“. . .Our People should see to it they are preserved for their children and their children’s children forever, with their majestic beauty all unmarred”
–President Theodore Roosevelt, 1903

• 42% of all U.S. land is owned by the government.
33% is owned by the Federal Government specifically.
• Mounting evidence suggests that the Federal
Government has been a poor manager.
• Playing God in Yellowstone: The Destruction of
America’s First National Park by Alston Chase details such atrocities at Yellowstone National
Park by the Federal Agency: The National Park
Service.

• In absence of predators, deer population grow uncontrolled.
• Wolves, Coyotes, Cougars were slaughtered under order of the agency to preserve deer.
• This occurred for instance in 1906 at Kaibab
North Plateau.

• The beaver helps to create Yellowstone.
• Their dams retard the spring runoff that could clog other parts of the park.
• These beaver created ponds provide many benefits including a raised water level.
• Naturally, the beaver moves into streams lined with willow and aspen.
• Problem, the now larger population of Elk eats too much willow and aspen. Thus the elk prevents the growth of the beaver population.

• None has captured our imagination like the grizzly bear.
• However, it is vanishing.
• This is due to
– Overgrazing on berries and shrubs by elk.
– Major Construction projects.
– And bear attacks from hungry bears looking for food from touristsw with “picnic baskets.”

• With a mission of preserving nature, other forces confuse it.
– Expanding its budget
– Protect its public image

• Yellowstone was partially financed by railroads who brought tourists to the park. Railroads also built park hotels.
• When railroads dried up, the NPS changed its strategy. It attempted to attract tourists by promoting viewing of specific animals, and killed anything that harmed it.
• Visitors had no idea that was even occurring.

• To make sure that the agency survives, they must look like they are competent.
• The Park Services accomplished this goal in two ways:
– Severely limiting research of any kind in the parks
– Controlling the research as well

• Two biggest vices:
– Road building
– Subsidized timber

• Harm from Road building

• Subsidized timber harvesting: politics of the
USFS
• Knutson-Vanderberg (K_V) Act of 1930

Table 1
An Illustration of Tie-In Timber Sales
(One Million Board Feet)
Commercial Value
Sale Price of Timber
Forest Service Income
Income to U.S. Treasury
Separate Sales Combined Sales
"Good" Timber "Bad" Timber "Tie-In" Sales
$100,000
$100,000
-$80,000
0
$20,000
$20,000
$9,000
$91,000
0
0
$18,000
$2,000