a personal story, but I think it's important.

Mr. Yarborough, on yearly basis, picks up, cleans up the trash, the cans from the river, et cetera, and he has never objected to this and never posted his land.

My family and I camped on the Buffalo River this last summer in August, and as I was leaving for Washington, my 10-year-old said, "Well, where are you going?" And I said, "I'm going to Washington." He says, "What about?" and I said, "We're going up to talk about the Buffalo River, that it may become a national park".

My son, and I'll have to admit I did not prompt him, came up with the statement which I thought was apropos for this committee to hear: "Good night, Dad, don't let them do that because if they do, they'll fill that river full of beer cans."

And I will not go into a long dissertation on the problems that the Park Department is having with parks, but I think this is something that the committee should consider because this property is in a beautiful State under private ownership at the present time.

Thank you for your time.

Mr. TAYLOR. Those who are desiring that we make it a national river want to continue to keep it beautiful, and some of them think that it will be better preserved in the hands of the Government than privately. This is something of debate.

May I ask you just a few quick questions? How many ranches do you say Mr. Yarborough owns?

Mr. ALLEN. Well, this is four ranches in four States-Arkansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, and Kansas.

Mr. TAYLOR. All part of one operation?

Mr. ALLEN. The cattle operation is interrelated, all tied together.

Mr. TAYLOR. And he owns 5 miles along the Buffalo River?

Mr. ALLEN. Yes, sir; and his more exotic breeding takes place on the Arkansas property. The breeds are being upbreeded into the purebred area right here.

Mr. TAYLOR. And if this legislation is enacted and the property is included, would the owner be willing to subject his property to a scenic easement to assure its continual pastoral use?

Mr. ALLEN. Well, there would be no way that he could continue his present purebred horse operation, subject to a scenic easement, because of the influx of people with purebred horses. The veterinarian has advised him of this and it is a problem in a purebred.

This is a purebred operation and it's taken him 10 years to build it up, and with a scenic easement, it would cease at that point. As I said, this is a large commercial development.

Just taking into consideration the Arabian horse market that's involved, these horses are sold, sight unseen, by phone: unborn foals are sold over the telephone. This is an attribute to the State park and the Buffalo River. People come in from all over the United States just to see this Arabian horse operation on the Buffalo River, which is part of the attraction.

Mr. TAYLOR. How far back from the river's banks are the main buildings of your breeding operation?

Mr. ALLEN. The breeding operation is about 250 feet of contoured river bank, and the grass goes right to the water's edge.

There's no pollution problem in this area. A sanitation disposal system is in effect. A settling basin, 150 by 50 by 12 feet deep is installed, and there is no pollution that goes into the stream from this particular operation.

Mr. TAYLOR. Do you suggest any particular amendments to the bill, assuming that it were to pass?

Mr. ALLEN. Yes, I do. I don't know how to phrase them. I haven't given them that much thought, but No. 1, the 1971 cutoff date would be a necessity.

No. 2: Not subjecting an owner, where it is unfeasible for the continuation of his commercial venture, to be subjected to an easement where it would be unfeasible.

And I think those are the maior points.

And No. 3: Congressman Hammerschmidt is located very close to this ranch and is a friend of Mr. Yarborough and we have had a nice visit with him, but until we explained this to him, he didn't realize the nature of the commercial development in this area, and I feel that possibly the bill should be looked at in the light of people that do have commercial developments in that area because I feel it's just been sort of overlooked.

Everybody assumes that this one person per mile means it's very sparsely populated-well, it is, but this is an exception that, I think, should be taken care of because if the bill were passed as it is presently stated now, in order to do justice and have equity for Mr. Yarborough in this ranch operation, we would probably have to ask, whether we would receive it or not, for special legislation covering this specific piece of property.

Mr. TAYLOR. You made one remark in your general presentation which might be somewhat confusing. Now, you said that you advised

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Mr. Yarborough not to build any buildings because he might have to give them away.

Now, the 1967 date doesn't affect a person being paid for the improvements on his property. He's got to be paid for the improvements and the market value at the time of taking.

Certainly the fact that people start talking about taking this area wouldn't mean that a man who'd make improvements wouldn't be paid. The date only affects his right to maintain use and occupancy.

Mr. ALLEN. The 35 years would be retroactive to 1967?

Mr. TAYLOR. That cutoff date triggers the right to retain possession. Mr. ALLEN. We would have no objection, then, to either date as long as the improvements that presently exist would be treated fairly and a fair market value would be paid for them.

Mr. TAYLOR. In any event, the Government has to pay the fair market value.

Mr. ALLEN. Just so that includes the present improvements.

Mr. TAYLOR. Even if it's constructed after the law is passed it must be paid for. That's one thing that's costing the taxpayers because many times speculators go in and make improvements that the Government has to buy. We have to fight that as best we can.

Mr. ALLEN. I know you understand that this is a project that has been 20 years in the making, and when he bought this valley and found it, he had to find it by an airplane, and he built the first roads into this area. There weren't even roads there.

Mr. TAYLOR. I'm sure Mr. Yarborough has a fine operation and I would like to see it, and if you have any additional specific amendments concerning the bill, submit them to me or the counsel for the committee or maybe to your Congressman, and we'll consider them. Mr. ALLEN. Thank you.

Mr. TAYLOR. The subcommittee will stand in recess until 2 this afternoon. Now, I can't tell you that we will meet very long this afternoon because the schedule on the House floor may make it impossible, but we will endeavor to resume at 2.

(Whereupon, at 12:35 p.m., the subcommittee recessed to reconvene at 2 p.m., the same day.)

AFTERNOON SESSION

Mr. TAYLOR. The subcommittee will come to order.

Neil Compton, president of the Ozark Society.

Your entire statement will be placed in the record, so you can sum it up:

(The document referred to follows:)

STATEMENT OF DR. NEIL COMPTON, PRESIDENT OF THE OZARK SOCIETY

My name is Neil Compton. I am a doctor of medicine practicing in my home town of Bentonville, Arkansas in which state I have resided since the time of my birth and from whose schools and university I graduated with my present professional qualifications.

I am at the present time and have been since its founding in May 1962 the president of the Ozark Society. This organization is a conservation organization whose principal interest lies in the Ozark-Ouachita uplands and the adjacent regions surrounding it. The Ozark Society was founded because of the need for better recognition of the recreational and aesthetic values of the Ozark uplands and for a means to defend their integrity against the rapidly advancing technology of this age we live in. Our group was originally founded because of the crisis arising on the Buffalo River in the late 1950s at which time its