The environmental movement was raging in the 70s and momentum was chugging along with the creation of the EPA and increased environmental protections being passed in the congressional halls. The environmental movement was a non-partisan issue with both Republicans and Democrats supporting the first Earth Day in 1970. Enter the New Right, who painted environmental activists as extremists who were participating in a culture war (123). This gave birth to two movements the Sagebrush Rebellion and Wise Use movement. These two movements were in direct opposition of the environmental movement and focused mostly on political issues surrounding conservation, public lands, and wilderness (124). The Sagebrush Rebellion in particular, became the vessel by which conservative activism on public lands increased. The particular libertarian streak of the New Right came through in this movement with the crux of their argument being about the expanding role of government in public lands. They argued that the federal government should transfer this power over to the states and they have control over the lands in the name of “local interests”. Wise Use on the other hand focused on issues such as livestock grazing and the ability to hunt in national parks.
The battle over public lands shaped the New Right with the emphasis being on individual rights. This change has been in every facet of right-wing politics in the US since this time. In the past there was less of an emphasis on this part of politics and now it is at the center of every issue. Individual rights as a phrase now at the top of every conservative lexicon and is there to stay. With public lands and the environment there also has been an impact. Before these movements there was a bipartisan consensus on the environment and conservatives were some of the biggest supporters of environmental protections, but since this shift that part of the conservative platform is all but gone.
Will Wright 