The Young Forester
In 1891, Congress established the first forest reserves and nine years later, under President Theodore Roosevelt, there were 46 million acres of protected forests. By the time Leopold was heading for his first assignment as a national forest ranger, the park service encompassed 168 million acres of land. This was just the beginning, many of the forests were in terrible condition from overgrazzing and logging. Leopold's first job took him to Apache National Forests in Arizona and New Mexico. His task was to preserve a perpetual supply of timber for the logging industry and help make descisions about water and grazing permits. This demonstrates Pinchot's utilitarian conservationist beliefs.
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A Wolf Encounter... And the birth of ecology
As a forester Leopold conducted a relentless battle against predators- mountain lions, bears, and escpecially wolves. At this time, like many others, he thought the best way to produce more game animals is to kill the animals that hunt them. Leopold and his fellow foresters were eating lunch on a rocky ridge when they saw an old large wolf with six puppies.
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"In those days we had never heard of passing up a chance to kill a wolf. In a second we were pumping lead into the pack. When our rifles were empty, the old wolf was down, and a pup was dragging a leg into impassable slide-rocks. We reached the old wolf in time to watch a fierce green fire dying in her eyes. I realized then, and have known ever since, that there was something new to me in those eyes - something known only to her and to the mountain. I was young then, and full of trigger-itch; I thought that because fewer wolves meant more deer, that no wolves would mean hunters' paradise. But after seeing the green fire die, I sensed that neither the wolf nor the mountain agreed with such a view."
The green fire he saw in the wolf's eyes caused him to dramatically change his viewpoints. He came to believe that humans were better than, or above nature, but as a significant part of the ecosystem. He came to appreciate every creature for its role in the ecosystem and viewed everyone as equal.
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Land Protection
In 1913, Leopold was on an expedition when a hailstorm struck. He need a 18 months to recover from his sickness which he spent in bed reading and writing. William Temple Hornaday's book, "Our Vanishing Wildlife, Its Extermination and Preservation," struck him hard. It declared that:
"We no longer destroy great works of art. They are treasured, and regarded as of priceless value; but we have yet to attain the state of civilization where the destruction of a glorious work of Nature, whether it be a cliff, a forest, or a species of mammal or bird, is regarded with equal abhorrence. The whole earth is a poorer place to live in when a colony of exquisite egrets or birds of paradise is destroyed in order that the plumes may decorate the hat of some lady of fashion, and ultimately find their way into the rubbish heap. The preservation of animal and plant life, and of the general beauty of Nature, is one of the foremost duties of the men and women of to-day. It is an imperative duty, because it must be performed at once, for otherwise it will be too late. Every possible means of preservation,—sentimental, educational and legislative,—must be employed."
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Hornaday's warning made a lot of sense to Leopold. He had seen first hand how wildlife had been decimating and how unhealthy the ecosystem was. He worried that future generations would grow up not knowing what natural beauty is. Leopold began writing articles for the Carson Pine Cone to protect all natural resources. His goal was for the Forest Service to protect game animals as it did trees. Through writing, travel, and speeches, Leopold's mission was achieved.
Leave it as it is. You cannot improve on it. The ages have been at work on it, and man can only mar it. What you can do is to keep it for your children, and for all who come after you, as the one great sight which every American... should see." -Theodore Roosevelt |
In 1915, Leopold became head of tourism for the Forest Service. With this new position, Leopold fought for the preservation of two national icons today: the Grand Canyon and the Gila Wilderness Reserve.
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Last Years with the Forest Service
Leopold was growing more and more discontent with the US Forest Service. He was coming to recognize that it was more of a business and industry than an organization dedicated to protection. Too many trees were cut, and too many grazing permits were distributed leading to erosion and unattractive landscapes. In many cases, wildlife and game were sacraficed for roads, railroads, and ranches. Leaders in the Forest Service began seeing Leopold as rebellious and a threat to their operation. They moved him out of the southwest and into a desk job in Madison, Wisconsin. Leopold didn't appreciate working in an office, he wanted to be outside in nature. By 1928 he was looking for a new job outside of the forest service.