WILDERNESS RESERVES.* 



BY 



PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT. 

 PART I. 



NOTE. This article, with its accompanying illustrations, forms a part of the fourth and 

 latest volume of the Books of the Boone and Crocket Club, and is reprinted here through the 

 courtesy of the editor, Mr. George Bird Grinnell. In addition to being a remarkably enter- 

 taining sketch of wild-animal life in the United States, it is valuable as giving President Roose- 

 velt's view of the purpose of our national parks and forest reserves. To those of our readers 

 unacquainted with the Boone and Crocket Club, it may be well to say that its organization was 

 due to a suggestion by Theodore Roosevelt at a dinner given by him to a few of his friends in 

 New York in 1887 men who were also big-game hunters. The club is made up of men who 

 use the rifle in big-game hunting, and who meet from time to time to discuss subjects of interest 

 to hunters. In addition, the Boone and Crocket Club takes a keen interest in the preservation 

 of the big game of the United States, and has brought about notable improvements and addi- 

 tions to our game laws. Mr. Roosevelt was the first president of the club, and was for many 

 years on its editorial committee EDITOR. 



THE practical common sense of the The wild creatures of the wilderness 

 American people has been in no add to it by their presence a charm which 

 way made more evident during the last it can acquire in no other way. On every 

 few years than by the creation and use ground it is well for our nation to pre- 

 of a series of large land reserves situ- serve, not only for the sake of this gen- 

 ated, for the most part, on the great eration, but above all for the sake of 

 plains and among the mountains of the those who come after us, representatives 

 West intended to keep the forests from of the stately and beautiful haunters 

 destruction, and therefore to conserve of the wilds which were once found 

 the water supply. These reserves are throughout our great forests, over the 

 created purely for economic purposes. vast, lonely plains, and on the high 

 The semi-arid regions can only support mountain ranges, but which are now on 

 a reasonable population under conditions the point of vanishing save where they 

 of the strictest economy and wisdom in are protectedin natural breedinggrounds 

 the use of the water supply, and, in ad- and nurseries. The work of preserva- 

 dition to their other economic uses, the tion must be carried on in such a way as 

 forests are indispensably necessary for to make it evident that we are working 

 the preservation of the water supply and in the interest of the people as a whole, 

 for rendering possible its useful distri- not in the interest of any particular 

 bution throughout the proper seasons, class, and that the people benefited be- 

 In addition, however, to the economic yond all others are those who dwell 

 use of the wilderness by preserving it nearest to the regions in which the re- 

 for such purposes where it is tins ui ted serves are placed. The movement for 

 for agricultural uses, it is wise here and the preservation by the nation of sec- 

 there to keep selected portions of it of tions of the wilderness as national play- 

 course only those portions unfit for set- groundsisessentiallyademocraticmove- 

 tlement in a state of nature, not merely ment in the interest of all our people, 

 for the sake of preserving the forests and On April 8, 1 903, John Burroughs and 

 the water, but for the sake of preserv- I reached the Yellowstone Park, and 

 ing all its beauties and wonders unspoiled were met by Major John Pitcher, of the 

 by greedy and shortsighted vandalism. regular army, the superintendent of the 

 These beauties and wonders include ani- park. The Major and I forthwith took 

 mate as well as inanimate objects. horses, he telling me that he could show 



*The text and illustrations of this article are copyrighted by the Forest and Stream Pub- 

 lishing Company, by whose special permission they are reprinted here. 



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