2Theodore Roosevelt as an Environmental Conservation Icon

President Theodore Roosevelt might not have invented the conservation movement,
but he was instrumental in propelling it into public consciousness and converting the
movement’s ideas into policy. Before becoming president, Roosevelt’s greatest contribution
to wildlife conservation was the formation of Boone and Crockett Club (Miller & Jenkinson,
2020). The club’s work was instrumental in the establishment of American conservation
which included establishment of wildlife reserves, National Wildlife Refuge System,
National Forest Services, and National Park (Miller & Jenkinson, 2020).
After becoming president, Roosevelt translated his interest in wildlife conservation
into policy. In 1903, he created America’s first national wildlife refuge. In the following year,
he created 51 more refuges (Lytle, 2017). He also created three more national parks and
increased the national forest acreage by almost three times by the time he left office. In
addition to these actions, Roosevelt regularly talked and wrote about the need to conserve
wildlife.
As a result of his actions, speeches, and writings, Roosevelt made Americans to
appreciate the importance of wildlife conservation. He sparked conservation fever that spread
among important groups in society, such as urban intellectuals (Lytle, 2017). These
intellectuals took a renewed interest in the subject and wrote extensively about environmental
conservation issues thus furthering the cause of conservation movement.
The effectiveness of Roosevelt as an environmental protection movement can be
attributed to his passion and political power. There were many people who were as passionate
about environmental causes as Roosevelt but were less effective because they lacked political
power. It is the combination of passion and political power that made Roosevelt the greatest
pro-environment president in the history of the U.S. He was also an excellent communicator.

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Effectively using books, newspaper articles, and speeches, Roosevelt helped to propel
conservation movement into public consciousness (Lytle, 2017). In his policies, speeches,
and writings, Roosevelt’s guiding philosophy was that human beings cannot improve nature.
The best they can do is to leave it as it is and keep it for future generations to see it.
If Roosevelt traveled to the present time, perhaps his biggest influence would be in
the area of big game hunting. When founding Boone and Crockett club, Roosevelt hoped to
encourage hunters to be conscious of the impact of their activities on various habitats (Miller
& Jenkinson, 2020). With many animals being hunted into extinction, Roosevelt would play a
leading role in encouraging hunting behaviors that do not destroy habitats.

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References

Lytle, M. H. (2017). Crisis of the Wasteful Nation: Empire and Conservation in Theodore
Roosevelt’s America. The Historian, 79(1), 148.
Miller, C., & Jenkinson, C. S. (Eds.). (2020). Theodore Roosevelt, Naturalist in the Arena. U
of Nebraska Press.