How the U.S. came to protect the natural world
"How the U.S. came to protect the natural world — and exploit it at the same time," Los Angeles Times (September 25, 2022). (Print version titled: "Our troubled history as stewards of public lands.")
Op-Ed: How the U.S. came to protect the natural world — and exploit it at the same time
One 1872 U.S. law aimed to preserve the natural world, establishing Yellowstone park. The other, the General Mining Act, sacrificed public lands.
Adam M. Sowards
Alternative versions appeared elsewhere:
What Do Mining Claims and National Parks Have in Common? | Essay
America Enacted Two Environmental Laws 10 Weeks Apart in 1872. One Encouraged Drilling Into Public Lands—The Other Tried to Conserve Them.
Adam M. Sowards
How Did National Parks and Mining Get So Entangled?
A fundamental idea animates American culture and law: that land is meant to be owned or controlled.
Adam M. Sowards
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