“Creative Conservation:” The Environmental Legacy of Pres. Lyndon B. Johnson 1963-1969

“Creative Conservation:” The Environmental Legacy of

Pres. Lyndon B. Johnson 1963-1969

Table of Contents

LBJ and the Texas Hill Country 5

Overview 5

Activity: Sense of Place and LBJ’s Texas 6

Great Depression and Activity 22

Rural Electrification and Activity 28

TEKS 28

Sources 35

The Great Society Responds to the Environmental Crisis 38

Overview 38

The Environment and the Great Society 39

LBJ’s Environmental Legislation 40

Activities & Additional Resources 41

TEKS 45

Sources 56

Lady Bird Redefines Beauty 57

Overview 57

The Environment and the “Great Society” 58

Lady Bird’s Beautification Projects 59

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center 60

Activity 61

TEKS 70

Sources 75

LBJ Expands the National Park System 78

Overview 78

LBJ’s Contribution to the NPS 79

Activity 80

TEKS 87

Sources 93

“Creative Conservation:” The Environmental Legacy of

Pres. Lyndon B. Johnson 1963-1969

LBJ Expands the National Park Service

Overview Providing Context for Educators

The United States National Park Service is over 100 years old. It was formally created in 1916

under President Woodrow Wilson, although National Parks themselves go back even farther in

the country’s history. Abraham Lincoln approved the creation of Yosemite as a state park in

California in 1864. Congress passed legislation creating Yellowstone as the nation’s first National

Park in 1872 during the presidency of Ulysses S. Grant.

Teddy Roosevelt is often referred to as the “Conservation President.” He created the National

Forest Service, and put more land under federal protection, whether as National Park, National

Forest, Wildlife Refuge, or National Monument than any other President. He signed into law the

Antiquities Act, which safeguarded early Native American ruins and antiquities.

During his New Deal, President Franklin Roosevelt, mobilized his Civilian Conservation Corps to

work in national parks to build and repair roads, bridges, plant trees, and make improvements.

He oversaw transfer of federally owned and operated national cemeteries, monuments, and

historic sites to the administration of the National Park Service. Truman, Eisenhower and

Kennedy all added acres to our National Parks.

President Johnson’s “Great Society”

President Johnson introduced ideas relevant to the “Great Society” at the University of Michigan

commencement on May 22, 1964, calling on the government and citizens to renew man’s

contact with nature, reminding those in the audience that, “we have prided ourselves on being

not only America the strong and America the free, but America the beautiful.” The idea of

“quality of life” was a key theme in Johnson’s vision for a “Great Society.”

Although racial equality and the elimination of poverty were the primary goals of the program,

Johnson felt that environmentalism, especially where it concerned pollution and degradation of

the natural and urban environments should be included in the goals of a better America

envisioned by the “Great Society.” President Johnson felt that all Americans should be able to

spend time in nature and appreciate our nation’s beauty. Therefore, he wanted to create more

parks and wildlife areas, closer to cities for the use of ALL citizens.

“Creative Conservation:” The Environmental Legacy of

Pres. Lyndon B. Johnson 1963-1969

LBJ’S Contributions to the NPS

Arguably, the President who did the most to protect and promote the preservation of our

environment was Lyndon Baines Johnson, President of the United States from 1963-1969. His

enormously positive environmental legacy is often overshadowed by his unparalleled

accomplishments in Civil Rights legislation and the contentious issues surrounding the Vietnam

War.

Lyndon Johnson grew up in the beautiful Hill Country of Texas. Certainly, that experience as well

as his wife, Lady Bird, played significant roles in encouraging his enormous efforts toward

improving conservation of natural resources, preservation of those resources and wildlife, and

our historic buildings in America as a whole. No place has LBJ’s environmental impact been felt

more keenly than in the expansion of the National Park Service that took place during his

Presidency.

President Johnson was greatly encouraged in his conservation efforts by his Secretary of the

Interior, Stewart Udall, also a valued member of the Kennedy administration. Udall, a native of

Arizona, greatly appreciated the country’s natural beauty He said of his work with President

Johnson, “ [it] sort of developed and evolved and grew and gained strength as we began to have

some successes, as the country responded and as the country prodded us too--because it works

both ways. In an oral history, Udall said of Johnson’s additions to the Park Service, “the Johnson

Administration was a high-water mark in many ways. “

The President and Lady Bird both felt that beauty and nature were an important part of life and

should be available to everyone. Therefore, the creation and expansion of the National Parks

were a natural part of his efforts to improve the lives of all Americans, especially the urban poor.

The Johnsons both believed that parks and nature areas should be within easy reach of cities,

where most American lived.

The President said in his State of the Union, on January 4, 1965.

“For over three centuries the beauty of America has sustained our spirit and has enlarged

our vision. We must act now to protect this heritage. In a fruitful new partnership with the States

and the cities the next decade should be a conservation milestone. We must make a massive effort

to save the countryside and to establish—as a green legacy for tomorrow—more large and small

parks, more seashores and open spaces than have been created during any other period in our

national history.”

During his administration over 50 new parks were added to the park system and many existing

ones were expanded.

“Creative Conservation:” The Environmental Legacy of

Pres. Lyndon B. Johnson 1963-1969

Additions to the National Parks During LBJ’s Administration

Map copied from NPOS website, “Lyndon B. Johnson and he Environment,” accessed October 24, 2019.

https://www.nps.gov/lyjo/planyourvisit/upload/environmentcs2.pdf

“Creative Conservation:” The Environmental Legacy of

Pres. Lyndon B. Johnson 1963-1969

List of Parks Created and Expanded Created During LBJ’s

Administration

Agate Fossil Bed National Monument

Alibates Flint Quarries

Allegheny Portage Railroad NHS

Amistad NRA

Arbuckle NRA

Arches NM

Assateague Island NS

Bighorn Canyon NRA

Biscayne NM

Canyonlands

Cape Lookout NS

Capitol Reef NM

Carl Sandburg Home NHS

Chamizal N Memorial

Chamizal National Memorial

Curecanti NRA

Delaware Water Gap NRA

Eisenhower NHS

Fire Island NS

Fort Bowie NHS

Fort Larned NHS

Fort Union Trading Post NHS

George Rogers Clark NHS

Golden Spike NHS

Guadalupe Mountains NP

Herbert Hoover NHS

Hubbell Trading Post NHS

Ice Age National Scientific Reserve

Indiana Dunes NL

John F. Kennedy NHS

John Muir NHS

Johnstown Flood N Monument

Lake Chelan NRA

Lake Mead NRA

Mar-A-Lago NHS

Marble Canyon NM

National Visitor Center

Nez Perce NHP

North Cascades NP

Padre Island NS

Pecos NM

Pictured Rocks NL

Redwood National Park

Roger Williams

Roosevelt Campobello Int Park

Ross Lake NRA

Saint-Gaudens NHS

San Juan Island NHP

Sanford NRA

Saugus Iron Works NHS

Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural NHS

Whiskeytown -Shasta-Trinity NRA

Wolf Trap Farm

Legend

NM National Monument

NS National Seashore

NHS National Historic Site

NP National Park

NRA National Recreation Area

“Creative Conservation:” The Environmental Legacy of

Pres. Lyndon B. Johnson 1963-1969

Activity: Write about your experience at a National Park.

This could be a group activity, project on a chosen National Park, or an extra credit project

“Creative Conservation:” The Environmental Legacy of

Pres. Lyndon B. Johnson 1963-1969

Activity:

Use the interactive map of the National Park Sytem, provided by National Geographic, at

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2016/02/160212-presidents-national-monuments-parks-

history-photos/, to learn where the parks are located and which ones are closest to you. Discuss the

different types of parks within the System and what the appeals of each.

“Creative Conservation:” The Environmental Legacy of

Pres. Lyndon B. Johnson 1963-1969

Activity:

Examine the following primary source document, with a small group, from the LBJ Library. Analyze and

discuss its importance as a possible piece of legislation and as a addition to the NPS as a whole. What

impact do you think it has on us today, if any? Use the Analyze a Written Document Worksheet by

Natironal Archives if needed located at:

https://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/worksheets/document-novice

“Creative Conservation:” The Environmental Legacy of

Pres. Lyndon B. Johnson 1963-1969

“Creative Conservation:” The Environmental Legacy of

Pres. Lyndon B. Johnson 1963-1969

“Creative Conservation:” The Environmental Legacy of

Pres. Lyndon B. Johnson 1963-1969

TEKS 113.16. Social Studies, Grade 5, Adopted 2018

Knowledge and Skills

(5) History. The student understands important issues, events, and individuals in the United

States during the 20th and 21st centuries. The student is expected to:

(A) explain the significance of issues and events of the 20th century such as

industrialization, urbanization, the Great Depression, the world wars, the civil rights

movement, and military actions;

Lyndon B. Johnson and Steward Udall in the areas of civil rights, women's rights, military

actions, and politics.

(8) Geography. The student understands how people adapt to and modify their environment.

The student is expected to:

(A) describe how and why people have adapted to and modified their environment in

the United States such as the use of human resources to meet basic needs; and

(B) analyze the positive and negative consequences of human modification of the

environment in the United States.

(18) Citizenship. The student understands the importance of effective leadership in a

constitutional republic. The student is expected to:

(A) identify past and present leaders in the national government, including the president

and various members of Congress, and their political parties; and

(B) identify leadership qualities of national leaders, past and present such as LBJ.

“Creative Conservation:” The Environmental Legacy of

Pres. Lyndon B. Johnson 1963-1969

TEKS 113.17. Social Studies, Grade 6, Adopted 2018

Knowledge and skills.

(2) History. The student understands the influences of individual s and groups from various

cultures on various historical and contemporary societies. The student is expected to:

(A) identify and describe the historical influence of individuals, such as Lyndon B. Johnson

and Steward Udall on contemporary society; and

(B) describe the social, political, economic, and cultural contributions of individuals such

as Lyndon Baines Johnson and Steward Udall

(4) Geography. The student understands how geographic factors influence the economic

development and political relationships of societies. The student is expected to:

(B) identify geographic factors such as location, physical features, transportation corridors

and barriers, and distribution of natural resources that influence a society’s political

relationship such as designation of national parks and monuments.

(11) Citizenship. The student understands that the nature of citizenship varies among societies.

The student is expected to:

(B) explain how opportunities for citizens to participate in and influence the political

process vary among various contemporary societies such as the United States.

(12) Citizenship. The student understands the relationship among individual rights,

responsibilities, duties, and freedoms in societies with representative governments. The student

is expected to:

(A) identify and explain the duty of civic participation in societies with representative

governments, such as a President or cabinet officer; and

(B) explain relationships among right, responsibilities, and duties in societies with

representative governments, such as that of the President and cabinet officers.

(14) Culture. The student understands that all societies have basic institutions in common even

though the characteristics of these institutions may differ. The student is expected to:

(A) compare characteristics of institutions in various contemporary society, such as the

National Park Service; and

(B) analyze the efforts and Activity institutions use to sustain themselves over time, such

as the National Park Service.

“Creative Conservation:” The Environmental Legacy of

Pres. Lyndon B. Johnson 1963-1969

TEKS 113.17. Social Studies, Grade 6, Continued

(17) Culture. The student understands the relationship among religion, philosophy, and culture.

The student is expected to:

(A) explain the relationship among religious ideas, philosophical ideas and cultures, such

as preservation and conservation.

(19) Social studies skills. The student applies critical thinking skills to organize and use

information acquired through established research methodologies from a variety of valid

sources, including technology. The student is expected to:

including graphs, charts, timelines, and maps; and

(D) identify points of view about an issue or current topic.

“Creative Conservation:” The Environmental Legacy of

Pres. Lyndon B. Johnson 1963-1969

113.19 Social Studies, Grade 7, Adopted 2018

Knowledge and skills.

(1) History. The student understands traditional historical points of reference in Texas history.

The student is expected to:

(A) identify the major era in Texas history, describe their defining characteristics, and

explain the purpose of dividing the past into eras, including Texas in the Civil Rights Era;

and Contemporary Texas; and

(7) History. The student understands how individuals, events, and issues shaped the history of

Texas during the late 19

, 20

, and early 21

centuries. The student is expected to:

(D) describe and compare the civil right and equal rights movements of various groups in

Texas in the 20

century and identify key leaders in these movements such as Lyndon B.

Johnson.

(12) Economics. The student understands the interdependence of the Texas economy with the

United States and the world. The student is expected to:

on local, national, and international markets.

(17) Citizenship. The student understands the importance of effective leadership in a democratic

society. The student is expected to:

(A) identify the leadership qualities of elected and appointed leader of Texas, past and

present, including Texans who have been president of the United States, such as Lyndon

B. Johnson.

(20) Social studies skills. The student applies critical-thinking skills to organize and use

information acquired through established research methodologies from a variety of valid

sources, including technology. The student is expected to:

including graphs, charts, timelines, and maps, such as those of NPS parks in Texas;

(E) support a point of view on a social studies issue, such as establishment of national

parks in Texas.

“Creative Conservation:” The Environmental Legacy of

Pres. Lyndon B. Johnson 1963-1969

113.19 Social Studies, Grade 7, Continued

(21) Social studies skills. The student uses geographic tools to collect, analyze, and interpret

data. The student is expected to:

(A) create and interpret thematic maps, graphs, and charts representing various aspects

of Texas during the 19

, 20

, and 21

centuries, including establishment of national

parks, and

(B) analyze and interpret geographic distributions and patterns in Texas of national parks

during the 19

, 20

, and 21

. centuries.

“Creative Conservation:” The Environmental Legacy of

Pres. Lyndon B. Johnson 1963-1969

113.41 United States History Studies Since 1877, Adopted 2018

Knowledge and skills.

(5) History. The student understands the effects of reform and third-party movements in the

early 20

century. The student is expected to:

(A) analyze the impact of Progressive Era reforms, including the establishment of National

Parks and the NPS;

(9) History. The student understands the impact of the American civil rights movement.

(D) identify the roles of significant leader who supported various rights movements,

including President Lyndon B. Johnson.

(14) Geography. The student understands the relationship between population growth and the

physical environment. The student is expected to:

(B) identify the roles of governmental entities and private citizens in managing the

environment such as the establishment of the National Park System, the Environmental

Protection Agency (EPA), and the Endangered Species Act.

(18) Government. The student understands changes over time in the role of government. The

student is expected to:

(B) explain constitutional issues raised by federal government policy changes during times

of significant events, including the 1960s and LBJ’s Great Society and the expansion of the

National Park System.

(23) Citizenship. The student understands the importance of effective leadership in a

constitutional republic. The student is expected to:

(A) evaluate the contributions of significant political and social leaders in the United

States such as Lyndon Baines Johnson and Stewart Udall

“Creative Conservation:” The Environmental Legacy of

Pres. Lyndon B. Johnson 1963-1969

Primary Sources:

LBJPresientialLibrary.org. Johnson, Lyndon B. “President Johnson’s State of the Union Address,

January 8, 1964,” Accessed October 12, 2019. http://www.lbjlibrary.org/press/civil-

rights-tax-cuts-and-the-war-on-poverty.

LBJPresidentialLibrary.org. Johnson, Lyndon B. “Special Message to the Congress on Conservation

and Restoration of Natural Beauty, February 8, 1965,” Accessed October 12, 2019.

http://www.lbjlibrary.net/collections/selected-speeches/1965/02-08-1965.html.

LBJPresidentialLibrary.org. Johnson, Lyndon B. “University of Michigan Speech 5-22-64,”

Accessed October 13, 2019. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4Qc1VM80aQ.

Letter from John A. Carver, Jr. to Kermit Gordon, September 9, 1964, Canyonlands National Park,

Utah, S. 27, P.L. 88-590, Box 16, LBJ Library.

Udall, Stewart. transcript of an oral history conducted October 31, 1969 by Joe B. Franz for the

LBJ Library by the University of Texas Oral History Project and the LBJ Library Oral History

Project, LBJ Library, University of Texas, Austin, 1969. Accessed October 20, 2019.

http://www.lbjlibrary.net/assets/documents/archives/oral_histories/udall/UDALL04.PF.

Udall. Stewart. transcript of an oral history conducted May 19, 1969 by Joe B. Franz for the LBJ

Library by the University of Stewart L. Udall, Texas Oral History Project and the LBJ Library

Oral History Project, LBJ Library, University of Texas, Austin, 1969. Accessed October 20,

2019.

http://www.lbjlibrary.net/assets/documents/archives/oral_histories/udall/UDALL02.PF.

“Creative Conservation:” The Environmental Legacy of

Pres. Lyndon B. Johnson 1963-1969

Secondary Sources:

Brittannica.com. “National Park Service.” Accessed October 21, 2019.

https://www.britannica.com/topic/National-Park-Service.

NationalGeorgraphic.com. “A Century of Parks,” interactive map of US park system. Accessed

October 20, 2019.

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2016/02/160212-presidents-national-

monuments-parks-history-photos/.

ParkRangeEdu.org. “What is the National Park Service.” Accessed October 20, 2019.

https://www.parkrangeredu.org/what-is-the-national-park-service/.

Terragalleria.com · the photography of QT Luong. “National Parks Timeline.” Accessed October

20, 2019. https://www.terragalleria.com/parks/info/parks-by-date.html.

Suggestions for Additional Resources on National Parks:

Check out http://www.pbs.org/nationalparks/ for additional educator resources and access to the

Ken Burns film about the National Parks, “The National Parks: America’s Best Idea.”