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Read the archive   of Wattenberg's   syndicated column     What’s on the Mind of the "Radical Middle"? This week, Think Tank with Ben Wattenberg talks to two dyed-in-the-wool policy wonks to find out what's on their agenda. Isabel ... more Who Was Franz Boas? This week, Think Tank with Ben Wattenberg looks at the life and influence of Franz Boas, ’the father of American anthropology.’ ... more   Are we protecting the land for Americans or from Americans? main page Are we protecting the land for Americans or from Americans? Aired 2/15/2001 This week, Think Tank with Ben Wattenberg takes a hard look at the purpose and effectiveness of federal land policy. Bill Clinton, in his final days as president, put 58 million acres of federal land off-limits to development, even road-building. Congressional Republicans from Western states were outraged. Conserving America's land resources has been a government concern since the days of Theodore Roosevelt in the early part of the 20th century. But federal land agencies, long regarded as models of effective scientific management, now control fully one-third of the land in the United States and are increasingly embroiled in controversy. Environmentalists say government has a moral imperative to protect the nation's wildlife and wilderness. Critics say eco-activists in government are, in effect, fencing off federal land and telling the public to "keep out." What's going on?   Read the full transcript   Robert Nelson     professor of public policy at the University of Maryland, senior fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, and author of "A Burning Issue: A Case for Abolishing the U.S. Forest Service"   Roger Sedjo     director of Forest Economics and Policy at Resources for the Future, and editor of "A Vision for the U.S. Forest Service: Goals for Its Next Century"   Al Sample     president of the Pinchot Institute for Conservation and author of "Land Stewardship in the Next Era of Conservation" Originally Aired: 2/15/2001     Be sure to also check out: Send us your thoughts Think Tank is made possible by generous support from the Smith Richardson Foundation, the Bernard and Irene Schwartz Foundation, the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, the John M. Olin Foundation, the Donner Canadian Foundation, the Dodge Jones Foundation, and Pfizer, Inc. ©Copyright Think Tank. All rights reserved.     Web development by Bean Creative.