Who Should Regulate Nature? An Examination of the Philosophies That Inform U.S. Wilderness Policy

Kevin Cullather is a doctoral student in public administration with a secondary concentration in business and environmental policy. Mr. Cullather received his master of public administration degree with a concentration in executive, legislative and regulatory administration from The George Washington University in 1992, and was admitted into Pi Alpha Alpha, the honor society for Public Affairs and Administration. Mr. Cullather graduated from The College of William and Mary in Virginia in 1985 with a bachelor of arts degree in government. He is also the author of "Budget Summits: A Consensus Building Approach to the Federal Budget Process," which appeared in the summer 1995 volume of Presidential Studies Quarterly. The ongoing debate over whether the United States government should expend resources to extinguish naturally occurring forest fires provides a forum for studying the ethical paradox that exists in society's relationship with the wilderness. To reach a consensus on the appropriate role of government in regulating nature, we must first recognize the fundamental philosophical dichotomy regarding our place in nahlre. Environmentalists and philosophers on one side of the debate hold that we are a part of the greater natural environment, occupying a status equal to other species. Therefore, our influence should be minimal. On the other end of the spectrum are those who believe that humans, as intellectual beings, are superior to other species and separate from the greater ecosystem. Under this position, humans are obligated to manage and improve nature, preserving the ecosystem for nature's sake or society's enjoyment. These two views occupy opposing positions on a continuum of philosophical views on the role of humans in the natural environment. This paper will introduce several other points along the continuum which are necessary for understanding and rationalizing the ethical challenges presented in the context of managing naturally occurring forest fires. The range of ideas and corresponding policy alternatives seen in today's society reflects the lack of a commonly held view as to society's place in the