Roosevelt, Theodore Administration

Early Influences

Roosevelt never outgrew his childhood interest in the natural world. From his ranch in North Dakota he wrote several books drawing on his experiences on the Western frontier. Among his writings are: Hunting Trips of a Ranchman (1885), The Winning of the West (1889–96) and Ranch Life and the Hunting Trail (1888). While living on the ranch Roosevelt became concerned over disappearing wildlife habitat, which he believed was the result of uncontrolled cattle grazing.

His fears about overgrazing were realized when a major drought occurred in the summer of 1886, followed by an unusually brutal winter that killed hundreds of thousands of livestock by starvation and exposure. This event, known as Great Die-Up of 1886–87, coupled with a lifetime of exploration and study of nature, fostered in Roosevelt a concern for the sustainable use and protection of natural resources that played a central role in the domestic policy of his presidency.

Three Principles

Roosevelt's concern over the environment was driven by three principles: conservation should serve as a utilitarian tool for sustained economic growth providing the greatest good for the greatest number; wilderness and frontier experiences played a critical role in shaping America's identity; and the nation's unique natural wealth should be protected for future generations. The challenge in balancing these views is illustrated in Roosevelt's 1903 speech on the forestry service. According to Roosevelt, the primary objective is: not to preserve forests because they are beautiful—though that is good in itself—not to preserve them because they are refuges for the wild creatures of the wilderness—though that too is good in itself—but the primary object of forest policy … is the making of prosperous homes, is part of the traditional policy of homemaking in our country. Roosevelt's belief in the importance of natural resources for “homemaking” was reflected in his conviction that conservation should be a central element of a strong democracy. He believed that westward expansion and frontier life in the United States had created an identity for Americans that separated them from their European roots. And he hoped to provide the opportunity for modern Americans to experience the wilderness, where they could develop self-reliance and courage and experience the benefits of hard work, attributes that Roosevelt felt were central to a strong democracy.

But Roosevelt worried that the nation's dependency on natural resources could become a weakness if these resources were overexploited. In 1907, in his Seventh Annual Message to Congress, Roosevelt declared: there must be a realization of the fact that to waste, to destroy our natural resources, to skin and exhaust the land …, will result in undermining in the days of our children the very prosperity which we ought by right to hand down to them amplified and developed. It was a blending of Roosevelt's utilitarian ethic, his conviction that conservation strengthens democracy, and his romantic notion that the transcendent qualities of nature enriched mankind's spirit that inspired him to create the first of many protected areas. In 1903, Roosevelt visited Pelican Island in Florida, a nesting ground for shorebirds. Current fashion had driven a demand for plumes for women's hats that was decimating shorebird populations. To counter the possibility of massive extinction, Roosevelt created Pelican Island Bird Reservation, the first of over 50 bird refuges that he established during his presidency.

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