ILLINOIS AUDUBON SOCIETY 



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then known to exist in the West : and he created five national parks, four 

 big game refuges and fifty-one bird reservations, and secured the enactment 

 of laws for the protection of wild life. It is safe to say that more was 

 begun and done to conserve natural resources during the presidency of 

 Roosevelt than during all time before and after that brief seven and one- 

 half years. 



Roosevelt grasped the big ideas of men with a swiftness that was mar- 

 velous. Being a broad-minded, practical man, he put into the hands of men 

 the means for developing their ideas and by his enthusiasm, public spirited 

 example and unflinching support inspired them to great achievements. A 

 man imbued with the conservation idea brought his idea to Roosevelt. 

 Roosevelt saw immediately. He called the governors together — the first 

 time in history — to consider, with federal officials, scientists and others, a 

 national problem, the conservation of natural resources. As a result of this 

 memorable conference he appointed the National Conservation Commis- 

 sion, with the man of the idea as its chairman. This Commission made the 

 first natural resources inventory known to history. He called the North 

 American Conservation Conference, at which the United States, Canada, 

 Newfoundland, and Mexico got together on this problem. And finally, he 



