John Muir Vs Pinchot

Have you ever heard of John Muir and Gifford Pinchot? These two men expressed different beliefs over preservation and conservation. John Muir was America’s most famous conservationist. While Gifford Pinchot was one of America’s leading preservationist. Both of these men spent most of their lifetime defending the natural resources and the wildlife around the world. John Muir is one of California’s most important historical personalities. Born in Scotland, he has been called “The Father of our National Parks,” “Wilderness Profit,” and “Citizen of the Universe.

As a wilderness explorer, his exciting adventures in the Sierra Nevada and Alaska’s glaciers led him searching for nature’s beauty. Gifford Pinchot was born to a wealthy family on August 11, 1865, at his family’s summer home in Connecticut.

His family was upper-class merchants, politicians, and land owners. His father asked him what he thought about being a forester because not a single American had made forestry a profession. Pinchot had no idea what a forester was other than being in the woods.

Since he liked everything about the woods he decided in favor of forestry. He studied at Yale and then furthered his education by attending a French forestry school where he learned the value of selective rather than unrestrained harvesting of forests. John Muir devoted his life to safeguarding the world’s landscapes. He was the founder of the Sierra Club and a major influence on conservation in the U. S. After an eye injury, he decided to turn his eyes to fields and woods.

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John Pinchot

He walked from Wisconsin to the Gulf of Mexico, then sailed the Caribbean and the West Coast of North America, landing in San Francisco. He began writing about the western wilderness which attracted the attention of famous men of the time. He published many articles and 10 books about his travels. This led to an act of Congress that created Yosemite National Park. He strongly believed in preserving the natural land and taught people the importance of experiencing and protecting our natural heritage. Muir and Gifford had two different approaches to wilderness and the environment.

Muir believed preservation was the priority but Pinchot was determined to stop exploitation through a wise use approach of all natural resources. Both men thought management was needed for preservation. They also thought America would fail to meet its future needs if natural resources and the environment were left uncontrolled. Muir and Pinchot were also obsessed with the fury of development. They knew development was necessary but wanted to keep and preserve the forests, mountains, fields, and lakes. Gifford Pinchot was chief of the Division of forestry in 1898.

Under President Roosevelt, the Forest Service added millions of acres to the national forest, controlled their use, and regulated their harvest. Roosevelt’s successor, President Taft, did not really care for government ownership of land. This is what divided Roosevelt and Taft and led to the creation of the Progressive Party. Pinchot ran for the United States Senate but did not win. He then changed from national to State politics. His goal was governorship. This is where he believed he would have the greatest opportunity to bring about the reforms he proposed.

As Governor, his plans focused on government reorganization and economy, enforcement of prohibition, and regulating public utilities. He was elected as governor a second time but never did win the nomination for election to the United States Senate. His last years were giving advice to the President and writing a book about his life as a forester. John Muir’s words and deeds helped inspire President Roosevelt’s innovative conservation programs like the first National Monuments by President Proclamation, and Yosemite National Park by congressional action.

John Muir and other supporters formed the Sierra Club “to make the mountains glad. ” He was the first president in the club, an office he held until he died in 1914. In order to make the mountains happy the John Muir Trust shows that the damage on the wilderness over the years can be repaired. He campaigned for the creation of Yosemite National Park, which Congress approved in 1890. John Muir got the title “The Father of the National Parks System” from President Theodore Roosevelt because he was a good and influential writer.

Gifford Pinchot and John Muir encouraged preservation and conservation of our forests and natural resources. These men have started the process of repairing and keeping the forest safe. They believed in order for the United States to meet its future needs something had to be done. Many articles and books have been written to inform the people of the need to preserve. Without the achievements of this two men America and the World would not have the resources it has today. Their life reminds us of the important things that just one person can do.