This volume traces the history of conservation on the local and state level, from 1844 to 2002. When he assumed office in 1901, President Theodore Roosevelt, building on a few earlier national efforts (like the establishment of Yellowstone Park and the enactment of the Forest Reserve Law), constructed a national dimension to the conservation effort. During his presidency, the clash between conservation and preservation became an important theme in environmental history. Over the course of the 20th century, the ideas of conservation and preservation continued to define different approaches to the natural world. Primary documents from the period are included.