Question

remember hetch hetchy: the raker act and the evolution of the national park idea
from national park service

(1) yesterday, december 19, was the centennial of the raker act, the bill that allowed the building of a dam in the hetch hetchy valley. the raker act was highly controversial and the points of view that were argued on both sides of the controversy are valuable perspectives that are still relevant today. the debate pitted the needs of san francisco, a rapidly growing city trying to find a large and reliable source of water, against the proponents of a newly formed yosemite national park. this event helped to further refine the idea of national parks, an idea that began in yosemite nearly 50 years before.

(2) june 30, 1864, is the day that abraham lincoln signed the yosemite grant, an act of congress that permanently set aside the first public land in our country. when yosemite valley and the mariposa grove of giant sequoias were given to the state of california to manage as public parks, the core of the national park idea was established. in 1890, a larger park, closer to the size we know today, was

select the correct answer from the drop-down menu.

what can be inferred about the impact of the controversy in paragraph 1?

it can be inferred that, without the controversy, choose an answer

choose an answer:

• more alternatives to the reservoir would have been considered
• john muir would have written less about national parks
• legislators would not have had an effective publicity campaign
• the national park service may not have been established

Explanation:

Analyze the question and paragraph 1

The question asks what can be inferred about the impact of the controversy in paragraph 1.
Paragraph 1 states: "This event helped to further refine the idea of national parks, an idea that began in Yosemite nearly 50 years before."
We need to evaluate the options based on this Textual Analysis.

Evaluate the options

• Option 1: "more alternatives to the reservoir would have been considered"

The text does not mention other alternatives being considered due to the controversy.

• Option 2: "John Muir would have written less about national parks"

John Muir is not mentioned in paragraph 1.

• Option 3: "legislators would not have had an effective publicity campaign"

The text does not discuss a publicity campaign by legislators.

• Option 4: "the National Park Service may not have been established"

The text states that the controversy "helped to further refine the idea of national parks." Without this refinement and debate, the institutionalization of this idea (the National Park Service) may not have occurred.

Formulate the final inference

The controversy over Hetch Hetchy Valley directly shaped and refined the national park concept, leading to the creation of the National Park Service to protect these lands. Thus, without the controversy, the National Park Service may not have been established.

Answer:

• more alternatives to the reservoir would have been considered
• John Muir would have written less about national parks
• legislators would not have had an effective publicity campaign
• the National Park Service may not have been established (Correct answer)