Sustainable Use Of The Nation's Natural Resources example essay topic

This Paper will outline President Theodore Roosevelt's role in helping to conserve our environment during his administration (1901-1909). It will also examine his theory of a stronger American democracy through environmental conservationism. "The movement for the conservation of wildlife, and the larger movement for the conservation of all our natural resources, are essentially democratic in spirit, purpose, and method". (Roosevelt 274) As president of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt made conservation a central policy issue of his administration. He created five National Parks, four Big Game Refuges, fifty-one National bird Reservations, and the National Forest Service. Roosevelt advocated for the sustainable use of the nation's natural resources, the protection and management of wild game, and the preservation of wild spaces.

Considering America's landscape to be the source of American wealth and the American character, Roosevelt believed conservationism was a democratic movement necessary to maintain and to strengthen American democracy. Roosevelt recognized America's vast natural resources as the source of the country's economic wealth and subsequent political strength globally. The abundance of land, timber, waterways, and mineral deposits fueled the continuing expansion of American industry. In a speech addressed to a national conference on conservation held at the White House in 1908, Roosevelt stated, "Our position in the world has been attained by the extent and thoroughness of the control we have achieved over nature; but we are more, and not less, dependent upon what she furnishes than at any previous time of history. (Internet 1) The United States had built its economic and political strength by exploiting the nation's natural resources; but Roosevelt, like other leading conservationists, no longer believed that these natural resources were infinite in their abundance. The end of the nineteenth century brought the closing of the frontier, the near extinction of the buffalo, and the extinction of the passenger pigeon.

Both species had symbolized America's endless natural abundance, and their destruction forced many Americans to question the myth of nature's infinitude. Understanding the finite quality of America's natural resources, Roosevelt felt that the nation's dependency on them could now become the nation's weakness if the reckless and wasteful exploitation of these resources continued. The conservation and management of the nation's natural resources was urgently necessary to ensure their future availability. Roosevelt went on to say in his speech to the conference on conservation, "It is equally clear that these resources are the final basis for national power and perpetuity". (Internet 1) Concerned about the long term well being of the nation, Roosevelt regarded the land as an economic resource which must be conserved and managed to protect the long term economic and political strength of the nation. Roosevelt believed that conservation, as a utilitarian tool for sustained economic growth, strengthened American democracy.

He hoped that conservation would achieve the economic goal of providing the greatest good, for the greatest number, over the greatest period of time. Roosevelt stretched the concept of a democratic society to include its future members. Considering it undemocratic to exploit and squander the nation's natural resources for present profit, he believed that a democratic society should work to protect the economic strength of future generations. Conservation, having the goal of sustainable resource use for successive generations, was for Roosevelt inherently democratic. Roosevelt encouraged the federal government's acquisition and management of public lands and the natural resources within them. He wanted to use this government acquisition and management to prevent the exploitation of the nation's natural resources by industry and the wealthy for industrial or private gain and to ensure a more equal and democratic distribution of the public lands and its resources.

Describing the public land use policies of the federal government prior to his presidency, Roosevelt writes that decisions were made "in favor of private interests against the public welfare". (Roosevelt 430) He clearly states the principles guiding the land use policies of his administration: "The principles thus formulated and applied may be summed up in the statement that the rights of the public to the natural resources outweigh private rights, and must be given its first consideration". (Roosevelt 438) Roosevelt enacted land policies consistent with this democratic value of greater land distribution and resource access for the lower socio-economic classes he opened up National Forests lands suitable for agriculture to small farmers and challenged the exclusive grazing rights of large ranchers on the public lands of the West. Despite the opposition of "land grabbers and the great private interests", (Roosevelt 440) Roosevelt demanded that those who used public land and resources for private profit pay the government for their usage.

This measure further strengthened the principle that public lands and natural resources belong to the public, and that they do not exist for the unrestricted use of private industry. Government land management was not only a means to achieving a greater economic equity of land and resource use, but for ensuring access to wilderness for recreation and hunting to all classes. Roosevelt wrote in his essay on Yellowstone National Park: It is entirely in our power as a nation to preserve large tracts of wilderness... as playgrounds for rich and poor alike, and to preserve the game... But this end can only be achieved by wise laws and by a a resolute enforcement of the laws. Lack of such legislation and administration will result in harm to all of us, but most of all harm to the nature lover who doe not possess vast wealth.

Already there have sprung up here and there through the country, as in New Hampshire and the Adirondacks, large private preserves. (Internet 2) Roosevelt's commitment to federal action to ensure land access to all socio-economic classes was fostered in part by his belief that wilderness recreation, and hunting specifically, engendered in men the qualities essential for good citizenship. He wrote, "The establishment of the National Park Service is justified by considerations of good administration, of the value of natural beauty as a National asset, and of the effectiveness of outdoor life and recreation in the production of good citizenship". (Roosevelt 246) Roosevelt feared that the increasingly urban population, removed from wilderness, was losing the qualities that led to good citizenship. Chief among the qualities necessary for the continued health of American democracy was, according to Roosevelt, "manliness". For Roosevelt, conservation was in part the preservation of American manhood.

He wrote, "Every believer in manliness and therefore in manly sport... should strike hands with the farsighted men who wish to preserve our material resources, in the effort to keep our forest and game beasts... ". (Internet 3) Roosevelt's construction of masculinity was one of self reliance, hard work, and courage. Roosevelt said of manliness, .".. these qualities are all important... It is necessary absolutely to have them. No nation can rise to greatness without them...

". (Internet 3) For Roosevelt, hunting and wilderness recreation best taught man these values. He feared that urbanization was leading to the emasculation of the American male; and Roosevelt considered this threat to masculinity a threat to American democracy. Roosevelt believed that American democracy was sustained by self reliant men willing to work hard to support themselves, their families, and American industry, upon which democracy rested.

These men were committed to the betterment of themselves and their community, and were willing and able to fight for the survival of the nation courageously. For Roosevelt, American democracy was dependent on the hard work and participation of citizens committed to the growth of the nation. Emasculated, men would lose their willingness and ability to work hard to support themselves, their families, or American industry; their commitment to their communities and the nation would be overwhelmed by idleness. Without wilderness and a large stock of game animals upon which men could hunt, to which men from the cities could retreat, the nation would lose the site of its masculinity. Believing this loss would weaken democracy, Roosevelt was committed to preserving wild game and wilderness. Roosevelt held the belief that the land itself, not as a source of economic wealth or a place for wilderness activity, but as sublime landscape and as part of the nation's history, embodied the national character and the democratic ideals of the United States and was for this alone worth preserving.

Roosevelt still held on to the romantic ideal of the sublime and valued the land for that intangible spirit romantics believed it could inspire. During a speech given at the Grand Canyon he stated: "I hope you will not have a building of any kind, not a summer cottage, a hotel or anything else, to mar the wonderful grandeur, sublimity, the great loneliness and beauty of the canon. Leave it as it is. You cannot improve on it; not a bit... What you can do is to keep it for your children, your children's children and for all who come after you, as one of the great sights which every American, if he can travel at all, should see. This sublime site embodied something inexpressibly American for Roosevelt.

His call for all Americans to visit the Grand Canyon suggests that Roosevelt believed that the sublimity of the sight inspired something in the people who viewed it that was important to the development of the national character". (Internet 4) Roosevelt also viewed nature as part of the nation's history and national identity. Lacking the long history and cultural traditions of European nations, Americans turned to the natural landscape, placing it within the construction of the nation's historical identity. The monumental natural sites of America and its unique wildlife were a source of pride for the nation, contributing to what many believed to be America's uniqueness, and greatness, among nations. Roosevelt wrote: "Birds should be saved because of utilitarian reasons; and, moreover, they should be saved because of reasons unconnected with any return in dollars and cents. A grove of giant redwoods or sequoias should be kept just as we keep a great and beautiful cathedral.

The extermination of the passenger pigeon meant that mankind was just so much poorer; exactly as in the case of the destruction of the cathedral at Rheims". (Roosevelt 289) Roosevelt considered the landscapes and wildlife within the American wilderness of equal historical and cultural significance to the manmade cultural treasures of Europe. Their loss would be a loss of part of America's national history and democratic character. Roosevelt's notion that nature, in its sublimity and wildness, inspired important values among a nation's citizens existed comfortably along side his utilitarian constructions of nature.

He looked upon nature as an economic resource which man could improve upon, but he romantically imbued it with the capacity to inspire and teach as well. This contradiction in Roosevelt's construction of wilderness, devaluating nature to an economic resource while at the same time giving it spiritual powers, was the basic ideological framework of Roosevelt's conservationism. He viewed conservation as a means of protecting the nation's economic stability and its spiritual well being, both of which Roosevelt believed were fundamental to the continued strength of American democracy, conservation's greater goal. Roosevelt, Theodore. "Bird Reserves at the Mouth of the Mississippi". A Book Lover's Holiday in the Open.

New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1916.274 (Obtained Via Telnet-Internet Virtual Library: History via CARRIE) INTERNET 1: Roosevelt, Theodore. "Publicizing Conversation at the White House". http: //205.184. 3.2. /nba / speech /1908 roos. html - The text is taken from the President's opening address to a conference of governors held at the White House to discuss conservation policy in 1908 Roosevelt, Theodore. An Autobiography. New York: MacMillan, 1913.430 (telnet, unknown address) Roosevelt, Theodore. An Autobiography.

New York: MacMillan, 1913.438 (telnet, unknown address) Roosevelt, Theodore. An Autobiography. New York: MacMillan, 1913.440 (telnet, unknown address) INTERNET 2: Roosevelt, Theodore. "Wilderness Reserves: The Yellow Stone Park". web Roosevelt, Theodore. "A National Park Service".

The Outlook. 3 Feb. 1912: 246 (Obtained Via Telnet-Internet Virtual Library: History via CARRIE) INTERNET 3: Roosevelt, Theodore. "Wilderness Reserves: The Yellow Stone Park". web INTERNET 4: Roosevelt, Theodore. "Wilderness Reserves: A Speech at the Gran Canyon" web Roosevelt, Theodore.

New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1916.289 (Obtained Via Telnet-Internet Virtual Library: History via CARRIE).