Theodore Roosevelt Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Theodore Roosevelt - Essay Example It will close with a discussion of the relevance of his decision today, some one hundred years later, and the benefits that have accrued to America. 1.1 The Origins of the Transfer Act of 1905 As an initial matter, it is important to note that Theodore Roosevelt did not create the United States Forest Service; quite the contrary, this federal agency was created and given legal powers by virtue of the United States Land Revision Act of 1891 which provided, in relevant part, that the president would thereafter have the authority to "set aside and reserve...any part of the public lands wholly or partly covered with timber or undergrowth, whether of commercial value or not." At the time, this was a skeletal piece of legislation with little immediate effect. It looked good on paper, it played well at social gatherings, but the reality was that the Act itself was lacking in real substance. This is because this initial legislation, vesting power in the American president, did not provide for any guidelines or mechanisms for using or for developing these set aside lands (Balogh, 2002). Thus, while the lands might be protected from economic exploitation, there was no mention of nat ional parks or development for public use. These lands, in short, were not only placed out of the reach of capitalistic interests but also out of the reach of purely scientific and public interests as well. Nonetheless, it was a piece of legislation, a perogative of presidential power, which Theodre Roosevelt would take advantage of a mere two decades later in order to more firmly entrench public interests, both in terms of research and public benefits more generally, with the Transfer Act... As an initial matter, it is important to note that Theodore Roosevelt did not create the United States Forest Service; quite the contrary, this federal agency was created and given legal powers by virtue of the United States Land Revision Act of 1891 which provided, in relevant part, that the president would thereafter have the authority to "set aside and reserve...any part of the public lands wholly or partly covered with timber or undergrowth, whether of commercial value or not.† At the time, this was a skeletal piece of legislation with little immediate effect. It looked good on paper, it played well at social gatherings, but the reality was that the Act itself was lacking in real substance. This is because this initial legislation, vesting power in the American president, did not provide any guidelines or mechanisms for using or for developing these set-aside lands (Balogh, 2002). Thus, while the lands might be protected from economic exploitation, there was no mention of n ational parks or development for public use. These lands, in short, were not only placed out of the reach of capitalistic interests but also out of the reach of purely scientific and public interests as well. Nonetheless, it was a piece of legislation, a prerogative of presidential power, which Theodore Roosevelt would take advantage of a mere two decades later in order to more firmly entrench public interests, both in terms of research and public benefits more generally, with the Transfer Act of 1905.