Gifford Pinchot and John Muir were two environmentalists, with completely different views. Pinchot's idea of conservation was that he believed that public wilderness areas could be used as a source of income for the country, if the resources were handled wisely. For example, if a forest was used for logging, it should then be replanted.
Muir showed a lot of leadership while trying to make land into National Parks instead of National Forests. He wrote many articles, and gave many speeches. This yielded a growing attitude toward preservation.
In 1905, Theodore Roosevelt appointed Pinchot as the head of The U.S. Forest Service. Because of his important position, it was much easier to influence people's opinion on the topic.
"...He [Pinchot] felt it more important to get the support of the Pacific slope and other western sentiment for his general conservation policies than that the recreational hygienic and aesthetic uses of the National Parks should be preserved."
-Robert Underwood Johnson (In his book Remembered Yesterdays in 1923, Page 307) |
Today, the battle for conservation is not over. There are many people in the world who have the same views as Pinchot, and wish to exploit the National Parks for logging and profit.
In a Los Angeles Times article dated November 13, 2014, a man named Jon Christensen expressed his feelings towards Muir and the preservation of National Parks. His views were along the lines of Pinchot's; he thinks we should take down the forests for logging. "John Muir's legacy has got to go. It's just not useful anymore." He states. This shows that if a person with these beliefs comes into power, National Parks can be destroyed.
"Without natural resources life itself is impossible. From birth to death, natural resources, transformed for human use, feed, clothe, shelter, and transport us. Upon them we depend for every material necessity, comfort, convenience, and protection in our lives. Without abundant resources prosperity is out of reach." -Gifford Pinchot (From Breaking New Ground, Washington D.C.: Island Press 1998, page 505.) "Let me assure you that we have only begun to fight, and we are not going to rest until we have established the principle 'that our National Parks shall be held forever inviolate,' and until we have demonstrated to the satisfaction of every one, including yourself, that the American people stand for that principle. We are going to keep up the good fight without fear or favor, 'if it shall take until doomsday.'" -William Colby (From a letter written in 1909, referencing Hetch Hetchy) |
National Parks Versus National Forests
National Parks
Land that is put aside and cannot be touched for any purposes. It cannot be mined, or logged.
Muir thought that conservation was to set aside land and not touch it at all. He wanted to preserve nature, and not let it be altered in any way. |
National Forests
Government owned land that can be used by a person who has received permission from the government, and pays them to use it.
Pinchot thought that making land national forests was better, so it could still be used, but with government permission, and you would have to pay to use the land. He would also replant the forests so they could be reused, but the forests would take a long time to grow back. |