Land Use Acts

Desert Land Act of 1977

Under this act, the government sold desert land cheaply but with one condition: the purchaser must irrigate the land within three years. TR was trying to help conserve the resources.




Forest Reserve Act of 1891

This act allowed the president to set aside forests to be used as national parks and other reserves. 46 million Acres were set aside. The land was to be used for the enjoyment of the citizen.



Carey Act of 1894

Under the Carey Act, federal land was to be distributed to the states on the condition that it be irrigated and settled. This is another example of how the land was being used and saved in the process.



Newlands Act of 1902

The Newlands Act allowed the government to collect money from the sale of public land in the west and use the funds to create irrigation projects. Dozens of Dams were created due to this act which helped irrigate hundreds of acres of land.



Progressives viewed conservation as neccesary. They realized that the land was being taken away and that we needed to conserve it. There was a battle of thought between beauty vs use, shown in the Hetch Hetchy Controversy.