1. History of Environmental Movement in the U.S.

2. The first people of North America (25K years ago)
Native American peoples
mostly hunters/gatherers
little mass agriculture kept population in check
culture had great respect for nature

3. Exploitation Years (1620-1900)
First colonists brought with them 3 symbolic items:
axe
plow
gun
Manifest Destiny: westward expansion, resource exploitation was God’s will.

4. Exploitation Years Myth of superabundance Examples:
wildlife resources- buffalo
forests- Wisconsin
prairies- Cattle Barons, Sod Busters

6. Early Leaders in Conservation
Henry David Thoreau- Walden Pond, called for “preservation” of environment
George Perkins Marsh- Man and Nature, called for “conservation” of environment.
John Wesley Powell- Grand Canyon
Creation of Yellowstone Park (1872)

7. Conservation Years
1900-WWII

8. Early Leaders in Conservation
John Muir- president of Sierra Club. 1st private conservation organization.
Gifford Pinchot- 1st chief forester. Brought scientific forestry to practice.
Teddy Roosevelt ( )- avid outdoorsman, hunter, 1st president to call for conservation of the environment.

9. FDR, The “New Deal”, and Conservation Initiatives
Tennessee Valley Autority (TVA)- dams and other power services
Soil Conservation Service
Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC)- many conservation projects, put thousands of unemployed men to work
Eastern National Forests Created

13. The Environmental Era
(1950-present)

14. Aldo Leopold Park Service employee
Professor of Forestry at UW- Madison
Wrote “A Sand County Almanac”
Developed an “Environmental Ethic”
“We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect.”

16. The 1960’s Racism and Civil Rights Santa Barbara Oil Spill
Cuyahoga River burns for 3 days
Space flight, our 1st pictures of a finite Earth

17. Significant Environmental Legislation
Wilderness Act (1964)- permanent preservation of designated wild lands
Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (1968)
National Environmental Policy Act (1969)- created the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
The Clean Air Act (1970)- greatly expanded protection of air

18. Significant Environmental Legislation
The Clean Water Act (1972)- protection of all surface water in US
Endangered Species Act (1973)- identify and protect endangered species
Superfund (1980)- established rules for disposal of hazardous waste, punishment for illegal dumping

19. Permanent Protection for the Environment
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR)
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