Which figure is best associated with preserving wilderness and opposing overdevelopment?

Which figure is best associated with preserving wilderness and opposing overdevelopment?

• A. Gifford Pinchot
• B. Jane Addams
• C. John Muir
• D. Theodore Roosevelt

Answer: (C)

Preserving wilderness and resisting overdevelopment comes from valuing wild places for their intrinsic beauty and spiritual value, not just for what they can produce economically. John Muir embodied this stance, directing his work to protect wild landscapes through the founding of the Sierra Club and through advocacy for national parks. He fought against projects that would transform pristine areas, famously opposing the Hetch Hetchy plan to dam Yosemite Valley, because such development would diminish the wilderness. While Gifford Pinchot championed “wise use” and Theodore Roosevelt supported conservation with managed use, Muir’s emphasis stayed firmly on keeping certain places wild and inviolate. Jane Addams, by contrast, focused on urban social reform.

Preserving wilderness and resisting overdevelopment comes from valuing wild places for their intrinsic beauty and spiritual value, not just for what they can produce economically. John Muir embodied this stance, directing his work to protect wild landscapes through the founding of the Sierra Club and through advocacy for national parks. He fought against projects that would transform pristine areas, famously opposing the Hetch Hetchy plan to dam Yosemite Valley, because such development would diminish the wilderness. While Gifford Pinchot championed “wise use” and Theodore Roosevelt supported conservation with managed use, Muir’s emphasis stayed firmly on keeping certain places wild and inviolate. Jane Addams, by contrast, focused on urban social reform.