Homestead Act makes free homesteads on unappropriated land available on a vast scale, speeding settlement of the Plains states and destruction of the region's prairie ecosystem.

Mining Law allows any person finding mineral deposits on public land to file a claim which grants him free access to that site for mining or similar development.

Forest Reserve Act authorizes the President to create forest reserves from the public domain.

Refuse Act authorizes the Army Corps of Engineers to issue discharge permits.

Lacey Act makes interstate shipment of wild animals a federal offense if taken in violation of state laws.

Reclamation Act provides funding for the "reclamation" of drylands in the western United States through irrigation and damming of rivers.

National Park Service Act establishes the National Park Service, an agency in the U.S. Department of the Interior, the...