DOCSLIB.ORG

(Teddy) Roosevelt Is Recognized As the Most Conservation-Oriented U.S

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
(Teddy) Roosevelt Is Recognized As the Most Conservation-Oriented U.S BSG New Year’s Puzzler, Jan 2019 Theodore (Teddy) Roosevelt is recognized as the most conservation-oriented U.S. president. This year’s puzzler asked which these was he not? a) Driver for establishment of first national park in the world (Yellowstone) b) African trophy hunter c) Adventure seeker d) A Republican The reason this is a “puzzler” is because the answer may seem enigmatic: often we do not now associate a conservationist with a trophy hunter, an adventure-seeker, or (especially) a Republican (party of Trump). But Roosevelt was all of these. Although he did much for the fledgling U.S. National Park System, and set aside many lands for conservation, he was not (a) a driver for establishing Yellowstone National Park. a) Yellowstone National Park Yellowstone, the first U.S. national park and the first national park in the world set aside for protecting natural beauty for public viewing, came into being in 1872. Roosevelt was just 13 years old at the time; a former army general named U.S. Seal was president. However, in 1903, while Roosevelt was president, he took a trip and “roughed it” in Yellowstone National Park (photos below), helping to formulate and motivate his conservationist thinking. b) African trophy hunter Teddy Roosevelt was an avid hunter. He began hunting as a boy in the Adirondack Mountains of New York. He became proficient at hunting when living alone in the Dakotas, while grieving the death of his wife. Here he shot trophy bison, bighorn sheep, and grizzly bears (see the movie clip I sent). Just a year after moving west he published a book, Hunting Trips of a Ranchman. He described his hunting as a “connection with nature”. He became a co-founder and first president of the Boone and Crockett Club, which today is often most recognized for keeping statistics on sizes of trophy hunting kills, but was started to help save wildlife. This was a time when overhunting had decimated many species in the US –– observed firsthand by Roosevelt because he was a hunter. Roosevelt believed that hunters should champion wildlife conservation: ironically, whereas hunters directly caused the rapid decline of many species, only hunters witnessed this, or cared (since the non-hunting public was very disengaged from nature). Roosevelt was a passionate proponent of the Public Trust Doctrine, which is the foundation of what is today called the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation –– it establishes that the public owns wildlife, no matter on whose property it resides, but government is responsible for managing it for the public, including owning and managing wildlife habitat. Roosevelt’s greatest contribution to conservation was the saving of wildlife habitat (forests, wildlife refuges, parks, etc.) In 1909 Roosevelt went on a year-long hunting trip to East Africa, sponsored by the Smithsonian. He and his son shot over 500 specimens, including lions, rhinos, hippos, elephants, many antelopes, monkeys, flamingos, storks, pelicans, ostriches, etc., which were sent back to the Smithsonian. These specimens were taken primarily for science and public display, and not simply as personal “trophies”. But Roosevelt admitted that he savored the thrill, adventure, and skill of hunting, and enjoyed posing with his kills. A result was his book African Game Trails, where he says: “Kermit [his son] and I kept about a dozen trophies for ourselves; otherwise we shot nothing that was not used either as a museum specimen or for meat...the mere size of the bag indicates little as to a man's prowess as a hunter and almost nothing as to the interest or value of his achievement.” Some of the African big game that he killed adorned his trophy room in New York, alongside his bison and elk. This is open to the public in a newly renovated national historic site. c) Adventurer In 1913, deeply dismayed after losing a bid for a third term at the presidency, Roosevelt embarked on an adventure expedition in South America. (This was much like his reaction to his wife’s death, when he picked up and moved to the western territories of the US to start ranching.) This adventure, to navigate a previously unexplored river, almost killed him (at one point he insisted that the expedition leave him behind to die). An excellent book about this little-known expedition is Candice Millard’s very well researched “The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey”. d) Republican In 1902, Roosevelt was leader of the Republican party. Ironically, at the time, that party, thanks to Roosevelt, was much more in-tuned to environmental issues than today (the party of Trump). In a later unsuccessful presidential bid, he was a candidate for the Progressive “Bull Moose Party.” Lessons The “lessons” of the Roosevelt story are that (a) people should be judged within the time frame in which they lived; (b) the “politics” of today are not the politics of yesterday; and (c) whatever you might think of trophy hunting, it is indisputable that, in some cases, it has been a driving force in conservation (read more here). Finally, I think it’s not unusual that a conservationist should also be an adventurer. What conservationists seek to preserve is the brilliance of nature, in all its forms, mysteries, and complexities. TR sought not to conquer nature, but to explore it and become a part of it by living it. .
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Oil and Gas Industry Investments in the National Rifle Association and Safari Club International Reshaping American Energy, Land, and Wildlife Policy
    JOE RIIS JOE Oil and Gas Industry Investments in the National Rifle Association and Safari Club International Reshaping American Energy, Land, and Wildlife Policy By Matt Lee-Ashley April 2014 WWW.AMERICANPROGRESS.ORG Oil and Gas Industry Investments in the National Rifle Association and Safari Club International Reshaping American Energy, Land, and Wildlife Policy By Matt Lee-Ashley April 2014 Contents 1 Introduction and summary 3 Oil and gas industry investments in three major sportsmen groups 5 Safari Club International 9 The National Rifle Association 11 Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation 13 Impact of influence: How the oil and gas industry’s investments are paying off 14 Threats to endangered and threatened wildlife in oil- and gas-producing regions 19 Threats to the backcountry 22 Threats to public access and ownership 25 Conclusion 27 About the author and acknowledgments 28 Endnotes Introduction and summary Two bedrock principles have guided the work and advocacy of American sports- men for more than a century. First, under the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation, wildlife in the United States is considered a public good to be conserved for everyone and accessible to everyone, not a commodity that can be bought and owned by the highest bidder.1 Second, since President Theodore Roosevelt’s creation of the first wildlife refuges and national forests, sportsmen have fought to protect wildlife habitat from development and fragmentation to ensure healthy game supplies. These two principles, however, are coming under growing fire from an aggressive and coordinated campaign funded by the oil and gas industry. As part of a major effort since 2008 to bolster its lobbying and political power, the oil and gas industry has steadily expanded its contributions and influ- ence over several major conservative sportsmen’s organizations, including Safari Club International, or SCI, the National Rifle Association, or NRA, and the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation.
    [Show full text]
  • The Boone and Crockett Club on Fair Chase 9/5/2016
    THE BOONE AND CROCKETT CLUB ON FAIR CHASE 9/5/2016 Why a Discussion on Fair Chase? All significant human activities are conducted under a set of ethical principles that guide appropriate behavior. Depending on the activity, these principles are molded into laws when specific behavior is required. Without ethics and laws, most activities would become unsafe and unacceptable to both those who participate in them and those who do not. Hunting is no different. It, too, has principles and laws that guide ethical behavior. In modern, devel- oped societies, there exists a general expectation that hunting be conducted under appropriate conditions—animals are taken for legitimate purposes such as food, to attain wildlife agency management goals, and to mitigate property damage. It is also expected that the hunting is done sustainably and legally, and that hunters conduct themselves ethically by showing respect for the land and animals they hunt. In the broadest sense, hunters are guided by a conservation ethic, but the most common term used to describe the actual ethical pursuit of a big game animal is “fair chase.” The concept of fair chase has been widely promoted for over a century by the Boone and Crockett Club, an organi- zation founded by Theodore Roosevelt in 1887 to work towards saving what was left of dwindling North American wildlife populations. The Club defines fair chase as “the ethical, sportsmanlike, and lawful pursuit and taking of any free-ranging wild, native North American big game animal in a manner that does not give the hunter an improper advantage over such animals.” Fair chase has become a code of conduct for the American sportsman, helped shape the foundation of many of our game laws, and is taught to new hunters as they complete mandatory certification courses.
    [Show full text]
  • 1 Updated: 1/4/2019 2:21 PM
    1 HISTORICAL FILES, Subject and Biographical A – Miscellaneous Abert, James Actors and Actresses Adair, John Adams Papers Adams, Daniel (Mrs.) Adkins, Betty Lawrence African American Genealogy African American History African Americans African Americans – Indiana African Americans – Kentucky African Americans – Louisville Ahrens, Theo (Jr.) Ainslie, Hew Alexander, Barton Stone Ali, Muhammad Allensworth, Allen Allison, John S. Allison, Young E. - Jr. & Sr. Almanacs Altsheller, Brent Alves, Bernard P. American Heritage American Letter Express Co. American Literary Manuscripts American Revolution American Revolution - Anecdotes American Revolution - Soldiers Amish - Indiana Anderson, Alex F. (Ship - Caroline) Anderson, James B. Anderson, Mary Anderson, Richard Clough Anderson, Robert Anderson, William Marshall Anderson, William P. Updated: 1/4/2019 2:21 PM 2 Andressohn, John C. Andrew's Raid (James J. Andrews) Antiques - Kentucky Antiquities - Kentucky Appalachia Applegate, Elisha Archaeology - Kentucky Architecture and Architects Architecture and Architects – McDonald Bros. Archival Symposium - Louisville (1970) Archivists and Archives Administration Ardery, Julia Spencer (Mrs. W. B.) Ark and Dove Arnold, Jeremiah Arthur Kling Center Asbury, Francis Ashby, Turner (Gen.) Ashland, KY Athletes Atkinson, Henry (Gen.) Audubon State Park (Henderson, KY) Augusta, KY Authors - KY Authors - KY - Allen, James Lane Authors - KY - Cawein, Madison Authors - KY - Creason, Joe Authors - KY - McClellan, G. M. Authors - KY - Merton, Thomas Authors - KY - Rice, Alice Authors - KY - Rice, Cale Authors - KY - Roberts, Elizabeth Madox Authors - KY - Sea, Sophie F. Authors - KY - Spears, W. Authors - KY - Still, James Authors - KY - Stober, George Authors - KY - Stuart, Jesse Authors - KY - Sulzer, Elmer G. Authors - KY - Warren, Robert Penn Authors - Louisville Auto License Automobiles Updated: 1/4/2019 2:21 PM 3 Awards B – Miscellaneous Bacon, Nathaniel Badin, Theodore (Rev.) Bakeless, John Baker, James G.
    [Show full text]
  • 6.0 Consultation and Coordination
    Chokecherry and Sierra Madre Final EIS Chapter 6.0 – Consultation and Coordination 6-1 6.0 Consultation and Coordination This EIS was conducted in accordance with NEPA requirements, CEQ regulations, and the DOI and BLM policies and procedures implementing NEPA. NEPA and the associated laws, regulations, and policies require the BLM to seek public involvement early in, and throughout, the planning process to develop a reasonable range of alternatives to PCW’s Proposed Action and prepare environmental documents that disclose the potential impacts of alternatives considered. Public involvement and agency consultation and coordination, which have been at the heart of the process leading to this draft EIS, were achieved through FR notices, public and informal meetings, individual contacts, media releases, and the project website. From the initial proposal of the project, the public and agencies have been approached for input on the project scope and development, as discussed in Chapter 1.0. This chapter describes this public involvement process as well as other key consultation and coordination. 6.1 Agency Participation and Coordination Specific regulations require the BLM to coordinate and consult with federal, state, and local agencies about the potential of the project and alternatives to affect sensitive environmental and human resources. The BLM initiated these coordination and consultation activities through the scoping process and has maintained them through regular meetings regarding key topics (e.g., alternatives and impact analyses)
    [Show full text]
  • The Pennsylvania State University the Graduate School the College
    The Pennsylvania State University The Graduate School The College of the Liberal Arts ANIMALS, TECHNOLOGY, AND THE ZOOPOETICS OF AMERICAN MODERNISM A Dissertation in English by Christopher T. White 2008 Christopher T. White Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy May 2008 ii The dissertation of Christopher T. White was reviewed and approved* by the following: Sanford Schwartz Associate Professor of English Thesis Advisor Chair of Committee Deborah Clarke Professor of English and Women’s Studies Mark Morrisson Associate Professor of English Susan Squier Brill Professor of Women’s Studies and English Philip Jenkins Sparks Professor of History and Religious Studies Robin Schulze Professor of English Head of the Department of English *Signatures are on file in the Graduate School iii Abstract This dissertation addresses a striking paradox of American modernity: the historical disappearance of wildlife from the natural environment and the simultaneous proliferation of animal forms across the cultural landscape—in literature, in visual and material culture, and in popular scientific writings during the half-century of dramatic change from 1890 to 1940. Across these venues the figure of the “vanishing animal” emerges as a dominant trope, as modern extinctions and the explosion of machine culture combine to frame animals within a spectral logic—disappearing, but more visible than ever. The first half of this dissertation examines the extensive technological, ideological, and representational apparatus through which animals and animal life are rendered in modern American culture, while the second half explores a significant, if surprising, correlative phenomenon whereby the modernized figure of the animal returns to haunt, and in fact disrupt, the very technics that facilitated its emergence in the first place.
    [Show full text]
  • The Inventory of the Theodore Roosevelt Collection #560
    The Inventory of the Theodore Roosevelt Collection #560 Howard Gotlieb Archival Research Center ROOSEVELT, THEODORE 1858-1919 Gift of Paul C. Richards, 1976-1990; 1993 Note: Items found in Richards-Roosevelt Room Case are identified as such with the notation ‘[Richards-Roosevelt Room]’. Boxes 1-12 I. Correspondence Correspondence is listed alphabetically but filed chronologically in Boxes 1-11 as noted below. Material filed in Box 12 is noted as such with the notation “(Box 12)”. Box 1 Undated materials and 1881-1893 Box 2 1894-1897 Box 3 1898-1900 Box 4 1901-1903 Box 5 1904-1905 Box 6 1906-1907 Box 7 1908-1909 Box 8 1910 Box 9 1911-1912 Box 10 1913-1915 Box 11 1916-1918 Box 12 TR’s Family’s Personal and Business Correspondence, and letters about TR post- January 6th, 1919 (TR’s death). A. From TR Abbott, Ernest H[amlin] TLS, Feb. 3, 1915 (New York), 1 p. Abbott, Lawrence F[raser] TLS, July 14, 1908 (Oyster Bay), 2 p. ALS, Dec. 2, 1909 (on safari), 4 p. TLS, May 4, 1916 (Oyster Bay), 1 p. TLS, March 15, 1917 (Oyster Bay), 1 p. Abbott, Rev. Dr. Lyman TLS, June 19, 1903 (Washington, D.C.), 1 p. TLS, Nov. 21, 1904 (Washington, D.C.), 1 p. TLS, Feb. 15, 1909 (Washington, D.C.), 2 p. Aberdeen, Lady ALS, Jan. 14, 1918 (Oyster Bay), 2 p. Ackerman, Ernest R. TLS, Nov. 1, 1907 (Washington, D.C.), 1 p. Addison, James T[hayer] TLS, Dec. 7, 1915 (Oyster Bay), 1p. Adee, Alvey A[ugustus] TLS, Oct.
    [Show full text]
  • The Boone and Crockett Club on Conservation and Preservation
    THE BOONE AND CROCKETT CLUB ON CONSERVATION AND PRESERVATION Why a Discussion of Conservation and Preservation More people are engaging in and having a greater influence on natural resource issues than ever before through voter initiatives, public forums, and social media. They want to do what is best, yet are not necessarily familiar with the two primary approaches by which natural resources are managed— conservation and preservation. Conservation and preservation are terms everyone has heard of, but for many people they remain loosely defined and not well understood. There is a growing belief that “letting nature take its course” with no human interference is the best philosophy for the treatment of natural resources. Many are mistakenly or intentionally calling this way of thinking conservation, though it is more closely aligned with preservation. These misconceptions are helping to shift the management of natural resources from a successful “hands-on” conservation approach to a “hands-off” preservation approach, which is proving to have serious negative implications. Conservation and preservation are both concerned with protection and betterment of the environment, but they are based on different philosophies that produce different results. Conservation focuses on using and managing natural resources to benefit people, but in keeping within the limits of supply, regrowth, and change, both natural and human-influenced. It is the most widely used and accepted model for the management of natural resources, including wildlife, in North America. Preservation is a philosophy that generally views people as a negative influence on nature, and seeks to keep natural resources in a pristine state by limiting use and excluding active management by people.
    [Show full text]
  • Participant List
    Participant List Name Organization Business Phone Business Email Achterman, Gail Inst. for Nat. Resources, OR State Univ. 541-740-3190 [email protected] Ack, Brad Puget Sound Action Team Partnership 360-725-5437 [email protected] Ackelson, Mark Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation 515-288-1846 [email protected] Adair, Steve Ducks Unlimited, Inc. 701-355-3511 [email protected] Adams, Bruce San Juan County Commission 435-587-2820 [email protected] Adams, Laurie Davies Coevolution Institute 415-362-1137 [email protected] Adams, Les Ntn’l Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration 202-482-6090 [email protected] Addor, Mary Lou Natural Resources Leadership Institute 919-515-9602 [email protected] Adkins, Carol Federal Highway Administration 202-366-2024 [email protected] Agpaoa, Liz USDA Forest Service 202-205-1661 [email protected] Albrecht, Virginia S. Hunton & Williams, LLP 202-955-1943 [email protected] Alden Weingardt, Susan USDA Forest Service 510-559-6342 [email protected] Aldrich, James The Nature Conservancy 859-259-9655 [email protected] Allen, Diana National Park Service 314-436-1324 x112 [email protected] Anderson, Bob United Winegrowers for Sonoma County 707-433-7319 [email protected] Anderson, David Office of Management and Budget [email protected] Anderson, John R. Monsanto Company 919-821-9295 [email protected] Annand, Fred The Nature Conservancy, NC Chapter 919-403-8558 [email protected] Antoine, AICP, Todd Great Rivers Greenway District 314-436-7009 [email protected] Anzalone, Ronald D. Advisory Council on Historic Preservation 202-606-8523 [email protected] Arce, Mardi NPS, Jefferson National Expansion Memorial 314-655-1643 [email protected] Archuletta, Phil P&M Plastics, Inc.
    [Show full text]
  • Technical Review 12-04 December 2012
    The North American Model of Wildlife Conservation Technical Review 12-04 December 2012 1 The North American Model of Wildlife Conservation The Wildlife Society and The Boone and Crockett Club Technical Review 12-04 - December 2012 Citation Organ, J.F., V. Geist, S.P. Mahoney, S. Williams, P.R. Krausman, G.R. Batcheller, T.A. Decker, R. Carmichael, P. Nanjappa, R. Regan, R.A. Medellin, R. Cantu, R.E. McCabe, S. Craven, G.M. Vecellio, and D.J. Decker. 2012. The North American Model of Wildlife Conservation. The Wildlife Society Technical Review 12-04. The Wildlife Society, Bethesda, Maryland, USA. Series Edited by Theodore A. Bookhout Copy Edit and Design Terra Rentz (AWB®), Managing Editor, The Wildlife Society Lisa Moore, Associate Editor, The Wildlife Society Maja Smith, Graphic Designer, MajaDesign, Inc. Cover Images Front cover, clockwise from upper left: 1) Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) kittens removed from den for marking and data collection as part of a long-term research study. Credit: John F. Organ; 2) A mixed flock of ducks and geese fly from a wetland area. Credit: Steve Hillebrand/USFWS; 3) A researcher attaches a radio transmitter to a short-horned lizard (Phrynosoma hernandesi) in Colorado’s Pawnee National Grassland. Credit: Laura Martin; 4) Rifle hunter Ron Jolly admires a mature white-tailed buck harvested by his wife on the family’s farm in Alabama. Credit: Tes Randle Jolly; 5) Caribou running along a northern peninsula of Newfoundland are part of a herd compositional survey. Credit: John F. Organ; 6) Wildlife veterinarian Lisa Wolfe assesses a captive mule deer during studies of density dependence in Colorado.
    [Show full text]
  • Circular 5. Organization and Officials
    UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE Circular No. 5 fy' ii^iMcC^m Issued April 1943 ORGANIZATIONS AND OFFICIALS CONCERNED WITH WILDLIFE PROTECTION: 1942 Compiled by Harry C. Oberholser Division of Public Relations, Fish and Wildlife Service CONTENTS I'age Introduction 1 Newfoundland Government organizations 2$ United States Government organizations 2 Organizations in Mexico. 2* General non-government organizations 5 Organizations in the West Indies 24 Organizations in States and Territories 8 Organizations in Central America 24 Canadian Government organizations 22 Organizations in South America 24 Organizations in Canadian Provinces and Territories 22 INTRODUCTION Following the practice of the Bureau of Biological Survey, the Fish and Wildlife Service issues this, the forty-first edition of the directory of organizations and officials concerned with wildlife pro- tection. It is designed to meet the needs of officials charged with the administration and enforcement of fish and game laws, and is also for the convenient use of persons desiring to communicate with officials and organizations concerning wdldlife conditions in the several States and Territories, the Canadian Provinces and Territories, New^foundland, Mexico, the West Indies, Central America, and South America. Including chiefly the organizations that are national or State-wide in character, the directory follows the general form of previous editions.^ Details regarding the seasons for migratory game bird hunting and restrictions thereon may be obtained
    [Show full text]
  • The Cultural Politics of American Sport Hunters, 1880-19101
    Journal of Leisure Research Copyright 2003 2003, Vol. 35, No. 4, pp. 455-474 National Recreation and Park Association The Hunter's Aim: The Cultural Politics of American Sport Hunters, 1880-19101 Daniel Justin Herman Department of History Central Washington University American sport hunters of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries "aimed" to reclaim the frontier past, to sanctify individualism, and to demon- strate their superiority to women and immigrants. Sport hunters, however, achieved ironic results. In proposing that hunting had made Americans great, hunters forgot that Americans had once attributed their greatness to farming. In protecting their sport as a rite of individualism, hunters gave new powers to government. In identifying their sport as a badge of ethnic superiority, hunters undermined hunting as a badge of sexual superiority. In demonstrating their imperial control over the world, hunters demonstrated their fear of a world out of control. At the same time, however, hunters bequeathed to modern Ameri- cans an important legacy: the conservation of game. KEYWORDS: Ethnicity, gender, hunting, imperialism, Theodore Roosevelt, sport. Judging by its appearance in national periodicals, sport hunting in the United States reached its pinnacle in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Between 1865 and 1900, no less than thirty-nine weekly and monthly American journals were devoted to field sports, including Forest and Stream, The American Sportsman, The American Field, Outdoor Life, Recreation, Outing, and Turf, Field, and Farm. In perusing these journals, one immediately discovers that hunting was the most ubiquitous of American fields sports (apart from fishing) and the most symbolically charged.
    [Show full text]
  • Wolf Recovery and Conservation
    Jeremy T. Bruskotter The Ohio State University School of Environment and Natural Resources 210 Kottman Hall 2021 Coffey Rd Columbus, OH 43210 614/595-7036 [email protected] The Challenge of Conserving Carnivores in the American West JEREMY T. BRUSKOTTER School of Environment and Natural Resources, The Ohio State University, 2021 Coffey Rd., 210 Kottman Hall, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA ADRIAN TREVES Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, University of Wisconsin- Madison, 30A Science Hall, 550 North Park St., Madison, WI 53706, USA JONATHAN G. WAY Eastern Coyote Research, 89 Ebenezer Road, Osterville, MA, 02655, USA Introduction After their eradication from most of the conterminous United States, large carnivore populations, including grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horribilis), mountain lions/cougars (Puma concolor), and gray wolves (Canis lupus), increased in the last quarter century. However, most of the conservation successes associated with large carnivore recovery came about because of federal, Endangered Species Act protections, as opposed to state-led efforts. Large carnivores are often viewed by ungulate hunters as competitors, and carnivore management activities are generally unprofitable for state agencies, creating an incentive to reduce or even minimize carnivore populations with aggressive lethal management. This problem arises, in part, because the ecosystem services carnivores provide are not monetized—or for that matter, even well 2 | Bruskotter et al. | Science and Politics: An A to Z Guide to Issues and Controversies understood. A review of recent legislative actions in the American West concerning wolves supports the idea that some states are attempting to systematically minimize wolf populations in response to real and/or perceived effects on wild ungulate populations and domestic livestock production.
    [Show full text]