TheideathattheExecutiveisthestewardofthepublicwelfarewasfirstformulatedandgivenpracticaleffectintheForestServicebyitslawofficer，GeorgeWoodruff。Thelawswereofteninsufficient，anditbecamewell-nighimpossibletogetthemamendedinthepublicinterestwhenoncetherepresentativesofprivilegeinCongressgraspedthefactthatIwouldsignnoamendmentthatcontainedanythingnotinthepublicinterest。Itwasnecessarytousewhatlawwasalreadyinexistence，andthenfurthertosupplementitbyExecutiveaction。Thepracticeofexaminingeveryclaimtopubliclandbeforepassingitintoprivateownershipoffersagoodexampleofthepolicyinquestion。Thispractice，whichhassincebecomegeneral，wasfirstappliedintheNationalForests。Enormousareasofvaluablepublictimberlandweretherebysavedfromfraudulentacquisition；morethan250，000acreswerethussavedinasinglecase。
Thistheoryofstewardshipintheinterestofthepublicwaswellillustratedbytheestablishmentofawater-powerpolicy。UntiltheForestServicechangedtheplan，water-powersonthenavigablestreams，onthepublicdomain，andintheNationalForestsweregivenawayfornothing，andsubstantiallywithoutquestion，towhoeveraskedforthem。Atlast，undertheprinciplethatpublicpropertyshouldbepaidforandshouldnotbepermanentlygrantedawaywhensuchpermanentgrantisavoidable，theForestServiceestablishedthepolicyofregulatingtheuseofpowerintheNationalForestsinthepublicinterestandmakingachargeforvaluereceived。Thiswasthebeginningofthewater-powerpolicynowsubstantiallyacceptedbythepublic，anddoubtlesssoontobeenactedintolaw。Buttherewasattheoutsetviolentoppositiontoitonthepartofthewater-powercompanies，andsuchrepresentativesoftheirviewsinCongressasMessrs。TawneyandBede。
ManybillswereintroducedinCongressaimed，inonewayoranother，atrelievingthepowercompaniesofcontrolandpayment。WhenthesebillsreachedmeIrefusedtosignthem；andtheinjurytothepublicinterestwhichwouldfollowtheirpassagewasbroughtsharplytopublicattentioninmymessageofFebruary26，1908。Thebillsmadenofurtherprogress。
Underthesameprincipleofstewardship，railroadsandothercorporations，whichappliedforandweregivenrightsintheNationalForests，wereregulatedintheuseofthoserights。Inshort，thepublicresourcesinchargeoftheForestServicewerehandledfranklyandopenlyforthepublicwelfareundertheclear-cutandclearlysetforthprinciplethatthepublicrightscomefirstandprivateinterestsecond。
ThenaturalresultofthisnewattitudewastheassertionineveryformbytherepresentativesofspecialintereststhattheForestServicewasexceedingitslegalpowersandthwartingtheintentionofCongress。Suitswerebegunwhereverthechancearose。Itisworthrecordingthat，inspiteofthenoveltyandcomplexityofthelegalquestionsithadtoface，nocourtoflastresorthaseverdecidedagainsttheForestService。ThisstatementincludestwounanimousdecisionsbytheSupremeCourtoftheUnitedStatesU。S。vs。
Grimaud，220U。S。，506，andLightvs。U。S。，220U。S。，523。
InitsadministrationoftheNationalForests，theForestServicefoundthatvaluablecoallandswereindangerofpassingintoprivateownershipwithoutadequatemoneyreturntotheGovernmentandwithoutsafeguardagainstmonopoly；andthatexistinglegislationwasinsufficienttopreventthis。WhenthisconditionwasbroughttomyattentionIwithdrewfromallformsofentryaboutsixty-eightmillionacresofcoallandintheUnitedStates，includingAlaska。TherefusalofCongresstoactinthepublicinterestwassolelyresponsibleforkeepingtheselandsfromentry。
TheConservationmovementwasadirectoutgrowthoftheforestmovement。Itwasnothingmorethantheapplicationtoourothernaturalresourcesoftheprincipleswhichhadbeenworkedoutinconnectionwiththeforests。Withoutthebasisofpublicsentimentwhichhadbeenbuiltupfortheprotectionoftheforests，andwithouttheexampleofpublicforesightintheprotectionofthis，oneofthegreatnaturalresources，theConservationmovementwouldhavebeenimpossible。ThefirstformalstepwasthecreationoftheInlandWaterwaysCommission，appointedonMarch14，1907。InmyletterappointingtheCommission，Icalledattentiontothevalueofourstreamsasgreatnaturalresources，andtotheneedforaprogressiveplanfortheirdevelopmentandcontrol，andsaid：“Itisnotpossibletoproperlyframesolargeaplanasthisforthecontrolofourriverswithouttakingaccountoftheorderlydevelopmentofothernaturalresources。ThereforeIaskthattheInlandWaterwaysCommissionshallconsidertherelationsofthestreamstotheuseofallthegreatpermanentnaturalresourcesandtheirconservationforthemakingandmaintenanceofprosperoushomes。”
Overayearlater，writingonthereportoftheCommission，Isaid：
“ThepreliminaryReportoftheInlandWaterwaysCommissionwasexcellentineveryway。Itoutlinesageneralplanofwaterwayimprovementwhichwhenadoptedwillgiveassurancethattheimprovementswillyieldpracticalresultsinthewayofincreasednavigationandwatertransportation。IneveryessentialfeaturetheplanrecommendedbytheCommissionisnew。Intheprincipleofcoordinatingallusesofthewatersandtreatingeachwaterwaysystemasaunit；intheprincipleofcorrelatingwatertrafficwithrailandotherlandtraffic；intheprincipleofexpertinitiationofprojectsinaccordancewithcommercialforesightandtheneedsofagrowingcountry；andintheprincipleofcooperationbetweentheStatesandtheFederalGovernmentintheadministrationanduseofwaterways，etc。；thegeneralplanproposedbytheCommissionisnew，andatthesametimesaneandsimple。Theplandeservesunqualifiedsupport。IregretthatithasnotyetbeenadoptedbyCongress，butIamconfidentthatultimatelyitwillbeadopted。”
ThemoststrikingincidentinthehistoryoftheCommissionwasthetripdowntheMississippiRiverinOctober，1907，when，asPresidentoftheUnitedStates，Iwasthechiefguest。Thisexcursion，withthemeetingswhichwereheldandthewidepublicattentionitattracted，gavethedevelopmentofourinlandwaterwaysanewstandinginpublicestimation。Duringthetripaletterwaspreparedandpresentedtomeaskingmetosummonaconferenceontheconservationofnaturalresources。MyintentiontocallsuchaconferencewaspubliclyannouncedatagreatmeetingatMemphis，Tenn。
IntheNovemberfollowingIwrotetoeachoftheGovernorsoftheseveralStatesandtothePresidentsofvariousimportantNationalSocietiesconcernedwithnaturalresources，invitingthemtoattendtheconference，whichtookplaceMay13to15，1908，intheEastRoomoftheWhiteHouse。Itisdoubtfulwhether，exceptintimeofwar，anynewideaoflikeimportancehaseverbeenpresentedtoaNationandacceptedbyitwithsucheffectivenessandrapidity，aswasthecasewiththisConservationmovementwhenitwasintroducedtotheAmericanpeoplebytheConferenceofGovernors。ThefirstresultwastheunanimousdeclarationoftheGovernorsofalltheStatesandTerritoriesuponthesubjectofConservation，adocumentwhichoughttobehungineveryschoolhousethroughouttheland。Afurtherresultwastheappointmentofthirty-sixStateConservationCommissionsand，onJune8，1908，oftheNationalConservationCommission。ThetaskofthisCommissionwastoprepareaninventory，thefirstevermadeforanynation，ofallthenaturalresourceswhichunderlayitsproperty。
ThemakingofthisinventorywasmadepossiblebyanExecutiveorderwhichplacedtheresourcesoftheGovernmentDepartmentsatthecommandoftheCommission，andmadepossibletheorganizationofsubsidiarycommitteesbywhichtheactualfactsfortheinventorywerepreparedanddigested。GiffordPinchotwasmadechairmanoftheCommission。
ThereportoftheNationalConservationCommissionwasnotonlythefirstinventoryofourresources，butwasuniqueinthehistoryofGovernmentintheamountandvarietyofinformationbroughttogether。
Itwascompletedinsixmonths。ItlaidsquarelybeforetheAmericanpeopletheessentialfactsregardingournaturalresources，whenfactsweregreatlyneededasthebasisforconstructiveaction。ThisreportwaspresentedtotheJointConservationCongressinDecember，atwhichtherewerepresentGovernorsoftwentyStates，representativesoftwenty-twoStateConservationCommissions，andrepresentativesofsixtyNationalorganizationspreviouslyrepresentedattheWhiteHouseconference。Thereportwasunanimouslyapproved，andtransmittedtome，January11，1909。OnJanuary22，1909，ItransmittedthereportoftheNationalConservationCommissiontoCongresswithaSpecialMessage，inwhichitwasaccuratelydescribedas“oneofthemostfundamentallyimportantdocumentseverlaidbeforetheAmericanpeople。”
TheJointConservationConferenceofDecember，1908，suggestedtomethepracticabilityofholdingaNorthAmericanConservationConference。IselectedGiffordPinchottoconveythisinvitationinpersontoLordGrey，GovernorGeneralofCanada；toSirWilfridLaurier；andtoPresidentDiazofMexico；givingasreasonformyaction，intheletterinwhichthisinvitationwasconveyed，thefactthat：“Itisevidentthatnaturalresourcesarenotlimitedbytheboundarylineswhichseparatenations，andthattheneedforconservingthemuponthiscontinentisaswideastheareauponwhichtheyexist。”
Inresponsetothisinvitation，whichincludedthecolonyofNewfoundland，theCommissionersassembledintheWhiteHouseonFebruary18，1909。TheAmericanCommissionerswereGiffordPinchot，RobertBacon，andJamesR。Garfield。Afterasessioncontinuingthroughfivedays，theConferenceunitedinadeclarationofprinciples，andsuggestedtothePresidentoftheUnitedStates“thatallnationsshouldbeinvitedtojointogetherinconferenceonthesubjectofworldresources，andtheirinventory，conservation，andwiseutilization。”Accordingly，onFebruary19，1909，RobertBacon，SecretaryofState，addressedtoforty-fivenationsaletterofinvitation“tosenddelegatestoaconferencetobeheldatTheHagueatsuchdatetobefoundconvenient，theretomeetandconsultthelikedelegatesoftheothercountries，withaviewofconsideringageneralplanforaninventoryofthenaturalresourcesoftheworldandtodevisingauniformschemefortheexpressionoftheresultsofsuchinventory，totheendthattheremaybeageneralunderstandingandappreciationoftheworld’ssupplyofthematerialelementswhichunderliethedevelopmentofcivilizationandthewelfareofthepeoplesoftheearth。”AfterIlefttheWhiteHousetheprojectlapsed。
ThroughouttheearlypartofmyAdministrationthepubliclandpolicywaschieflydirectedtothedefenseofthepubliclandsagainstfraudandtheft。SecretaryHitchcock’seffortsalongthislineresultedintheOregonlandfraudcases，whichledtotheconvictionofSenatorMitchell，andwhichmadeFrancisJ。HeneyknowntotheAmericanpeopleasoneoftheirbestandmosteffectiveservants。TheselandfraudprosecutionsunderMr。Heney，togetherwiththestudyofthepubliclandswhichprecededthepassageoftheReclamationActin1902，andtheinvestigationoflandtitlesintheNationalForestsbytheForestService，allcombinedtocreateaclearerunderstandingoftheneedoflandlawreform，andthusledtotheappointmentofthePublicLandsCommission。ThisCommission，appointedbymeonOctober22，1903，wasdirectedtoreporttothePresident：“Uponthecondition，operation，andeffectofthepresentlandlaws，andtorecommendsuchchangesasareneededtoeffectthelargestpracticabledispositionofthepubliclandstoactualsettlerswhowillbuildpermanenthomesuponthem，andtosecureinpermanencethefullestandmosteffectiveuseoftheresourcesofthepubliclands。”ItproceededwithoutlossoftimetomakeapersonalstudyonthegroundofpubliclandproblemsthroughouttheWest，toconferwiththeGovernorsandotherpublicmenmostconcerned，andtoassembletheinformationconcerningthepubliclands，thelawsanddecisionswhichgovernedthem，andthemethodsofdefeatingorevadingthoselaws，whichwasalreadyinexistence，butwhichremainedunformulatedintherecordsoftheGeneralLandOfficeandinthemindofitsemployees。ThePublicLandsCommissionmadeitsfirstpreliminaryreportonMarch7，1904。Itfound“thatthepresentlandlawsdonotfittheconditionsoftheremainingpubliclands。”
andrecommendedspecificchangestomeetthepublicneeds。AyearlaterthesecondreportoftheCommissionrecommendedstillfurtherchanges，andsaid“Thefundamentalfactthatcharacterizesthesituationunderthepresentlandlawsisthis，thatthenumberofpatentsissuedisincreasingoutofallproportiontothenumberofnewhomes。”ThisreportlaidthefoundationofthemovementforGovernmentcontroloftheopenrange，andincludedbyfarthemostcompletestatementevermadeofthedispositionofthepublicdomain。
AmongthemostdifficulttopicsconsideredbythePublicLandsCommissionwasthatoftheminerallandlaws。ThissubjectwasreferredbytheCommissiontotheAmericanInstituteofMiningEngineers，whichreporteduponitthroughaCommittee。ThisCommitteemadetheveryimportantrecommendation，amongothers，“thattheGovernmentoftheUnitedStatesshouldretaintitletoallminerals，includingcoalandoil，inthelandsofuncededterritory，andleasethesametoindividualsorcorporationsatafixedrental。”Thenecessityforthisactionhassincecometobeverygenerallyrecognized。Anotherrecommendation，sincepartlycarriedintoeffect，wasfortheseparationofthesurfaceandthemineralsinlandscontainingcoalandoil。