Ecological Awareness

I was asked to present my policy if I were to be President for protecting endangered species. My response follows:

My fellow Americans,

President Theodore Roosevelt once said, "We have fallen heirs to the most glorious heritage a people ever received, and each one must do his part if we wish to show that the nation is worthy of its good fortune." It was Roosevelt who also said upon seeing the destruction of the herds of wild buffalo, "The extermination of the buffalo has been a veritable tragedy of the animal world."

In the spirit of President Roosevelt I commit the resources of this government to the preservation and protection of endangered species and their habitat. Furthermore, I commit these resources to the restoration of lost habitat and reintroduction of endangered species into these their rightful homes.

Our agenda has been long tested and hard fought. Through previous administrations the regard for the sanctity of these precious national resources has fallen to the wayside. In the hands of the Federal agencies established to protect national lands companies have been allowed and even enticed to destroy precious habitat that had developed undisturbed by human hands for thousands of years. The immediate benefits toward economies or promise of conveniences have clouded the better judgment of our agency administrators.

Recognizing this struggle between progress and preservation, I am happy to announce the development of what this administration will call the Roosevelt Ecological Preservation Doctrine. This document will lay out this administration's commitment to the aggressive preservation of endangered species and their habitats. It is a comprehensive framework that affects every cabinet-level position.

No longer will environmental protection be in the hands of an agency, nor the forestry service, nor any other singular entity acting on its own, or, at times, in contradiction to other agencies. The Roosevelt Doctrine will influence conversations within the State Department regarding our adoption of treaties and interactions with countries around the world with their own ecological policies. It will affect the Department of the Interior in guiding how we distribute and manage our natural resources. It will affect how the Department of Agriculture regulates farming and harvesting of resources on public and private lands. It will affect how the Department of Housing and Urban Development prescribes projects and awards its grants. It will hold the Department of Defense accountable for the ecological impact of weaponry and technology. It will guide the Department of the Treasury to initiate efficient and ecologically-sound practices for introducing currency. It will provide the Department of Education criteria for incorporating ecological stewardship into its standards and development. It will initiate the Department of Transportation in developing and sustaining ecologically responsible options for interstate transportation. It will authorize the Department of Justice to act in the interest of endangered species and habitats in litigation. It will guide the Department of Energy to finally adopting truly sustainable forms of energy production.

I look forward to working with members of congress to craft legislation that gives teeth to existing environmental regulation by rewarding entities that act responsibly and penalizing those who disregard ecological safeguards. However, this administration will not stand idly by waiting for congressional politics and obstructionists while we already have such powerful discretion at our disposal.

President Roosevelt also admonished, "I do not believe that any man can adequately appreciate the world of to-day unless he has some knowledge of -- a little more than a slight knowledge, some feeling for and of -- the history of the world of the past." With an eye toward the past and future, may we follow in the spirit of Yellowstone to preserve a heritage for the generations of all species everywhere who follow in our footsteps.