Presentation provides insight about Theodore Roosevelt’s impact on Wildlife in Washington

Ritzville residents had the opportunity to learn about Theodore Roosevelt’s 1903 presidential tour around Washington and the positive impacts he had on preserving wildlife in the state.

Humanities Washington is a nonprofit organization that holds events and programs led by scholars and cultural experts who discuss Washington State history, philosophy and current social issues in communities.

Their mission is to create environments where people can come together and reflect on the past, present and future in order to promote the common good.

Scott Woodward, a speaker from Humanities Washington provided a presentation titled, “Teddy Roosevelt: Wilderness Warrior in Washington State” in the basement of the Ritzville Public Library on Saturday, Oct. 8 at 12 p.m.

For thirty years Woodward taught and coached in the Richland School District and at Columbia Basin College before retiring in 2002. He keeps busy as a full-time volunteer and President of the Ridges to Rivers Open Space Network, which advocates recreation and conservation in the Mid-Columbia region of Washington State.

Woodward provided participants of the event with a historical presentation about Theodore Roosevelt’s 1903 presidential tour to 18 cities around Washington.

In total, Roosevelt traveled 14,000 miles in nine weeks and three days primarily by train, said Woodward.

Throughout his tour, he made 250 speeches with topics varying from foreign policy, sustainable forestry, birds and irrigation. Woodward’s presentation displayed a map of the tour and the various cities the President spoke at.

He provided participants with the opportunity of listening to sections of the speech made in each city as well as Roosevelt’s personal experiences in the areas.

While on tour, community members from each city would present Roosevelt with a gift, which represented the area, said Woodward. The immense amount of gifts resulted in the addition of two cars to his train specifically for the storage of the presents.

Roosevelt’s displayed his love for wildlife during his stop in Tacoma when residents presented him with a black bear cub as a gift to represent his passion.

According to Woodward, Roosevelt demanded the cub be reunited with his mother and spoke about the importance of respecting wild animals.

However, Roosevelt did bring a piece of the wild with him on tour. Woodward informed community members about certain aspects of Roosevelt’s life most are not aware of like his pet badger named Josiah.

Throughout his presentation, Woodward included many interesting facts about Roosevelt’s life and his presidency, allowing participants to gain a different perspective of the president than most.

Being on a strict time schedule, Roosevelt would often only be allowed a few minutes to speak at cities. His speeches showcased his priorities by discussing wildlife preservation, irrigation and foreign policy.

Woodward emphasized the few speeches Roosevelt made regarding issues of his time such as women’s rights, racial equality and education of the next generation.

Aside from educating community members about the tour, he also included information about the National Wildlife Refugees in Washington, which are established because of Roosevelt’s passion for wildlife conservation.

After being elected in 1901, Roosevelt created the United States Forest Service in attempt to protect wildlife and forests.

Woodward explained, throughout his presidency, Roosevelt established 150 national forests, 51 federal bird reserves, four national game preserves and five national parks. He also established 18 national monuments when he enabled the 1906 American Antiques Act.

When he first created the American Antiques Act, Roosevelt established the first general legal protection of cultural and natural resources in the United States.

Today, the Act also obligates federal agencies that manage public lands to preserve the area for present and future generations.

The agencies are required to maintain historic, scientific, commemorative and cultural values of historical artifacts, sites and structures on their lands.

According to the National Park Service, the Act also authorizes the President to declare landmarks, structures and objects of historic or scientific interest as National Monuments in attempt to protect them.

There are currently six national park sites dedicated to Theodore Roosevelt. His presidency proved to have a tremendous impact on wildlife preservation and conservation said Woodward.

Roosevelt’s passion for protecting the beauty of nature inspires others to fight for what they believe in and strive to make a difference.