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Re: Little Darby Wildlife Refuge

When we consider any type of project that involves the displacement of 
farmers from the land, there is bound to be some opposition. With only 2 
million farmers in the whole country, any activity that decreases or erodes 
that number even further will be viewed negatively. 
    Even if it involves some training and re-education, we have to consider 
things from the farmer's point of view. We can't expect them to get behind 
conservation efforts if doing so means an end to their way of life. Remember, 
many of these people have families and are very independent sorts of people. 
If you threaten their way of life without providing an alternative, they will 
fight you all the way and they will never be behind the project. Most of them 
see any type of conservation program as a government land grab, not a prairie 
restoration program. They don't normally share the same set of ideals that we 
do. To many of them a well tended field of corn looks better than a patch of 
"weeds" (prairie) or "brush" (forest). You notice that they don't even use 
the same terminology when describing the same piece of ground. If you desire 
support for the project, then you must begin by building "grassroots" support 
for your project with the affected public. Give them alternatives and a way 
to support their families with dignity and they will also support your 
project.

Doug LeDoux
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