Progressive Era Conservation/ Land Use Acts

Some Prgoressive Era land use acts was the Desert land Act in 1877 which sold desert, arid land very cheap so the purchaser could irrigate it within three years. the Forest Reserve Act in 1891 authorized the president to set aside areas of public forests as national parks or reserves. Soon followed the carey Act in 1894 which gave land to the states on the condition that it be irrigated and settled. The Newlands Act was passed in 1902 which allowed washington to collect money from the sale of public lands and then use the funds for the developing of irrigation projects. Conservationism had two sides. One side was to conserve the land to untilize it properly and for resources, the other side was to conserve the land for the sake of nature alone.