The History of Conservation
Conservation vs. Exploitation
• Small Group:
• What is the difference between conservation
and exploitation?
• Conservation: the careful use of our natural
resources to provide as much usefulness as
possible to people both now and in the future.
• Exploitation: the using up of natural resources
with little or no regard for the future.
Small Group
• List some resources that have been exploited.
Wildlife Management
In America’s past, wildlife was plenty
• Early colonists described wildlife numbers as
“incredible” and in the “millions of millions”
• What they didn’t realize was that they settled
around plentiful “pockets” of wildlife
• By 1698, efforts were being made to regulate
hunting because much of the wildlife was
already gone in those areas.
Sports Hunters
• 1844 – 1865:
Sports hunters
pushed for
restrictions against
market hunters to
conserve game
species.
Market Hunters
• Market hunters hunted and fished for
wholesale slaughter
– The more you harvested, the greater the profit
• There were no hunting seasons to regulate
when and how many animals were
slaughtered.
– Market hunters were partially responsible for the
eradication of the passenger pigeon, American
bison, and whitetail deer
Group Discussion
• Other than market hunters, who else was
responsible for the huge decline of American
wildlife? How did they contribute?
Wildlife Conservation Laws and
Regulations
• Lacey Act (1900) – made the interstate
transportation of game a federal crime.
• Migratory Bird Treaty Act (1916 – 1918) – joint
legislation between Great Britain and the U.S.
– Protected migratory waterfowl, which breed in
Canada and fly across the U.S.
• Changing Land use: As the U.S. became
industrialized, some of the land once farmed
was abandoned and returned to scrub and
forestland.
• Aldo Leopold (1933) published Game
Management which is still used today as a
basis for game management
• Duck Stamp Act (1934) – required waterfowl
hunters to purchase an additional stamp at an
additional cost
– Stamp money is used to provide and protect
waterfowl populations
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (1940) – helps
regulate hunting and fishing throughout the
U.S.
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vg01mEh
Ckk
Forest Management
• Timber shortages have been recorded as far
back as 5,000 years ago.
• China, Egypt, and Rome all reported timber
shortages before 1AD.
• Colonists passed laws as early as 1626 to
control the sale and burning of timber
• In the late 1700’s – early 1800’s, the efforts
were to save live oak trees – but only for
military purposes
• Forest production grew from 1 billion board
feet in 1840 to 35 billion board feet in 1906.
Laws and Regulations
• American Forestry Association (1875) –
promoted timber and forestry
• USDA Forestry division (1881)
• Congress began creating forest reserves
(1891)
• Gifford Pinchot became the first head of the
forestry division (1898)
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWwUur6
uHzA
• US Forest Service (1905) – took over forest
reserves and renamed them “National
Forests”
• Weeks Law (1911) – gave the president the
authority to purchase forestlands for river
watershed protection
– Linked forestry with soil and water conservation
• Civilian Conservation Corps (Great Depression)
– trained and gave workers experience in
forestry
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwhS4W
ml4YI
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWMejNK
eqs0
Soil Conservation
• Early colonial farmers utilized a concept of
abandoning “worn out” farms
– These “worn out” areas were left with bare
ground and quickly eroded away.
• Hillsides were plowed and grasslands were
over-grazed.
• Approximately one-third of America’s fertile
topsoil has been lost to erosion.
Laws and Legislation
• US Department of Agriculture began
conducting soil surveys (early 1900’s)
• Dr. Hugh H. Bennett published the USDA’s first
soil conservation bulletin
• Congress established soil erosion research
stations
• Soil Erosion Service (1933) – worked to control
soil erosion
• Taylor Grazing Act (1934) - the first federal
effort to regulate grazing on federal public
lands. It establishes grazing districts and uses
a permitting system to manage livestock
grazing in the districts.
• Soil Conservation Service (1935) – later
became what is now the Natural Resources
Conservation Service
• Soil Conservation Districts (1937) –
associations of local farmers, businesspersons,
and others interested in the conservation of
local soils.
• Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation
Service (1937) – provided farmers with
incentive payments to offset the high costs of
soil conservation
• Bureau of Land Management - formed during
a government reorganization in 1946. Besides
protecting and managing the public lands for a
variety of uses, the BLM also maintains
custody of nearly nine million pages of historic
land documents. These documents include
copies of homestead and sales patents, survey
plats and survey field notes.
• National Association of Soil and Water
Conservation Districts
• Soil Conservation Society of America
• Soil erosion is the main side effect of
increased food production. Soil conservation
is our responsibility. Soil is our most
important resource.
Small Group
What does this quote mean?
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSRmFSKB
ypI
Water Management
• America was originally settled in areas that
provided adequate fresh water.
• Water was seen as plentiful, as was the land
• City sewage systems emptied into rivers as a
means to transport the sewage elsewhere
Laws and Legislation
• The Commonwealth of Massachusetts (1882)
– authorized cities to purchase municipal
forests to protect watersheds
• Association for the Advancement of Science
(1890) – advocated for the conservation of
steam flow, water supplies, and watershed
maintenance
• Mississippi River Commission (1879) – helped
improve the river as a waterway
• Rivers and Harbors Act (1917/1927) –
established and maintained navigable
waterways
Small Group Discussion
• Early legislation did not concentrate on water
conservation. What were the early laws
essentially focusing on?
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odngssDF
MrU
• Flood Control Act (1936) – authorized the SCS
to develop and implement plans for upstream
soil and water conservation to reduce
sedimentation and flooding.
• Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention
Act (1954) – gave conservation responsibilities
to state and local organizations
• Clean water and its distribution are a serious
concern and must be immediately addressed.
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PzOo7Pf
OI8