Wildlife Protection In America Essay Example

Our country's natural beauty has been preserved for years by the quick and intelligent thinking of four men, President Theordore Rooselvet, Gifford Pinchot, Stephen T. Mather ,and Ben Clark. These men saw the need for preservation before the rest of the world had begun to fight for the future of our wildlife , our environment, and saving the beauty of the Earth. Their views were different however, despite their path to achieving their goals, they all wanted the same results, a way for people to enjoy natural beauty and to preserve the Earth.

These three men were known as the “Foundation Builders”. These men were impressive however, when you add them together you find a remarkable difference, but they also created a force that would last generations. In 1901, Roosevelt was the youngest person to ever become president. President Roosevelt brought not only his youth, but also his desire for the great outdoors. President Roosevelt was an avid big game hunter. And even in the early 1900s, President Roosevelt was able to envision the future without the big game or even the rolling hills and beautiful canyons, which makes up most of this great country of ours. President Roosevelt feared there may come a time when no one would know the great beauty and wonders that made up the American pride. He knew as president that he had the ability to change the way we access and obtain our natural resources. He began to put his plan into action and brought Gifford Pinchot on board to help create what is now known as National Forests. He did not stop with the forestry, President Roosevelt had a love for nature even as a child. He filled his home with insects, and when he was well he enjoyed rowing, hiking, and exploring the natural world. His passion for nature as a child did not leave him an adult, and as president Mr. Roosevelt was able to use his electrical power to insure the beauty of the United States for generations to come. Roosevelt used his authority to establish 150 national forests, 51 federal bird reserves, four national game preserves, five national parks ,and 18 national monuments on over 230 million acres of public land. 

Conservation and big game hunting was a dream of former President Roosevelt, with his knowledge and passion for natural resources he set out to protect the Grand Canyon for the beauty and resources it held. President Roosevelt went on to say to any who felt the government was overstepping their rights, “We have fallen heirs to the most glorious heritage people ever received, and each one must do his part if we wish to show that the nation is worthy of its good fortune.” 

He could not do the task of preserving land and its wonders by himself so he brought a trusted friend on board, Gifford Pinchot. Pinchot saw the resources as accessible and even usable as long as nature was allowed to replenish itself. Given enough time and preservation the land and resources would continue to be strong, Stephen T. Mathers was a businessman and was also very rich. He felt that the Earth of America had potential to support business and individuals needs. The idea was that Mathers would use his well established business senses to explore the open ranges and canyons that were rich with resources. Stephen Mathers was probably the most different of all the men working the time of preservation. He considered the resources valuable enough to support companies and individuals. Mathers wanted to capitalize with hotels, campgrounds, and parks. Open up the resources, let others view and capitalize on them. 

The men have their own wants and needs for preserving the wildlife and natural resources. Even with their differences their outcomes were to keep the natural resources safe and valuable for everyone. 

Roosevelt created the first national wildlife refuge in Florida in 1903 and formed the U.S. Forest Service in 1905. He signed the Antiquities Act of 1906, which protects artifacts and historic ruins from destruction and allows the president to create national monuments from public lands.

Pinchot protected timber and limited the amount of available timber for commercial needs. Pinchot also limited the fishing industry; however, he felt that the resources would be plentiful if the government controlled the amount of timber and other resources available to the public. Mr. Pinchot served as chief of the forestry department until later on when he chose to publicly disagree with President William H. Taft. At that time, Mr. Pinchot was fired from his position. 

Stephen Mathers looked at the resources as public based and if the public was able to see the resources they would fall in love with them and work with the government to protect the resources. Mr. Mathers wanted railroads to come close to the beauty and open it to the public. Including the public would strengthen public view and appreciation of the natural resources and encourage the public to back the government in protected wild places. Mr. Mather wanted the world to see the beauty and the benefits of natural resources. What better way to do so, except expose the public to its beauty. Mather set out to protect the natural resources and monuments we now find so much history and beauty in. Mr. Mather set out with a dream, protecting, and sharing the United States beauty with everyone who wanted to see it.

 Ben Clark has been recognized as some of the greatest conservation men of all time. Ben Clark was fourteen years old when he found great interest in biodiversity and began to realize the connection between Biodiversity and the need for wildlife to be protected and preserved. . “Biodiversity is important because it is the life and world we live in. So the more we learn and discover about biodiversity, the better we can improve the quality of human life.” As a Biodiversity Youth Ambassador, Ben has “organized a school bioblitz to

promote youth involvement in biodiversity. . . .  there are now 250 students waiting for the second annual school bioblitz” ((Plumb)

Ben Clark took a different approach to the need to preserve our natural beauty. Ben Clark had a greater interest in the animals than the land. Mr. Clark wanted to preserve the wildlife for generations to come. Ben Clark was youthful but his knowledge of the natural world was far beyond the reach of a fourteen year old. Ben Clark is a pathway maker for other youth. He diligently seeks out knowledge and is able to show other youth that everyone can make a difference no matter what age they are.

The four people who have made a difference in our national parks and wildlife reserve worked together to preserve the  beauty of our natural beauty and historic history. Each person had their own reason for focusing resources. Each person wanted to preserve their passions for future generations. President Roosevelt wanted to see and experience the beauty of nature. President Roosevelt wanted to enjoy hunting big game and he was concerned that the day would come when the wildlife would be gone. This reason was one of the many pushes for President Roosevelt to use his powers as president to ensure the future of our history that was and had not come yet.

Stephen T. Mather was a wealthy businessman. He worked hard and became president of the BORAX company. He was very intelligent and well known in the business world. As we know many people will bend the rules to receive money; although, Mr. Mather did not seem to be driven by greed and had a real sense of how to make money and preserve wealth for another day.Stephen Mather was traveling by train with his wife throughout the beautiful country or America when we began to seek out who and what was protecting these wild animals and wild spaces. The realization that at the time there were no real laws, or sanctions to protect the wild areas and wildlife, and there were not any hard fines in place for poaching or consuming beyond a reasonable amount.  This stirred the business man within Mr. Mathers and he felt this beautiful land needed to be protected. Mr. Mather took an odd hold on the idea. He did not want to hide away the beauty or even keep it untouched. Mr. Mather wanted to expose society to this awesome land and its wonders. He wanted trails and railways to run right next to this beautiful land. The more people see the breathtaking land and its awesome animals the more people would want to defend and preserve the land. Mr. Mather felt that the land and resources would also work for the people and the government. If the resources were controlled and used in moderation everything would be fine. 

Whatever the reasons these men felt the need to preserve and protect the land and all the wildlife that depend on it. But they not only preserved the land and animals, but they also protected the environment and lives that depend on it. Each person has passion. We may not all want the same thing, but in the end our goals are the same.