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