Perspectives: Conservation in the United States

Multiple Choice

According to Henry David Thoreau, what are the two major fronts on which the conservation movement moved forward in the United States?

• Government action and private citizens/organizations

• Industrial development and urbanization

• Scientific research and technological innovation

• International cooperation and treaties

Open Ended

Why do you think the conservation of natural areas is important for a country like the United States?

Multiple Choice

Which act made millions of acres available to settlers in 1862, and what did settlers promise in return?

• The Forest Reservation Act; settlers promised to conserve land

• The Homestead Act; settlers promised to build farms and ranches

• The National Park Service Act; settlers promised to pay taxes

• The Railroad Act; settlers promised to build railroads

Multiple Choice

How did the federal government encourage the development of infrastructure such as railroads and schools in the West during the 1800s?

• By selling land to private companies

• By granting land to states and railroad companies

• By restricting land use to farming only

• By building all infrastructure itself

Open Ended

Describe how the federal government’s approach to land policy changed by 1890.

Multiple Select

Which of the following were outcomes of the Forest Reservation Act of 1891?

• Timberland was set aside for conservation

• Private entry to timberland was restricted

• Yellowstone National Park was established

• Land was given to railroad companies

Open Ended

What did Theodore Roosevelt do to promote conservation?

Open Ended

What was the main mission of the National Park Service when it was created in 1916?

Multiple Choice

What is the main difference between pure conservationists and utilitarian conservationists?

• Pure conservationists wanted wilderness areas left undisturbed, while utilitarian conservationists believed in combining preservation with the use of natural resources.

• Pure conservationists supported oil drilling, while utilitarian conservationists opposed it.

• Utilitarian conservationists wanted wilderness areas left undisturbed, while pure conservationists believed in combining preservation with the use of natural resources.

• Both groups agreed on the use of recreational vehicles in national parks.

Open Ended

How did the National Park Service's approach to preservation and resource use create ongoing debates in the United States?

Multiple Select

Which of the following were acquired by the National Park Service during its expansion in the 1930s?

• Washington Monument

• Lincoln Memorial

• White House

• Statue of Liberty

Open Ended

What was the significance of the Lake Mead National Recreation Area to the National Park Service in the 1930s?

Fill in the Blanks

In 1980, a new law more than doubled the size of the national park system by adding over

million wilderness acres in Alaska.

Multiple Choice

Which organization was one of the nation’s first conservation organizations, and what was its main goal?

• Appalachian Mountain Club; to establish stewardship of New England’s mountain wilds

• Sierra Club; to protect wetlands

• National Audubon Society; to study bird life

• Greenpeace; to fight pollution

Open Ended

How did the Appalachian Mountain Club influence the founding of the Sierra Club, and what is the Sierra Club’s role today?

Multiple Choice

Which of the following organizations is named after a pioneering naturalist whose paintings inspired Americans to care for nature?

• Sierra Club

• National Audubon Society

• Appalachian Mountain Club

• World Wildlife Fund

Fill in the Blanks

In 1896, the Audubon movement began with the founding of the

Audubon Society.

Multiple Select

Select all the causes that the National Audubon Society works to protect today.

• Wetlands

• Endangered forests

• Wildlife refuges

• Ocean pollution

Open Ended

What were some of the new measures called for by environmentalists in the 1970s to protect endangered species and habitats?

Open Ended

How do you think the ideas of early conservationists like Henry David Thoreau continue to influence conservation efforts in the United States today?

Open Ended

How should Americans balance the rights of private property owners with those of the public, and the use of natural resources with the preservation of wilderness areas and wildlife habitats?