This statement includes two unanimous decisions by the Supreme Court of the United States (U.S.vs.Grimaud, 220 U.S., 506, and Light vs.

U.S., 220 U.S., 523).
In its administration of the National Forests, the Forest Service found that valuable coal lands were in danger of passing into private ownership without adequate money return to the Government and without safeguard against monopoly; and that existing legislation was insufficient to prevent this.

When this condition was brought to my attention I withdrew from all forms of entry about sixty-eight million acres of coal land in the United States, including Alaska.

The refusal of Congress to act in the public interest was solely responsible for keeping these lands from entry.
The Conservation movement was a direct outgrowth of the forest movement.
It was nothing more than the application to our other natural resources of the principles which had been worked out in connection with the forests.

Without the basis of public sentiment which had been built up for the protection of the forests, and without the example of public foresight in the protection of this, one of the great natural resources, the Conservation movement would have been impossible.