WhenGovernorofNewYork，asIhavealreadydescribed，IhadbeeninconsultationwithGiffordPinchotandF。H。Newell，andhadshapedmyrecommendationsaboutforestrylargelyinaccordancewiththeirsuggestions。Likeothermenwhohadthoughtaboutthenationalfutureatall，Ihadbeengrowingmoreandmoreconcernedoverthedestructionoftheforests。
WhileIhadlivedintheWestIhadcometorealizethevitalneedofirrigationtothecountry，andIhadbeenbothamusedandirritatedbytheattitudeofEasternmenwhoobtainedfromCongressgrantsofNationalmoneytodevelopharborsandyetfoughttheuseoftheNation’spowertodeveloptheirrigationworkoftheWest。MajorJohnWesleyPowell，theexploreroftheGrandCanyon，andDirectoroftheGeologicalSurvey，wasthefirstmanwhofoughtforirrigation，andhelivedtoseetheReclamationActpassedandconstructionactuallybegun。Mr。F。H。Newell，thepresentDirectoroftheReclamationService，beganhisworkasanassistanthydraulicengineerunderMajorPowell；and，unlikePowell，heappreciatedtheneedofsavingtheforestsandthesoilaswellastheneedofirrigation。BetweenPowellandNewellcame，asDirectoroftheGeologicalSurvey，CharlesD。
Walcott，who，aftertheReclamationActwaspassed，byhisforce，pertinacity，andtact，succeededinputtingtheactintoeffectinthebestpossiblemanner。SenatorFrancisG。Newlands，ofNevada，foughthardforthecauseofreclamationinCongress。HeattemptedtogethisStatetoact，andwhenthatprovedhopelesstogettheNationtoact；
andwasablyassistedbyMr。G。H。Maxwell，aCalifornian，whohadtakenadeepinterestinirrigationmatters。Dr。W。J。McGeewasoneoftheleadersinallthelaterstagesofthemovement。ButGiffordPinchotisthemantowhomthenationowesmostforwhathasbeenaccomplishedasregardsthepreservationofthenaturalresourcesofourcountry。Heled，andindeedduringitsmostvitalperiodembodied，thefightforthepreservationthroughuseofourforests。HeplayedoneoftheleadingpartsintheefforttomaketheNationalGovernmentthechiefinstrumentindevelopingtheirrigationofthearidWest。Hewastheforemostleaderinthegreatstruggletocoordinatealloursocialandgovernmentalforcesintheefforttosecuretheadoptionofarationalandfarseeingpolicyforsecuringtheconservationofallournationalresources。HewasalreadyintheGovernmentserviceasheadoftheForestryBureauwhenIbecamePresident；hecontinuedthroughoutmyterm，notonlyasheadoftheForestservice，butasthemovinganddirectingspiritinmostoftheconservationwork，andascounsellorandassistantonmostoftheotherworkconnectedwiththeinternalaffairsofthecountry。Takingintoaccountthevariednatureoftheworkhedid，itsvitalimportancetothenationandthefactthatasregardsmuchofithewaspracticallybreakingnewground，andtakingintoaccountalsohistirelessenergyandactivity，hisfearlessness，hiscompletedisinterestedness，hissingle-mindeddevotiontotheinterestsoftheplainpeople，andhisextraordinaryefficiency，Ibelieveitisbutjusttosaythatamongthemany，manypublicofficialswhoundermyadministrationrenderedliterallyinvaluableservicetothepeopleoftheUnitedStates，he，onthewhole，stoodfirst。AfewmonthsafterIleftthePresidencyhewasremovedfromofficebyPresidentTaft。
ThefirstworkItookupwhenIbecamePresidentwastheworkofreclamation。ImmediatelyafterIhadcometoWashington，aftertheassassinationofPresidentMcKinley，whilestayingatthehouseofmysister，Mrs。Cowles，beforegoingintotheWhiteHouse，NewellandPinchotcalleduponmeandlaidbeforemetheirplansforNationalirrigationofthearidlandsoftheWest，andfortheconsolidationoftheforestworkoftheGovernmentintheBureauofForestry。
AtthattimeanarrowlylegalisticpointofviewtowardnaturalresourcesobtainedintheDepartments，andcontrolledtheGovernmentaladministrativemachinery。ThroughtheGeneralLandOfficeandotherGovernmentbureaus，thepublicresourceswerebeinghandledanddisposedofinaccordancewiththesmallconsiderationsofpettylegalformalities，insteadofforthelargepurposesofconstructivedevelopment，andthehabitofdeciding，wheneverpossible，infavorofprivateinterestsagainstthepublicwelfarewasfirmlyfixed。Itwasaslittlecustomarytofavorthebona-fidesettlerandhomebuilder，asagainstthestrictconstructionofthelaw，asitwastousethelawinthwartingtheoperationsofthelandgrabbers。Atechnicalcompliancewiththeletterofthelawwasallthatwasrequired。
Theideathatournaturalresourceswereinexhaustiblestillobtained，andtherewasasyetnorealknowledgeoftheirextentandcondition。
TherelationoftheconservationofnaturalresourcestotheproblemsofNationalwelfareandNationalefficiencyhadnotyetdawnedonthepublicmind。ThereclamationofaridpubliclandsintheWestwasstillamatterforprivateenterprisealone；andourmagnificentriversystem，withitssuperbpossibilitiesforpublicusefulness，wasdealtwithbytheNationalGovernmentnotasaunit，butasadisconnectedseriesofpork-barrelproblems，whoseonlyrealinterestwasintheireffectonthereelectionordefeatofaCongressmanhereandthere——atheorywhich，Iregrettosay，stillobtains。
TheplaceofthefarmerintheNationaleconomywasstillregardedsolelyasthatofagroweroffoodtobeeatenbyothers，whilethehumanneedsandinterestsofhimselfandhiswifeandchildrenstillremainedwhollyoutsidetherecognitionoftheGovernment。
AlltheforestswhichbelongedtotheUnitedStateswereheldandadministeredinoneDepartment，andalltheforestersinGovernmentemploywereinanotherDepartment。Forestsandforestershadnothingwhatevertodowitheachother。TheNationalForestsintheWestthencalledforestreserveswerewhollyinadequateinareatomeetthepurposesforwhichtheywerecreated，whiletheneedforforestprotectionintheEasthadnotyetbeguntoenterthepublicmind。
SuchwastheconditionofthingswhenNewellandPinchotcalledonme。
Iwasawarmbelieverinreclamationandinforestry，and，afterlisteningtomytwoguests，IaskedthemtopreparematerialonthesubjectformetouseinmyfirstmessagetoCongress，ofDecember3，1901。Thismessagelaidthefoundationforthedevelopmentofirrigationandforestryduringthenextsevenandone-halfyears。Itsetforththenewattitudetowardthenaturalresourcesinthewords：
“TheForestandwaterproblemsareperhapsthemostvitalinternalproblemsoftheUnitedStates。”
Onthedaythemessagewasread，acommitteeofWesternSenatorsandCongressmenwasorganizedtoprepareaReclamationBillinaccordancewiththerecommendations。ByfarthemosteffectiveoftheSenatorsindraftingandpushingthebill，whichbecameknownbyhisname，wasNewlands。Thedraftofthebillwasworkedoverbymeandothersatseveralconferencesandrevisedinimportantparticulars；myactiveinterferencewasnecessarytopreventitfrombeingmadeunworkablebyanundueinsistenceuponStatesRights，inaccordancewiththeeffortsofMr。MondellandotherCongressmen，whoconsistentlyfoughtforlocalandprivateinterestsasagainsttheinterestsofthepeopleasawhole。
OnJune17，1902，theReclamationActwaspassed。ItsetasidetheproceedsofthedisposalofpubliclandsforthepurposeofreclaimingthewasteareasofthearidWestbyirrigatinglandsotherwiseworthless，andthuscreatingnewhomesupontheland。ThemoneysoappropriatedwastoberepaidtotheGovernmentbythesettlers，andtobeusedagainasarevolvingfundcontinuouslyavailableforthework。
TheimpatienceoftheWesternpeopletoseeimmediateresultsfromtheReclamationActwassogreatthatredtapewasdisregarded，andtheworkwaspushedforwardataratepreviouslyunknowninGovernmentaffairs。Later，asinalmostallsuchcases，therefollowedthecriticismsofallegedillegalityandhastewhicharesoeasytomakeafterresultshavebeenaccomplishedandtheneedforthemeasureswithoutwhichnothingcouldhavebeendonehasgoneby。ThesecriticismswereincharacterpreciselythesameasthatmadeabouttheacquisitionofPanama，thesettlementoftheanthracitecoalstrike，thesuitsagainstthebigtrusts，thestoppingofthepanicof1907bytheactionoftheExecutiveconcerningtheTennesseeCoalandIronCompany；and，inshort，aboutmostofthebestworkdoneduringmyadministration。
WiththeReclamationwork，aswithmuchotherworkunderme，themeninchargeweregiventounderstandthattheymustgetintothewateriftheywouldlearntoswim；and，furthermore，theylearnedtoknowthatiftheyactedhonestly，andboldlyandfearlesslyacceptedresponsibility，Iwouldstandbythemtothelimit。Inthis，asineveryothercase，intheendtheboldnessoftheactionfullyjustifieditself。
EveryitemofthewholegreatplanofReclamationnowineffectwasundertakenbetween1902and1906。Bythespringof1909theworkwasanassuredsuccess，andtheGovernmenthadbecomefullycommittedtoitscontinuance。TheworkofReclamationwasatfirstundertheUnitedStatesGeologicalSurvey，ofwhichCharlesD。WalcottwasatthattimeDirector。Inthespringof1908theUnitedStatesReclamationServicewasestablishedtocarryiton，underthedirectionofFrederickHayesNewell，towhomtheinceptionoftheplanwasdue。Newell’ssingle-
mindeddevotiontothisgreattask，theconstructiveimaginationwhichenabledhimtoconceiveit，andtheexecutivepowerandhighcharacterthroughwhichheandhisassistant，ArthurP。Davis，builtupamodelservice——allthesehavemadehimamodelservant。Thefinalproofofhismeritissuppliedbythecharacterandrecordsofthemenwholaterassailedhim。
AlthoughthegrossexpenditureundertheReclamationActisnotyetaslargeasthatforthePanamaCanal，theengineeringobstaclestobeovercomehavebeenalmostasgreat，andthepoliticalimpedimentsmanytimesgreater。TheReclamationworkhadtobecarriedonatwidelyseparatedpoints，remotefromrailroads，underthemostdifficultpioneerconditions。Thetwenty-eightprojectsbegunintheyears1902
to1906contemplatedtheirrigationofmorethanthreemillionacresandthewateringofmorethanthirtythousandfarms。Manyofthedamsrequiredforthishugetaskarehigherthananypreviouslybuiltanywhereintheworld。Theyfeedmain-linecanalsoverseventhousandmilesintotallength，andinvolveminorconstructions，suchasculvertsandbridges，tensofthousandsinnumber。
WhattheReclamationActhasdoneforthecountryisbynomeanslimitedtoitsmaterialaccomplishment。ThisActandtheresultsflowingfromithavehelpedpowerfullytoprovetotheNationthatitcanhandleitsownresourcesandexercisedirectandbusiness-likecontroloverthem。ThepopulationwhichtheReclamationActhasbroughtintothearidWest，whilecomparativelysmallwhencomparedwiththatinthemorecloselyinhabitedEast，hasbeenamosteffectivecontributiontotheNationallife，forithasgonefartotransformthesocialaspectoftheWest，makingforthestabilityoftheinstitutionsuponwhichthewelfareofthewholecountryrests：ithassubstitutedactualhomemakers，whohavesettledonthelandwiththeirfamilies，forhuge，migratorybandsofsheepherdedbythehiredshepherdsofabsenteeowners。
TherecentattacksontheReclamationService，andonMr。Newell，ariseinlargepart，ifnotaltogether，fromanorganizedefforttorepudiatetheobligationofthesettlerstorepaytheGovernmentforwhatithasexpendedtoreclaimtheland。Therepudiationofanydebtcanalwaysfindsupporters，andinthiscaseithasattractedthesupportnotonlyofcertainmenamongthesettlerswhohopetoberelievedofpayingwhattheyowe，butalsoofavarietyofunscrupulouspoliticians，somehighlyplaced。ItisunlikelythattheireffortstodeprivetheWestoftherevolvingIrrigationfundwillsucceedindoinganythingbutdiscreditingthesepoliticiansinthesightofallhonestmen。
Wheninthespringof1911IvisitedtheRooseveltDaminArizona，andopenedthereservoir，Imadeashortspeechtotheassembledpeople。
Amongotherthings，IsaidtotheengineerspresentthatinthenameofallgoodcitizensIthankedthemfortheiradmirablework，asefficientasitwashonest，andconductedaccordingtothehigheststandardsofpublicservice。AsIlookedatthefine，strong，eagerfacesofthoseoftheforcewhowerepresent，andthoughtofthesimilarmenintheservice，inthehigherpositions，whowereabsent，andwhowerenolessresponsiblefortheworkdone，Ifeltaforebodingthattheywouldneverreceiveanyrealrecognitionfortheirachievement；and，onlyhalfhumorously，Iwarnedthemnottoexpectanycredit，oranysatisfaction，excepttheirownknowledgethattheyhaddonewellafirst-classjob，forthatprobablytheonlyattentionCongresswouldeverpaythemwouldbetoinvestigatethem。