Soil and Water Conservation Act (1977)
1977; soil and water conservation programs to aid landowners and users; also sets up conditions to continue evaluating the condition of U.S. soil, water, and related resources
Food Security Act (1985)
1985; nicknamed the Swampbuster, this act discouraged the conversion of wetlands to nonwetlands; 1990 federal legislation denied federal farm supplements to those who converted wetlands to agriculture, and provided a restoration of benefits to those who u
1996 World Food Summit
government leaders pledged to cut the number of Americans living in hunger from 30.4 million to 15.2 million by 2010; not been met
Marine Mammal Protection Act (1970)
1970; this act protected marine mammals from falling below their optimum sustainable population levels
Endangered Species Act Program (for the protection of threatened plants and animals and their habitats) (1973)
1973; the act prohibited the commerce of those species considered to be endangered or threatened
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES) (1973)
this agreement bans the capture, exportation, or sale of endangered and threatened species
Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) (1947 and 1972)
created 1947, amended in 1972; law requires the EPA to approve the use of all pesticides in the United States
Wilderness Act (1964)
established a review of road-free areas of 5,000 acres or more and islands within the National Wildlife Refuges or the National Park System for inclusion in the National Preservation System. This act restricted activities in these areas
Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (1968)
established a National Wild and Scenic Rivers System for the protection of rivers with important scenic, recreational, fish and wildlife, and other values
Anadromous Fish Conservation Act (1965)
1965; protected fish that live in the sea but grow up and breed in fresh water
Magnuson Fishery Conservation and Management Act (1976)
1976; governed the conservation and management of ocean fishing
Marine Mammal Protection Act (1972)
1972; established a federal responsibility to conserve marine mammals
Endangered Species Act (1973)
1973; provided broad protection for species of fish, wildlife, and plants that are listed as threatened or endangered in the U.S. or elsewhere
The United Nations Agreement for the Implementation of the Provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (1982)
1982; set out the principles for the conservation and management of certain types of fish
Mining Act (1872)
1872; governed prospecting and mining of mineral son publicly owned land
Mineral Leasing Act (1920)
1920; permitted the Bureau of Land Management to grant leases for development of deposits of coal, phosphate, potash, sodium, sulphur, and other leasable minerals on public domain lands
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (Superfund) (1980)
1980; regulated damage done by mining
Resource Conservation and Recovery Acts (RCRA) (1976)
1976; regulated some mineral processing wastes
Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (1977)
1977; established a program for regulating surface coal mining and reclamation activities; it established mandatory standards for these activities on state and federal lands, including a requirement that adverse impacts on fish, wildlife, and related envi