If you’ve looked at the state of our country lately and thought, ‘What would Theodore Roosevelt do?’ this might be your answer
Hunting and the American outdoors were fundamental to who Theodore Roosevelt was—without them, he would be unrecognizable. There have been other sportsmen in the White House (Calvin Coolidge, Herbert Hoover, and Dwight Eisenhower were all passionate flyfishermen), but T.R.’s greatness cannot be separated from his passion for the outdoors, which is what makes him the patron saint of conservation in America.
So, it’s no wonder we’re thinking of him today, as his 162nd birthday coincides with a pivotal time for our nation and the conservation priorities he helped to set in motion.
Theodore Roosevelt led with a clarity of purpose, and he would have seen clearly the task facing modern-day hunters and anglers—it is no less than the survival of our outdoor traditions. The future of hunting and fishing, not to mention our fish and wildlife resources, is in the hands of decision-makers who are often uninformed or downright hostile. But it is also in our hands. We must move fish and wildlife conservation up the hierarchy of our own political decision-making and vote accordingly.
If, like Roosevelt, hunting and angling are foundational to your very being, something you want to pass down to your children, then you can’t afford to be passive about policies that will affect your access or the responsible management of fish and wildlife habitat.
A generation ago, many elected leaders learned the language of the land as kids, knew the culture of opening day, and shared stories of blaze orange and bird dogs at the Formica counters of small town diners. But today, the lawmakers who understand our culture beyond its value at the voting booth are few and far between. This reality reflects broader trends: an increasingly urban population that’s more and more profoundly disconnected from wildlife and wild places.
Still there is no more important issue in this country than conservation, and to celebrate T.R. is to celebrate his famous maxim.
Subsequently we must hold our elected officials accountable when they make decisions that threaten habitat and access. We must inform others, and be informed ourselves, on the importance of the North American model of wildlife management, and explain how hunters and anglers play an absolutely essential role in the funding of conservation work. After all, following in T.R.’s footsteps, we are the prime authors of some of the greatest fish and wildlife conservation success stories in the history of the world.
To be a hunter or an angler in 2020 is to be a steward for the future. It is no less an essential call than the one that motivated Theodore Roosevelt and a generation of American conservationists, to whom we owe a profound debt of gratitude. The hunters of the next century need us to carry that mantle forward with our words and actions.
Get started right now by urging lawmakers to include investments in conservation in any economic recovery legislation. Congress can put Americans back to work during the COVID crisis by supporting conservation programs that restore habitat, fix trails and access sites, make highways safer for people and wildlife, and build more resilient water systems. Click here to take action.
This post was originally published on October 27, 2016 and has been updated.
I certainly Theodore Roosevelt and all he stood for~Thank you Mr. Roosevelt and Happy Birthday~ God Bless You..
One of my lifetime heroes!!!
TR is virtually ignored by the conservatives of today, because of his label as a Progressive and his anti-trust positions. Republicans and Libertarians would do well to promote him.
Now for the Democrats and Progressives. It is ironic that today’s Progressives are not TR type Progressives. They and the Democrats want the government to protect natural resources, but don’t support use for all citizens. They agree with the idea of making public lands national monuments or parks, so hunting and other activities that do not suit their taste are prohibited. This is the greatest danger to sports-people of today…the loss of use of public lands.
Oh yes, I think that bumper stickers reading, “Don’t Blame Me, I Voted For TR” would be a big seller about this time.
Here in Ohio there isn’t a whole lot of public land for hunting. We have state parks and the Wayne Nat’l Forest. In December the BLM has plans to lease thousands of acres in the Wayne to gas and oil corps for fracking. This will be devastating for wildlife and water quality in the forest. I would appreciate it if you all would write your legislators and let them know that National Forests should not be opened up to exploitation by oil and gas corps. If they do it in Ohio, other National Forests will be next.
If you are in favor of the BLM or any other government agency overstepping their authority and taking ranch land or water rights from ranch families then you can go to hell and never darken my “door” again. Bundys and Fictum etc are the victims here and will go down as heros.
I agree, Teddy Roosevelt was a great conservationist. In his day, the most common mode of transportation was the horse. Today many use a powered vehicle such as a Jeep or 4×4 truck. I believe we need to factor these vehicle’s into modern conservation issues. As some people get older, they can no longer walk the long distances they could when younger, thus they rely on the Jeep or other type of powered vehicle. I know people who are mobility challenged but who enjoy the fun of fishing and camping. We need to provide opportunities for everyone, not just those healthy enough to walk everywhere they want. I pay for my fishing license as well as for the use of my Jeep and 4×4 truck. Without these vehicles I could not enjoy the outdoors. Thanks for your articles.
We should asking ourselves – who is today’s TR and what are we doing to get him or her elected?
Sadly, there is no one today who could fill TR’s shoes. There is so much happening today that a modern-day TR could sink his trademark teeth into, but unless there is some way to reincarnate the man, we are not likely to see it.
President Biden has been fighting the good fight, so maybe a younger version of Joe Biden could do it…but again I am not seeing it happen.