The Conservation Movement Flashcards
What is one way to manage public land?
Unregulated Commons (UC): Certain areas were left open for people to use as they wanted (grazing, wood, etc.) with no oversight. PROBLEM: Leads to a rush to exploit first, with long term consequences
What is a second way to manage public land?
Private Ownership (PO): Homesteading as a way to privatize. Some favored the continuation of this model, believing that since the owner has a stake in the land they are the best to take care of it while others felt that the way to use the land and its resources was unrestrained exploitation.
What is the Wise Use Movement?
Though they borrow Pinchot’s “Wise Use” term, the movement rose in the 1980s to fight the rising environmental movement and the government regulations that went with it. Seen as an “Astroturf”, a movement that appears to be grass roots, but is a front for industry (particularly timber and mining).
What is the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge Occupation?
More of a traditional “grass roots” movement. Protesting federal ownership of public lands, grazing fees and the arrest of a rancher (Dwight Hammond) for refusing to pay those fees
What is a third way to manage public land?
Regulated Commons (RC): Consists of land that is managed by the government in the interest of society. In the late 1800s growing move away from UC and PO and towards RC
What was the Progressive Movement (Teddy Rosevelt)?
(1) Economic reform driven by the Utilitarian motto of “the greatest good for the greatest number of people”. (2) The Trust Buster: establishment of the Department of Commerce and Labor to break up the big trusts (monopolies) that had formed around steel, oil, railroads, etc.
Who was Gifford Pinchot and what did he do?
Born in 1865 to a rich family. Interested in the environment. Went to France to study forestry; (1) National Forest Service was formed in 1907 and Pinchot was made the head of it. It brought together scores of different agencies that controlled mining rights, water ways, grazing and forestry all under one agency. (2) It took a Utilitarian approach. Believed in the proper use of our society for our greater good.
What are three principles of the conservation movement?
- Development: “Conservation means the right of the present generation to the fullest necessary use of all the resources with which the country is so abundantly blessed” 2.Prevention of waste: After the wasteful and exploitative practices of wild capitalism, felt the need to make things more efficient with better control. “The first duty of the human race is to control the earth it lives upon”.
- Developed for the many: Part of the progressive movement. Property rights very strong in the U.S., so had to move quickly to protect as much unclaimed land for the greater good. Also for the long term
What are multi use resources?
To use a resource more efficiently, we need to understand its many uses (for example, rivers: used for drinking, agriculture, industry, travel and recreation)
What happens in the long term according to Pinchot?
He believed we needed to educate the public to see things long term and in a variety of ways. He saw the importance of mothers in doing this.
What was the Aesthetic movement?
- This movement was the foundation of our National Parks System. These “Cathedrals of Nature” need to be protected (preserved) for our aesthetic and spiritual well-being. No industry is allowed. It controls about 3.7% of the U.S.
- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS): It monitors wildlife populations and regulates hunting and fishing.
What is conservation movement?
- The National Forest Service: its mission statement states its job is to “sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the Nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. Its motto is “Land of Many Uses”.
- Bureau of Land Management (BLM): to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.
