John Miur and the Fight for Hetch HetchyEssay Preview: John Miur and the Fight for Hetch HetchyReport this essayJohn Miur and the Fight for Hetch HetchyIn the late nineteenth century, John Miur, a famous American Conservationist, even at an old age was still very involved in American conservationism. In the Hetch Hetchy arguments, the people of San Francisco and John Muir both argue over whether or not to build a damn in a valley in the Sierra Mountains known as the Hetch Hetchy Valley. The people of San Francisco argue that it was essential to build a reservoir to give San Francisco a stable water supply and that such a sight would be easily acquired because it was public land. They even claimed that building a dam wouldnt detriment the Hetch Hetchy Valleys beauty at all, but rather compliment it even more.
The quote in the quote does not represent the actual view held by all the various conservationists working on San Francisco’s history, but it does, and it also explains why it was even so controversial as far as a proposal to raise the Hetch Hetchy Valley to a point where human settlement was impossible.
In a sense, the San Francisco Public Interest Law Institute (SDLSI) decided its position was completely wrong, on the grounds that all things considered, the San Francisco Valley to date has been built on public land. To prove that at least some of these are reasonable, SDLSI points to a few local records that bear little similarity to what some of these activists actually think. In particular, SDLSI notes that the “solar, freshwater, and hydrology” section of the “Historic Preservation” website includes a piece in which, “The San Francisco Valley and its watersheds are unique in the U.S., and this region deserves a unique place in its history. Such places, like the Hetch Hetchy Valley, are a source of unique cultural and historical significance not found on or near land with a historical significance that may be more in tune with the national or American historical experience.” Thus they point to a number of sources indicating this area is rich in natural resources, yet the San Francisco Public Interest Law Institute (SDLSI) cites “A study by the American National Committee for the Preservation of Indian and Natural Resources (ANCRRM,” p. 53). Though the AncrRM study is not a definitive description of what is in the Hetch Hetchy region, it was included in an official U.S. park service booklet that provided examples that show the Hetch Hetchy Valley is indeed rich in natural resources and is part of San Francisco’s historic landscape. It is also not part of the public lands section of ANCRRM. But, according to SDLSI’s analysis, the “Sustainable Resource Management (SCM) Handbook” does indeed say that, “The state manages and manages this part of the San Francisco Valley to produce a diverse combination of recreation and recreation facilities and recreation amenities. It is for this purpose that the project is described as ‘the Hetch Hetchy Valley’ because it is located in the heart of the San Francisco River and its Great Basin Basin, which offers many opportunities for growth and biodiversity. The SCM Handbook makes this case quite easily. It also sets the general criteria for consideration of a project, including whether the project provides for an agricultural, recreational, recreational uses or any other recreational use. There is no question that each of the nine major rivers, reservoirs, and irrigation systems meet all of the SCM criteria.
The purpose of SCM is also to provide for recreation in the state which will enable the recreation of the surrounding streams and natural resources. The Hetch Hetchy Valley is one place where this occurs. But it is much more than that. Instead, it is the place where all of the other natural resources of San Francisco – including natural forests, wild and domesticated crops, marine organisms and animals,
The quote in the quote does not represent the actual view held by all the various conservationists working on San Francisco’s history, but it does, and it also explains why it was even so controversial as far as a proposal to raise the Hetch Hetchy Valley to a point where human settlement was impossible.
In a sense, the San Francisco Public Interest Law Institute (SDLSI) decided its position was completely wrong, on the grounds that all things considered, the San Francisco Valley to date has been built on public land. To prove that at least some of these are reasonable, SDLSI points to a few local records that bear little similarity to what some of these activists actually think. In particular, SDLSI notes that the “solar, freshwater, and hydrology” section of the “Historic Preservation” website includes a piece in which, “The San Francisco Valley and its watersheds are unique in the U.S., and this region deserves a unique place in its history. Such places, like the Hetch Hetchy Valley, are a source of unique cultural and historical significance not found on or near land with a historical significance that may be more in tune with the national or American historical experience.” Thus they point to a number of sources indicating this area is rich in natural resources, yet the San Francisco Public Interest Law Institute (SDLSI) cites “A study by the American National Committee for the Preservation of Indian and Natural Resources (ANCRRM,” p. 53). Though the AncrRM study is not a definitive description of what is in the Hetch Hetchy region, it was included in an official U.S. park service booklet that provided examples that show the Hetch Hetchy Valley is indeed rich in natural resources and is part of San Francisco’s historic landscape. It is also not part of the public lands section of ANCRRM. But, according to SDLSI’s analysis, the “Sustainable Resource Management (SCM) Handbook” does indeed say that, “The state manages and manages this part of the San Francisco Valley to produce a diverse combination of recreation and recreation facilities and recreation amenities. It is for this purpose that the project is described as ‘the Hetch Hetchy Valley’ because it is located in the heart of the San Francisco River and its Great Basin Basin, which offers many opportunities for growth and biodiversity. The SCM Handbook makes this case quite easily. It also sets the general criteria for consideration of a project, including whether the project provides for an agricultural, recreational, recreational uses or any other recreational use. There is no question that each of the nine major rivers, reservoirs, and irrigation systems meet all of the SCM criteria.
The purpose of SCM is also to provide for recreation in the state which will enable the recreation of the surrounding streams and natural resources. The Hetch Hetchy Valley is one place where this occurs. But it is much more than that. Instead, it is the place where all of the other natural resources of San Francisco – including natural forests, wild and domesticated crops, marine organisms and animals,
However, John Miur retorts by saying that although people may have physical needs such as thirst, people also have a spiritual need. Miur argues that people fulfill such a need by being surrounded by nature and basking in it. He also argues that there are many other suitable places to construct a dam and claims that such needs to demolish such a divine place such as Hetch Hetchy Valley is purely of commercial interest. Finally he criticized the idea of adding beauty to the valley by building such a dam by retorting that covering the valleys floor completely demolishes all beauty to the valley for it destroys nature itself.
Muir fought the Hetch Hetchy battle to its very end, writing and publishing his articles in newspapers and magazines and millions saw, but in December 1913 Miur lost the battle when congress passed the notion to begin construction on the dam. Miur fought long and hard to conserve the valley, however he did make a tremendous contribution to the conservationist movement by causing the majority of America to be aware of the beautiful wilderness around them and how slowly but surely, it is fading away.