Wildlife conservation

Photograph of Beef Bottom Corral prairie dog town with visitors at the scenic drive pull off.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt National Park

Creation Date

1958-08

Photograph of Lawson prairie dog town showing range survey study section four area.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt National Park

Creation Date

1955-05-21

Theodore Roosevelt does not believe the elk in Yellowstone National Park need additional winter grazing grounds. He believes their numbers need to be kept down or “…they would inside of a century, fill the whole United States; so that they would then die of starvation!”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1918-04-17

Theodore Roosevelt approves of the pamphlet on the sage grouse. He permits his name to be used in connection with the closed season on sage grouse, sharp-tailed grouse, prairie chickens, and quail.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1916-12-20

Theodore Roosevelt wishes Evert Jansen Wendell would explain his position to the committee. Roosevelt believes that the preservation of wildlife should be the most important thing to a hunter, not the size of the hunt. When he did his hunt in Africa, it was primarily in the interests of science. He thinks that a medal, if given out, should be awarded to all men who perform notable hunting feats, rather than for a competition between individuals. Roosevelt offers his diaries with the distances he shot each animal and a sketch of where he hit them under the condition that the diaries are treated with care and returned.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1912-01-23

Theodore Roosevelt thanks C. G. Schillings for the interesting pamphlet and wished that the United States deserved his praise. Roosevelt informs Schillings that he is fighting for the preservation of wild life and that the present governor of Oregon is taking a stand on the matter.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1912-01-12

Theodore Roosevelt informs Alfred Walter Heymel that he has written Hugo Münsterberg of his agreement with Heymel regarding the so-called seal hunting. If it is being done in large scale with no real purpose, than the action he took is a duty to true sportsmanship and lovers of the wild are in his debt. He goes on to discuss the difficulties of criticizing others, but in this case it is a duty to society.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-12-27

Theodore Roosevelt likes Elmer E. Harriman’s idea of bringing elk from Yellowstone to California in the name of wildlife preservation. He suggests Harriman bring this up with his own senator who could then discuss the matter with Henry L. Stimson, and include a copy of this letter showing Roosevelt’s endorsement.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-10-13

Theodore Roosevelt informs John B. Burnham that he heartily agrees with the aims of the American Game Protective and Propagation Association. He wishes New York was as successful as Maine, and laments the loss of the American wild pigeon. He believes arms manufacturers that do not support conservationism are working against their own future business.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-09-19

Theodore Roosevelt thanks William Wood for writing and applauds his work with the Commission on Conservation in Canada. He believes that the preservation of the natural world is a democratic pursuit and to the benefit of all people. He wishes Wood success with the movement in Labrador.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-09-15

Theodore Roosevelt wishes everyone understood that he cannot possibly accept all the invitations he receives and wants to avoid making speeches when possible. While he appreciates Henry Wallace’s invitation, regretfully, he cannot attend. Although he deeply believes in conservation, accepting one speech means he must field too many other requests.

Theodore Roosevelt expresses to Edmund Heller the need to quickly document big game specimens from Africa and urges him to return to Washington to finish his reports, sharing news from Frederick Selous and sending regards to friends.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-09-11

Theodore Roosevelt expresses to John Barber White that he is unable to accept another speaking invitation, as he receives many similar requests. Roosevelt feels a duty to speak out on causes like conservation, but continuing to do so would be counterproductive and lead to more requests.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-09-08

Theodore Roosevelt writes to C. G. Schillings to agree with what he has said about the fauna of East Africa, but also tells him that it is unwise for Roosevelt to send the pamplets to the German Emperor since he would be a non-German interfering in German affairs.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-09-05

Theodore Roosevelt recalls meeting “Whistling John” Willis when Willis had lost everything in a fire. He congratulates Willis on making his “way up” in life and compares Willis’s youth in the West to the Vikings. Roosevelt intends to visit the Panama Exposition and would be pleased to stop in Glasgow, Montana, to see Willis. He agrees that cattle country is turning into farming country and is glad that Willis is interested in protecting the mountain sheep and blacktail (mule) deer.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1915-02-22

Theodore Roosevelt discusses a review that he wrote concerning “The Preservation of Game and of Wild Life.” He explains that it is impossible for him to write Mary C. Dickerson and others on an annual basis because he would not have time for anything else.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1915-01-19

Theodore Roosevelt writes to Lawrence F. Abbott of The Outlook regarding a trip home to New York over the holidays and discussing business matters in regards to writing articles prior to March 1, 1915 on books about wild life and conservation. Roosevelt references the possibility of writing about William Hornaday’s Wild Life Conservation in Theory and Practice in lieu of articles written of “a militant anti-administration type.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1914-12-04

President Roosevelt accepts honorary membership in the Shelby County Deer Hunters’ Association. Roosevelt is pleased to join a group of hunters who value protection and preservation of wildlife.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1909-03-02

President Roosevelt would like Provisional Governor of Cuba Magoon to issue an order forbidding the killing of manatees in Cuban waters. Roosevelt does not want this “strange creature” to go extinct.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1909-01-09

President Roosevelt asks William T. Hornaday to attend the conference and speak about preservation of forests and other wildlife.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-12-29