Words To Live By: Environmentalist

In this Words To Live By, we’ll focus on Ronald Reagan the environmentalist. Yes…so let us start by going back to California from 1967-1975 when he was Governor. Actually, he had an admirable record of safeguarding the environment, to the surprise of some of his critics. You see, Governor Reagan’s administration added 145,000 acres of park land, more than any other modern California governor. He enforced new, tougher measures on air and water quality. He stopped plans for dams on two rivers, the Feather and the Eel, despite intense pressure from commercial interests and signed into law a bill to protect California’s wild and scenic rivers.

Lou Cannon, one of the President’s biographers who not only covered President Reagan for the Washington Post, but also covered him for the San Jose Mercury News while Reagan was governor. He wrote that Governor Reagan’s environmental achievements were enduring…and asked the question…. “who remembers or cares what the taxes or the budgets were in 1967…but long after, people are going to be able to use the John Muir Trail without having to hit a highway.”

So let’s first listen to Governor Reagan – and in the second half we’ll catch his thoughts as President. We’ll begin in 1977 with a radio address entitled, “environment” where he raises realistic issues and recognizes the necessary balance between capitalism and protecting the environment.

“Everyone knows that capitalism is responsible for scarring the earth, polluting the air and water, and squandering nature’s bounty. I’ll be right back.

“Virtually everyone of us is an environmentalist at heart. Therefore, we’re all pre-conditioned to accept the idea that men in search of profit have torn up the hills, scraped the earth bare, destroyed the forests and dumped their waste in the nations streams and lakes. The motive, of course, pure greed.

“Certainly there are evidences that in the past, when our country seemed limitless in its expanse, capable of bearing wounds inflicted by puny humans, there was little regard for nature. Admittedly too, it was government that first sounded the alarm. President Teddy Roosevelt, an outdoorsman himself, led the charge. Of course, there were also farsighted individuals who had been crying out against such things as hydraulic mining for gold that ripped into hillsides and choked rivers and streams with gravel. They raised a cry against the early lumber barons who cut down the trees and moved on with no though of replanting.

“But today, so much progress has been made. The lumber industry is practically on a sustained yield basis planting as many trees as are harvested. Strip miners replace the topsoil and stringent controls limit air and water pollution by industry. Now it seems that we, the people are the despoilers throughout our own government agencies.

“The biggest polluter of San Francisco Bay is the city sewer system. In New York City it is the dumping of garbage in the Atlantic Ocean that threatens the coast with a tidal wave of toxic sludge. And for a time, the nearest stream or body of water was automatically the city sewer system.

“But we are doing something about it the present day doom criers, notwithstanding, we can all feel pretty good about what has been accomplished here in the USA at both the private and govt levels. In fact we may be troubled now and then by overkill. Only a few years ago, a governor of a state fronting on one of the great lakes announced he was going to halt any industrial thermal pollution that changed the lakes temperature by more than one degree. By that he meant no plant could turn clean but hot water into the lake which would have meant millions of dollars in cooling towers and equipment. That particular lake undergoes a temperature change of about 40 degrees every year between winter and summer.

“But to make us a little proud and optimistic, hear the story of a Soviet trawler captain who defected 3 years ago and sailed his ship into a Swedish port. He has described the fishing operation of those Russian trawlers that seem to be off every coast in every ocean. They use such fine mesh nets that he says they catch half grown fish of every kind, the result being that much of the catch rots on board. If the refrigerator vessels can’t take what they have, the surplus is thrown overboard polluting the spawning grounds with rotten fish. If they sale into port with their catch and the port facilities can’t handle their haul, it is dumped on shore to decay and taken inland later to be burned.

“The refugee captain estimated no more than 1/3 of the catch ever reaches the consumer as food. That ties in with other information about Soviet agriculture. Their need for food imports is not alone the result of drought, crop failure or just plain inefficiency in farming. Like the fish, much of their agriculture output rots in the field or spoils in storage. I just thought you’d like to know now that spring is here. This is Ronald Reagan. Thanks for listening.”

President Reagan wanted to set things straight, in his words, so using the radio waves 40 years ago…in June 1983, let’s hear the directly from the man himself.

“My fellow Americans:

“I think it's time to clear the air and straighten out the record on where my administration stands on environmental and natural resources management matters. I know you've heard and read a million words about where others think we stand. Now, how about 5 minutes of the truth?

“A few weeks ago, when Bill Ruckelshaus was sworn in as Director of the Environmental Protection Agency, he very graciously pointed out that when his Agency was created 13 years ago, with him as its first Director, California was the environmental leader of the Nation. Having been Governor of California at that time, I was, and am, very grateful to Bill for those kind words.

“Let me just say, I feel now as I felt then about environmental matters. I believe in a sound, strong environmental policy that protects the health of our people and a wise stewardship of our nation's natural resources. But that's enough about me.

“The Secretary of Interior, Jim Watt, is the prime target for those who claim that this administration is out to level the forests and cover the country with blacktops. Someone in the press the other day said if Jim discovered a cure for cancer, there are those who would attack him for being pro-life.

“Let's go back a little first and set the stage. Jim rides herd on all the national parks and most of the 80 million acres of national wilderness. There are other things, like wildlife refuges, which up the total considerably. In fact, the Federal Government owns one-third of all the land of the United States.

“When he came to Washington 2 1/2?years ago, Jim found that visitor facilities in our national parks had been allowed to deteriorate to the point that many failed to meet standards for health and safety. It's being corrected. The National Park Service has made a major effort to improve maintenance at the parks that so many Americans love and love to visit. And today, they provide a wider, more beautiful variety of outdoor splendor than you can find anywhere else in the world.

“Not too long ago, however, a new fire-storm was raised about our wilderness lands. The perception was created that Secretary Watt was turning some of these lands loose from wilderness classification and government ownership. I should point out that wilderness lands are areas of such wild beauty that they're totally preserved in their natural state. No roads violate them, and no structures of any kind are allowed, and there are now almost 80 million acres of such land.

“So, what was the fire-storm all about? Well, hang on, and follow me closely. As a result of legislation passed several years ago, a study was made of some 174 million acres of land to see if any or all of it should be declared wilderness and added to the present 80 million acres. Conditions were imposed in the review procedures to ensure that wilderness standards would be met.

“If, for example, there were roads on the land, it was ineligible. It was ineligible if there was any dual ownership by other levels of government or if title to mineral rights was held by individuals or governments. Also, with limited exceptions, any package had to contain no less than 5,000 acres to be eligible. The study had been going on under the previous administration, and some 150 million of the designated 174 million acres had already been turned down by previous administrations as being ineligible for wilderness classification.

“Now, think hard now. Do you recall hearing one word about this or any attack being made on anyone at the time? I don't. When we arrived, there were still about 25 million acres to be studied. A few months ago, another 800,000 acres -- that's a fraction of what the previous administration rejected -- were disqualified as not meeting wilderness qualifications. Yet, the reaction this time was instantaneous, volcanic in size, and nationwide in effect: ``Jim Watt was giving away wilderness land. Our children and grandchildren would be deprived of ever seeing America as it once was.''

“Well, nobody bothered to mention that our administration has proposed to the Congress addition of another 57 wilderness areas encompassing 2.7 million acres. That's more than three times as much land as was disqualified. Nor did anyone mention that I've already signed legislation designating sites in Indiana, Missouri, Alabama, and West Virginia as new wilderness areas.

“The truth is that our National Park System alone has grown to 74 million acres, and almost 7,000 miles of river are included in our National Wild and Scenic River System. We have 413 wildlife refuges totaling some 86.7 million acres. This record is unmatched by any other country in the world.

“Our environmental programs also are the strongest in the world. Last year, expenditures by business and government to comply with environmental laws and regulations were estimated at over $55 billion, or $245 per man, woman, and child in the United States.

“We have made a commitment to protect the health of our citizens and to conserve our nation's natural beauty and resources. We have even provided financial and technical support to other nations and international organizations to protect global resources. Thanks to these efforts, our country remains "America the Beautiful.'' Indeed, it's growing more healthy and more beautiful each year. I hope this helps set the record straight, because it's0one we can all be proud of.

“Till next week, thanks for listening, and God bless you.”

Four years later, in 1987, President Reagan signed a bill defining new regulations related to the use of…yes…natural gas. He’s specific about the importance of this vital source of energy, particularly to reduce our dependence on oil from the Persian Gulf.

“Today we import only about 5 percent of our petroleum from the Gulf. Western Europe and Japan have a much higher dependency. We saw in 1974 and 1979 the disastrous effects which a disruption of Gulf oil can have upon the economy of the United States and our principal trading partners. We're working to see that that experience is not repeated. Achieving this requires American military and political strength, the cooperation of our allies, as well as economic strength and independence, especially in matters concerning energy.

“And today I'm pleased to sign House Resolution 1941 into law. This legislation eliminates unnecessary restrictions on the use of natural gas. It promotes efficient production and development of our energy resources by returning fuel choices to the marketplace. I've long believed that our country's natural gas resources should be free from regulatory burdens that are costly and counterproductive. This bill abolishes unnecessary restrictions on natural gas and petroleum markets. It also eliminates complicated natural gas pricing procedures which distorted supply and demand and raised energy prices paid by consumers and industry. Moreover, as natural gas is a clean-burning fuel, restrictions inhibiting its use have not been in the best interests of the environment. Removal of these and other regulatory obstacles will benefit our economy, energy security, and environment.”

For more information on the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute, including information on how to become a member, information on upcoming exhibits at the Reagan Library, and more information on the legacy of President Reagan, please visit ReaganFoundation-dot-org.

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