The Father of Forestry (U.S. National Park Service)

When Teddy Roosevelt created the position of chief of the US Forest Service in 1905, Pinchot was the obvious choice. Pinchot served in this role for five years under Roosevelt and then under President Taft until 1910. He worked to promote efficiency in resource use and to cut back on waste in the forests, utilizing the whole of felled trees.

Pinchot clashed with other leaders of the environmental movement, including John Muir, in the debate over the damming of the Hetch Hetchy Valley in Yosemite National Park. Although the Hetch Hetchy was a place of great beauty, Pinchot’s personal priorities lay in providing resources to a growing citizenry. Consequently, he disagreed with Muir about the ethics of damming the valley and supported the creation of a water reservoir.

Pinchot also worked with the National Conservation Commission in 1910. The commission was started by Teddy Roosevelt and conducted over 200 studies on the lands of North America. For a brief period, Pinchot served as the chairman of its executive committee. Eventually, Pinchot left the world of forestry to aim for higher offices in politics, becoming the governor of Pennsylvania in 1922. However, he always remained a staunch advocate for conservation and natural resource management. His legacy can now be remembered via the Pinchot Institute for Conservation, a policy organization that advocates for his ideals and promotes clean water, air, and responsible resource management.