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Tree conservation in historical Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania colony governor William Penn ordered colonists to conserve one tree for every five cut down -
First National Park in America
Congress passed the Yellowstone Act, making Yellowstone the first national park "dedicated and set apart as a public park or pleasuring ground for the benefit and enjoyment of the people" and "for the preservation, from injury or spoilation, of all timber, mineral deposits, natural curiosities, or wonders. . . and their retention in their natural condition." -
The Burton Act
Congress passed the Burton Act, which preserved Niagara Falls from hydroelectric power facilities. -
The National Park Service
Congress established the National Park Service. Today there are approximately 400 national parks across America, comprising approximately 4% of the entire U.S., or 84.6 billion acres of preserved land. -
Salt Lake City pollution
Salt Lake City was the first U.S. city to conduct a large scale survey of air pollution. -
Soil Conservation and Domestic Allotment Act
Congress passed the Soil Conservation and Domestic Allotment Act in an effort to control Dust Bowl storms, erosion, land use and conservation. Over 100,000,000 acres of U.S. prairie land were affected by the Dust Bowl. The catastrophe inspired the largest migration of Americans in U.S. history, as 2.5 million Dust Bowl refugees moved away from the prairie. -
Pesticide Warnings
Rachel Carson published Silent Spring, which warned about the dangers of pesticides, especially DDT, to water supplies and wildlife. The federal government outlawed the use of pesticides like DDT several years later. -
Clean Air Act
Congress passed the first Clean Air Act, which regulated air pollution and emissions. -
First Earth Day
The first Earth Day was celebrated by 20 million people across the country. Earth Day was first organized by Gaylord Nelson, a former Wisconsin senator, and Denis Hayes, a Harvard graduate student. Today, Earth Day is celebrated annually around the world. -
Exxon Oil Spill
The Exxon Valdez oil spill dumped 11 million gallons of oil, devastating Prince William Sound off the coast of Alaska, and images of oil-soaked ocean life flood American homes. Spill results in Exxon v. Baker.
