1866年《南部宅地法》土地分配方案及其失败原因

1866年《南部宅地法》为了解决美国黑人自由民的土地问题制定了相对有利的宅地申请条件。然而由于缺乏申请宅地以及从事农业生产的初始资本和其他借贷来源,美国联邦政府也没有在借贷方面为宅地申请者提供相应的扶持,绝大多数黑人自由民并没有利用《南部宅地法》提供的有利条件转变为独立的小农场主。这是1866年《南部宅地法》失败的深层次原因。     

Indian Lands,Environmental Policy and Military Geopolitics in the Development of the Brazilian Amazon: The Case of the Yanomami

This article examines the realignments of the developmentalist discourse and strategy of the Brazilian military for the Amazon during the civilian government of the ‘New Republic’ (1985–90). It focuses on a case study, i.e. the official expropriation of the lands of the Yanomami Indians in the states of Roraima and Amazonas along the Brazil/Venezueta border. The analysis brings to light how, during this period, the military aimed at neutralizing both the pressure of environmental NGOs on Brazil's international creditors and the emergent democratization of decisions on land use in Amazônia. It shows how such attempts involved manipulating environmental legislation and ecological rhetoric in order to perpetuate military hegemony over the development of Amazônia to the benefit of mining interests. Finally, the paper traces the roots of these man?uvres to a geopolitical and economical model for Amazonian integration still inspired by the national security doctrine drawn up in the 1950s and 1960s by the Escola Superior de Guerra.     

An Economic Appraisal of Lands in Connection with the Organization of Lands on State Farms of the Virgin Lands

The author suggests that economic land appraisals, designed to improve the utilization of state-farm lands, be combined with a program of land organization on state farms, assigning the most effective land uses to individual farm plots on the basis of physical factors, soil fertility, and achievement of maximum yields at the lowest cost in labor and capital. Rational land use under the new schemes in compared with the past stereotyped approach on state farms of the virgin lands.     

The Future Population of Australia's Coastal Lands

In 1986 about 26 per cent of the Australian population lived in the country's coastal fringe. In recent decades coastal fringe population has increased at the same rate as the population elsewhere and, if this proportion holds as total population grows towards a projected level of 27 million by 2051, plausibly there could be another three million people living in the coastal fringe by then. This paper examines, in synoptic fashion, and within the limits of available data, the capacity of the coastal fringe to absorb such population increments.     

Fools Crow Versus Gullett: A Critical Analysis of the American Indian Religious Freedom Act

Historically, American Indian religions have been repressed in the United States out of the conviction that traditional indigenous beliefs would hinder the Indian's "progress toward civilization." While the First Amendment protects the freedom of religion, it has not done so for American Indian religions. In 1978, Congress passed the American Indian Religious Freedom Act (AIRFA), which was designed to protect and preserve for American Indians their inherent right to believe, express and exercise their traditional religions. This paper will analyze the effectiveness of AIRFA through an examination of one court case, Fools Crow v. Gullett, which involved a Cheyenne and Lakota sacred place, Bear Butte. It will conclude that AIRFA cannot prevent the desecration of a sacred place. It will also extend some arguments of legal scholar Ellen Sewell to the Fools Crow case, arguing that the courts misunderstand the unique nature of American Indian religions and disregard the trust relationship between American Indians and the federal government. It will conclude with further observations about liberalism, justice and property rights in the judicial system.     

Committed to Conserve: the Western Lands Act, 1901, and the Management of the Public Estate of the Western Division of New South Wales

Modern perceptions of a past characterised by ignorance and disregard for the environment overlook widely supported attempts by Europeans to protect Australia’s biophysical resources. An environmental and financial crisis in the rangelands of the Western Division of New South Wales was investigated by the Royal Commission into the Condition of the Crown Tenants of 1901. This crisis and royal commission are famous evidence of a profound mismatch between early pastoralism and the land. But, less famously, the royal commission and the subsequent Western Lands Act, 1901, were part of a widely supported and deep commitment to better adapt pastoralism to its environment. The failure of this commitment to achieve lasting change to the way the land was used over succeeding decades illustrates the intransigence of our basic systems of land use.     

The Americans With Disabilities Act and Medical Providers: Ten Years After Passage of the Act

This article discusses the impact of the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) on health care providers in the last decade. Even though some ADA training has been provided for health care providers, more education will help to improve access to their offices, improve health care practices for their patients with disabilities, and be an incentive for the providers to help raise the consciousness of the rest of the community about the ADA.     

Study and Classification of Agricultural Lands

The author discusses three classifications of agricultural lands based on (1) natural properties that affect productivity and serviceability, (2) on need for improvement and responsiveness to it, and (3) on actual use. All three classifications are considered essential for an agricultural evaluation of lands and for determining the relative effectiveness of use methods, actual or planned.