Wilderness the Native American perspective

1
Wilderness (the Native American perspective)

• The American Indian is of the soil, whether it
  be the region of forests, plains, pueblos or
  mesas. He fits into the landscape, for the hand
  that fashioned the continent also fashioned the
  man for his surroundings.
• --Luther Standing Bear, Oglala Sioux, c. 1900

2
Wilderness (the pioneer perspective)

• I am now on my route from the head of the
  Columbia River, to the mouth of the Yellowstone.
  You can have no idea of the anxiety and toil of
  such a march. With returns of some value, our
  party are traversing a country frequented by
  bands of Indians whose friendship can only be
  depended on when our vigilance and strength sets
  hostility at defiance.
• --Letter from Robert Campbell,
• Fur Trader, to his brother, 1833

3
What is the public domain?
About 40 of the land in the United States today
4
Louis Clark Expedition1804-1806
5

• At the head of this river, the natives give an
  account that there is frequently heard a loud
  noise, like Thunder, which makes the earth
  tremble. They state that they seldom go there
  and Conceive it possessed of Spirits who were
  averse that men should be near them.
• --William Clark, 1806

6
John Colter
Colters Hell
7

• We tried some experiments with our first
  discovery by packing it down with armfuls of
  grass, then we placed a flat stone on top of
  that, on which four of us, joining hands, stood
  in a vain attempt to hold it down. In spite of
  our efforts to curb Natures Force, Old Steam
  Boat would literally rise to the occasion and
  throw us into the air
• --William Sublette, Fur Trader, 1843

8
Jim BridgerExplored Yellowstone around 1830
9
Map of Yellowstone by Jim Bridger, c.1850
10
Raynolds expedition 1859-60

• We were compelled to content ourselves with
  listening to marvelous tales of burning plains,
  immense lakes, and boiling springs, without being
  able to verify these wonders.
• --Capt. Raynolds

11
Washburn-Langford Expedition 1870

• Henry Washburn (surveyor-General of Montana
  Territory) Pitt Langford (journalist)
• Idea for Yellowstone as a park

Hayden expedition, 1871
12
Hayden Expedition 1871

• Ferdinand Hayden (U.S. Geological Survey),
  biologists, journalists, politicians
• Pushed to get Yellowstone designated as a
  National Park

Hayden expedition, 1871
13
Yellowstone National Park1872

• Yellowstone National Park is hereby dedicated
  and set apart as a public park or pleasuring
  ground for the benefit and enjoyment of the
  people and for the preservation of all
  timber, mineral deposits, natural curiosities or
  wonders and their retention in their natural
  condition.
• --U.S. Congress, 1872

14
Discovery of Yosemite by military (1851)

• Mariposa Battalion
• Organized by the State of California in 1851 to
  end Mariposa Indian War (1849-51).
• Found Yosemite Valley during exploration of the
  area.

15
Yosemite Grant State Park1864

• President Lincoln grants the State of California
  the Yosemite Valley

16
Yosemite National Park1890

• Yosemite remained under dual Federal and State
  control until 1906

17
Forest Service Created

• Creation Act of 1891
• President authorized creation of a forest
  reserve.
• Land administered by USDI General Land Office
• USDA Forest Service created (1905)

18
The roots of the U.S. Fish Wildlife Service

• Congress establishes U.S. Fish Commission (1871)
• Congress creates USDA Office of Economic
  Ornithology (1885)

19
First Wildlife Refuge

• Pelican Island (1903)
• 500 refuges today

20
Antiquities Act of 1906

• Gave the president the authority to establish
  National Monuments
• Petrified Forest NM
• Devils Tower NM

21
Hetch-Hetchy Incident

• Conservationists (Gifford Pinchot)
• vs.
• Preservationists (John Muir)
• In these ravaging money-mad days monopolizing
  San Francisco capitalists are now doing their
  best to destroy the Yosemite Park
• --John Muir, 1908

22
Hetch-Hetchy Valley1908
23
Hetch-Hetchy Valley Today
24
National Park Service is established

• Congress creates USDI National Park Service
  (1916)
• 37 areas included originally
• 378 today

25
Park Road Development1920-1944
Postcard from Shenandoah National Park
26
Civilian Conservation Corps1933-42

• 18-25 year old men
• 30 month
• About 2 million men served
• Worked in state and national parks

27
Creation of U.S. Fish Wildlife Service

• U.S. Fish Commission USDA Office of Economic
  Ornithology combined and named USDI Fish and
  Wildlife Service (1940)

28
World War II
29
Bureau of Land Managementis created - 1946

• U.S. Grazing Service is combined with the General
  Land Office to form USDI BLM

30
Outdoor Recreation Resources Review Commission

• Created in 1958 to
• Inventory public recreation resources nation-wide
• Measure the demand for these resources
• Recommend policies and strategies for meeting
  this demand

31
Outdoor Recreation Resources Review Commission

• Creation of Bureau of Outdoor Rec. (BOR 1973-81)
• 1973 1979 National Recreation Plans
• Recommended establishment of national programs
  (Natl Wilderness System, Natl Trails System,
  Natl Wild Scenic Rivers)
• Land and Water Conservation Fund
• Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Rec. Plan (SCORP)

32
Legislation in the 1960s 1970s

• Multiple-Use Sustained-Yield Act (1960)
• Wilderness Act (1964)
• Land and Water Conservation Fund Act (1965)
• National Trails System Act (1968)
• National Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (1968)
• Eastern Wilderness Act (1975)

33
Recent Legislation

• Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act
  (ISTEA 1991)
• Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century
  (TEA-21 1996)

34
Today in Recreation

• Budgetary problems
• No agency overseeing all recreation at the
  federal level
• Agencies more cognizant of need to manage
  recreation resources and visitors