113 of the 1904 State 
legislature, which authorized 
the establishment of a State 
Department of Forestry and 
provided for its 
administration, the 
preservation of forests, 
prevention and suppression 
of forest fires, reforestation, 
forestry education in public 
schools, and penalties for 
violations. It was a law with 
great foresight that came to 
naught because, after 
passing it, the legislature 
chose not to fund it. 
Hardtner began fire 
protection on his own lands 
in 1905 and stepped up his 
efforts to gain recognition 
of the problem of cutover 
land. His influence was 
important for many years in 
southern forestry (Burns 
1968, 1978). 
Natural Resources 
Conferences 
Late in 1907, President 
Theodore Roosevelt called 
the first White House 
Conference on Natural 
Resources, usually referred 
to as the "Governors’ 
Conference." It took place 
May 13—15, 1908, and 
convened with the State 
Governors, each with three 
citizen advisors; the 
Cabinet; representatives of 
the press and associations; 
and other special and 
general guests. Pinchot 
chaired the steering 
committee. The agenda 
dealt with mineral, land, 
and water resources and 
conservation as a national 
policy. For the first time in 
our history, a conference 
looked at all of the natural 
resources together and 
included participants with a 
full range of interests. 
Conservation became 
politically accredited, 
recognized as policy, and a 
popular crusade. A 
conference resolution, 
drafted by Governor 
Blanchard of Louisiana, 
recommended that each 
State appoint a commission 
on the conservation of 
natural resources. Pinchot 
has said that 40 States 
eventually did take some 
action as a result of the 
conference (Pinchot 1947, 
Clepper 1968). 
On June 8, 1908, President 
Roosevelt appointed a 
National Commission on 
the Conservation of Natural 
Resources. It had four 
sections: water, forests, 
lands, and minerals. It was 
