Chapter 2 Environmental Laws, Economics and Ethics

Readings last Week and this Week: Chapter # 1 – “Hooknose” Chapter # 2 – “The Five Houses of Salmon” Facilitators: David Dudley and Me

Current Religions Contain Edicts about Wildlife Conservation  Christian  Muslim  Hindu

“If a bird’s nest chance to be before thee in the way,.... and the dam sitting upon the young, or upon the eggs, thou shalt not in any wise let the dam go, but the young thou mayest take ” - Deuteronomy 22:6 Religious References

Environmental History of the US o 1600s - early 1800s = Frontier Attitude Natural Resources (land, timber soil, water) seemed inexhaustible Natural Resources (land, timber soil, water) seemed inexhaustible Widespread Environmental Destruction Widespread Environmental Destruction Dominated by Frontier Attitude – The Idea of “Manifest Destiny” Establishment of Jamestown, VA

Philosophies and Actions InexhaustibleDoomedRenewable Laws Predator control RefugesStocking Habitat Management

1630 – Massachusetts - 1 penny bounty on wolves 1646 – Rhode Island - 1 st closed deer season 1677 – Conn. prohibition on export of game 1694 – Mass. begins to partially close deer seasons 1696 – Va. regulated deer season 1708 – N. Y. established upland game bird season By 1700s all states (except Ga.) had some laws Early Laws...

Environmental History of US John James Audobon ( ) Henry David Thoreau ( ) George Perkins Marsh ( ) o 19th century- US Naturalists voiced concerns about natural resource use. Audobon- painting increased interest in environment Audobon- painting increased interest in environment Thoreau- naturalist author on simplifying life Thoreau- naturalist author on simplifying life Marsh- wrote Man and Nature Marsh- wrote Man and Nature

Environmental History of US o General Revision Act Gave President Authority to establish forest reserves Gave President Authority to establish forest reserves Presidents Harrison, Cleveland, Roosevelt put 17.4 million hectares into reserve Presidents Harrison, Cleveland, Roosevelt put 17.4 million hectares into reserve Roosevelt reserved additional 6.5 million hectares before signing bill preventing further forest reservation Roosevelt reserved additional 6.5 million hectares before signing bill preventing further forest reservation 1875 American Forestry Assoc. Formed General Revision Act 1890 Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks Established

Is this Protection ? By 1900: Great Auk – extinct (1844) Passenger Pigeon almost extinct (1914) Labrador Duck – extinct Tall grass prairies White pine NE forests Few thousand bison left First stocking began 1881 – R-N Pheasant.

Environmental History of US o Antiquities Act of 1906 Allows president to set aside sites of scientific or historical importance (monuments) Allows president to set aside sites of scientific or historical importance (monuments) o American Dust Bowl (1930s droughts) Basis for Soil Conservation Service Basis for Soil Conservation Service Created by Franklin Roosevelt Created by Franklin Roosevelt 1906 Antiquities Act Creation of Soil Conservation Service 1916 National Park Service Created

Environmental History of US o Utilitarian Conservationist Roosevelt Roosevelt Value natural resources for their usefulness Value natural resources for their usefulness o Biocentric Preservationist John Muir (founded Sierra Club) John Muir (founded Sierra Club) Fought for National Parks Fought for National Parks Protect nature because all life deserves respect Protect nature because all life deserves respect

Prominent Conservationists

John Muir ( ) Native of Scotland Immigrated to U. S. in Established the Sierra Club in 1892.

Gifford Pinchot (1865 – 1946) Trained as a forester in Europe Established the first forestry school in the U. S. in 1899 at Yale University First Director of Department of Agriculture’s Forestry Division

Theodore Roosevelt (25 th President) Big game hunter Established the first federal bird refuge, forest reserves Established 23 national monuments including the Grand Canyon

Aldo Leopold (1887 – 1948) Seminal works Game Management Game Management Sand County Almanac Sand County Almanac Graduated from Yale School of Forestry School of Forestry Established Department of Fish & Wildlife of Fish & Wildlife Science at UW-Madison Science at UW-Madison

Environmental History of US o 20 th Century Naturalists Leopold- Author (A Sand Country Almanac) Leopold- Author (A Sand Country Almanac) Stegner- Author (“Wilderness Essay”) Stegner- Author (“Wilderness Essay”) Carson- Author (Silent Spring) Carson- Author (Silent Spring) Heightened awareness of DDT and pesticides Heightened awareness of DDT and pesticides Aldo Leopold ( ) Wallace Stegner ( ) Rachel Carson ( )

GameWildlifeSystemsManagement Environmental Awareness ( Present) ( Present) A.Environmental awareness increased B.Numerous laws established to protect environmental quality and wildlife - National Environmental Policy Act (1969) - Clean Water and Clean Air Acts - Endangered Species Act (1969 and 1973)

In Summary o Our history as a nation has been influenced by our ancestors, belief systems, and philosophies. o These belief systems and philosophies have changed over the past years, based on environmental evidence of degradation. o New philosophies and belief systems will likely include: an acknowledgement of interconnectedness with the surrounding ecological system. an acknowledgement of interconnectedness with the surrounding ecological system. Cultural, societal, economic, and ecological changes in response to evidence. Cultural, societal, economic, and ecological changes in response to evidence.