Conservation

Approaches to Conservation

Conservation, sometimes called the conservation movement, gradually emerged in the United States in the context of rapid population and industrial growth during the 19th century. It was a reaction to widespread, rapacious exploitation of what most people saw as seemingly limitless natural resources. The movement's leaders in the late 19th century included Theodore Roosevelt, the avid outdoorsman who later became president; Gifford Pinchot, head of the U.S. Forest Service and a governor of Pennsylvania; and John Muir, founder of the Sierra Club.

From its beginnings, the conservation movement has been split into two major camps. Mainstream conservationists are pragmatic. They believe natural resources are for human use, for the benefit of everyone, not just a few. Conservation also has a strong element of stewardship. Natural resources need to be used efficiently now for the benefit of future generations. Conservation emphasizes the economic value of natural resources, based on efficiency in minimizing waste that occurs while extracting and processing those resources.

This was a major departure from the predominant path of development during the 19th century, which was based almost entirely on immediate needs, with no regard for the future. By the turn of the 20th century, Roosevelt and Pinchot's conservation views were ascendant, focusing mainly on forestry, which included soil and water conservation. Their approach was widely implemented by the U.S. Forest Service, which evolved in the 1870s and was established in 1891 in the U.S. Department of Agriculture. This agency manages National Forests for multiple uses, such as timber-harvesting, mineral extraction, and recreation.

Muir led the alternative branch of conservation, focusing on preservation without use to leave vast tracts of land virtually untouched by humans. Human use of wilderness areas should be limited almost exclusively to recreation, which Muir believed was sorely needed for escape from a rapidly-urbanizing [Page 280]society. Muir, who was born in Scotland, successfully worked to preserve natural treasures such as Yosemite in California. His philosophy has been carried out, not only through the Sierra Club, but also through the National Park Service, whose charter makes it responsible for preserving land in relatively pristine condition.

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