which of the following services was formed by the federal government due to the dust bowl?
Soil Conservation Service was formed by the federal government in direct response to the Dust Bowl crisis of the 1930s.
This agency, established under President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal, addressed the severe soil erosion and dust storms ravaging the Great Plains after years of drought, poor farming practices, and economic hardship. Hugh Hammond Bennett's urgent congressional testimony on April 14, 1935—"Black Sunday"—spurred Congress to act swiftly, creating the service to promote conservation techniques like contour plowing and cover cropping.
Historical Context
The Dust Bowl, peaking from 1934-1937, turned millions of acres into barren wastelands, displacing over 300,000 people and worsening the Great Depression. Federal intervention was critical as states couldn't handle the scale alone. The Soil Conservation Service (SCS), later renamed the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in 1994, paid farmers for adopting soil-saving methods, helping restore land productivity.
Options Breakdown
Typical multiple-choice options for this question include:
- Granger-Thye Service : Related to later forest management (1950s), not Dust Bowl-specific.
- Soil Conservation Service : Correct—formed 1935 explicitly for erosion control post-Dust Bowl.
- Duck Stamp Service : Wildlife funding via stamps (1934 Migratory Bird Hunting Act), unrelated to soil issues.
- Land and Water Conservation Service : Post-1960s focus, not a Dust Bowl response.
Service| Formation Year| Dust Bowl Link?
---|---|---
Soil Conservation Service| 1935| Yes – Direct response to erosion 3
Granger-Thye| 1950| No 1
Duck Stamp| 1934| No 1
Land/Water Conservation| 1965+| No 1
Lasting Impact
Today, NRCS practices prevent repeats of the 1930s disaster amid modern droughts, as seen in recent Great Plains challenges. This federal initiative marked a shift to sustainable agriculture, influencing global soil policy.
TL;DR : Soil Conservation Service—born from Dust Bowl desperation to save America's farmland.
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