Environmental Sciences Mrs. Kirby

Environmental Sciences
Mrs. Kirby
Objectives
–
™ Contrast exploitation, conservation, and preservation
as they relate to natural resources management.
™ Outline the history of conservation in the United
States.
™ Describe the role of the federal government in
conservation.
Exploitation
–
™ Exploitation – use of natural resource without
replacement.
™ Industrial greatness was built upon our forests,
water, iron, coal, oil, and other natural resources.
™ Agricultural greatness was built upon soil and water
resources.
™ As a result, little thought was given to the future.
What does this mean?
History
–
™ The history of this country has been one of
exploitation, or using up, of our natural resources.
™ Industrial greatness was built on our soil and water
resources.
™ Agricultural greatness was built on our soil and
water resources.
–
™ Conservation – the use of natural resources in such a
way as to minimize waste and maintain the resource
in as good a condition as is practical.
™ Turn the Tide
™ Challenges
Wildlife Management
–
™ The Early Years
–  Game animals were plentiful or were they?
–  Coastal living
–  Rapid depletion
–  1630 regulations on deer hunting imposed (MA & CN)
™ In 1844, the New York Sporting Club was formed aka
New York State Protective Society.
Market Hunters
–
™ Market hunters – people who killed birds and
animals to see their feathers, furs, and meat.
™ 1890 – only 500,000 deer left in North America vs.
Native Americans that only hunted for food.
™ Close calls
The Road Back
–
™ The Lacey Act of 1900 made the interstate
transportation of game taken against state law a
federal crime.
™ This was the first federal act dealing with wildlife.
™ In 1916, US and Great Britain signed the Migratory
Bird Treaty. In 1918, this treaty was passed.
™ The first effective legislation for the protection of
migratory waterfowl. (In this case fowl breeding in
Canada and fly across the US every year.)
Other Aids
–
™ Changing patterns of land use also came to the aid of
America’s disappearing game animals and birds.
™ All across the eastern half of the US, farm acreage
began to decline in the early 1900’s.
™ This meant new forests began to spring up, which
was ideal for habit life.
™ By 1920’s the deer population began to return to the
eastern region of the US.
Laws
–
™ In 1933, Aldo Leopold, a professor of game
management at the University of Wisconsin,
published Game Management.
™ This book forms the basis for what we do today in
wildlife management still today.
™ In 1934, the Duck Stamp Act was passed. This law
required waterfowl hunters to purchase a $1 stamp
aka “duck” stamps.
™ The money is used to protect and expand N.
American waterfowl populatons.
–
™ June 30, 1940 US Fish and Wildlife Service of The
Dept. of Interior is established.
™ Hunting & fishing permits generates millions of $.
™ As a result:
–  Deer populations are at their highest in this century.
–  Alligators are so plentiful in FL, they are a nuisance.
–  Wolves & coyotes are reappearing in parts of the US
where they vanished.
Forest Management
–
™ Shortages:
–  Earliest recorded timber shortage occurred in China
5,000 years ago.
–  Egyptians experienced shortage 4,000 yrs. ago.
–  Romans imported wood from conquered lands before
the birth of Christ.
–  By 1,000AD, Europeans were running out of wood.
™ In 1626, Plymouth Colony passed America’s first
ordinance controlling the sale of timber.
History at a Glance
–
™ 1650, several colonies had passed laws against
burning forests.
™ An exception to the rule – a gift from God.
™ 1700’s-1800’s live oaks were preserved to build
ships.
™ In 1875, the American Forestry Association was
organized to promote timber culture and forestry.
™ In 1891, Congress authorized the creation of forestreserves.
™ By 1900, 33 million acres of forest reserves had been
set aside.
National Forests
–
™ President Theodore Roosevelt supported the
Division of Forestry and upgraded it to bureau
status.
™ Gifford Pinchot
became head of the
USDA’s Forestry
Division.
™ In 1905, the reserves
were renamed to
national forests.
Weeks Law of 1911
–
™ The Weeks Law of 1911 – gave the president
authority to purchase forestlands for river watershed
protection. Forest fires prevention and control
measures were also authorized under this legislation.
™ This officially linked soil and water conservation to
forestry.
Expansion
–
™ World War II – need for timber in the expansion of
the housing industry (The American Dream).
™ Upsurge of private forestry in recent years.
™ We now produce more wood in this country than we
use. However, careful management is KEY to the
future in forestry.
Soil Conservation
–
™  In the beginning, every
worker in the US was
either a full- or part-time
farmer.
™  Effects of erosion
™  Jared Eliot (1685-1763)
was one of the first to
experiment with and
write about soil erosion
and drainage in America.
™  Farmers failed to heed
warnings.
Water Management
–
™ In the early years, water was the determining factor
for where people would live, work, & play.
™ Settlers only built homes where there was adequate
water from lakes, streams, springs, or wells.
™ Cisterns met some of this need.
™ Cities could only be built where water could be
supplied.
™ Water was also used as a means of waste disposal.
When cities built sewage systems, they were emptied
into the river.
Transportation & Flood
Control
–
™ Early interest in water management cam more out of
concern for the forestry movement than genuine
concern for water.
™ In 1879, the Mississippi River Commission was set
up to help the states improve the river as a
waterway.
™ In 1882, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
authorized its cities to purchase “municipal forests”
to protect watersheds.
™ The Rivers & Harbors Acts of 1917 & 1927 expanded
the federal role in establishing and maintaining
navigable waterways in this country.
Intentions of Early
Water Management
–
™ Early emphasis in this country was not on water
conservation, it was on water as a channel for
transportation and water as a by-product of forestry.
™ Erie Canal – connected the Great Lakes with the
Hudson River in
1825.
™ By late 1920’s the US
government began
to accept responsibility
for flood control.
Other Concerns
–
™ 2nd major concern in water management arose –
prevention of flooding.
™ Flooding was a function of two problems:
–  Loss of good forest cover led to greater runoff.
–  Soil erosion led to clogging of waterways and silt
deposits on streets, residences, & highways.
™ The Flood Control Act of 1936 authorized the SCS to
develop and implement plans for upstream soil &
water conservation in order to reduce sedimentation
& flooding.