1920: Grand Canyon National Park is dedicated.

1980: Environmental and conservationist groups find that, over the last 200 years, the lower 48 states have lost an estimated 53 percent of their original wetlands.

Today: Before leaving office, President Clinton signs a parks bill designed to protect lands in forty-one states, including the Presidio in San Francisco, the country's oldest continuously operated military post.

1921: U.S. President Harding issues an executive order transferring management of the Navy's emergency oil field deposits at Teapot Dome to the Department of the Interior. The deal is thought to be a win-win situation, allowing developers to profit from the oil while setting aside part of it in reserve for naval emergencies.

1980: The price of crude oil peaks at thirty-six dollars per barrel as the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries exercises its power to control oil production.

Today: President Bush pushes to open Alaska's pristine...