not suitable for cultivation were turned back to grassland. Thirteen other demonstration projects, manned by CCC and WPA workers, put Finnell's moisture-conserving ideas to the test, with great success. By May of 1936, nearly 40,000 farmers had joined him, and 5.5 million acres were under new terraced and contour-listed cultivation. At the end of 1937, despite the persistent dust storms, the amount of dangerously eroded land had been reduced by more than half. Hammond's efforts changed the mindset of American farmers toward soil conservation, and as director of the Soil Conservation Service, he helped them learn new ways of cultivation that protected the soil and preserved fertility. The creation of the Soil Conservation Service and its inclusion in the United States Department of Agriculture also marked the US government's acceptance and establishment of the interpretation of soils for soil and water conservation. As director of the SCS, Bennett launched a campaign for soil conservation toward educating the public and politicians by identifying areas in the Dust Bowl where the combination of geographic and agricultural systems caused the most serious erosion. Largely in response to Bennett's campaign for soil conservation, Representative James P. Buchanan of Texas attached an amendment to the 1930 appropriations bill authorizing the USDA to establish a series of soil erosion experiment stations. The Coon Creek Watershed Project, in southwestern Wisconsin, was the first of many watershed-based projects initiated to demonstrate soil conservation practices to farmers. The locations for these stations were selected by Bennett, and involved teams of researchers establishing plots to measure erosion conditions under various types of crops, soils, rotations, and their responses to different agricultural managements practices and structures. Recognition Bennett received many awards and honors for his work during his lifetime, including: President of the Association of American Geographers in 1943 The Frances K. Hutchinson Award from the Garden Club of America in 1944 The Cullum Geographical Medal by the American Geographical Society in 1948 The Distinguished Service Medal by the USDA in 1947 The Audubon Medal by the National Audubon Society in 1947 A fellow of the American Society of Agronomy in 1947 In 2000, Bennett was named a charter inductee into the USDA Hall of Heroes. During his lifetime, Bennett received many honors, including serving as president of the Association of American Geographers in 1943; receiving the Frances K. Hutchinson Award from the Garden Club of American in 1944, the Cullum