ABSTRACT
Sustainability—As Applied To natural resources—is a concept that has had many meanings and is still evolving. One of the purposes of this book is to trace the evolution of the concept as applied in management. Chapter 1 noted the conflicting claims on the land and its resources through time. Although the “wise use” conservationism of Pinchot, a utilitarian view that stressed sustainable outputs of commodities, was on the ascendancy in the late 19th and early 20th century, it never completely dominated public thought. Nature preserves, wildlife areas, and the maintenance of wilderness that so captivated Muir have always been recognized as having values beyond simple utilitarian wise use. Indeed, it was a preservationist concern for naturalness, uniqueness, and habitat that in 1870 led to the establishment of Yellowstone as the first national park.
