Important new legislation, advances in technology, and economic and social developments made 1964 a notable year for natural resources in the United States—a year in which, among other things, the American people showed a growing concern for the quality of the natural environment. Failing the ultimate wisdom of hindsight, it seems at the start of 1965 that a number of the past year's happenings cast long shadows forward into the future. Many of the events were domestic; those that took place elsewhere are of concern to this country as a member of the world community.
This issue of Resources looks back over 1964 in an attempt to find keys to the future meaning of some of the year's developments. The treatment is selective, to put it mildly; many corners of the broad resources field are not even touched. The notes that follow do no more than comment briefly on two or three items within each of Resources for the Future's major areas of study.
A version of this article appeared in print in the February 1965 issue of Resources magazine.
