Some overall environmental facts concerning American forests, fisheries, ranges, and croplands are examined to determine if they are being managed in an enlightened way. Results indicate that management of its renewable resources seems not to offer much of an example for the world to emulate. While superficially our resources may appear to be better managed than in many places, closer inspection reveals a curious pattern. Forest management really involves exploiting wild forests or the first revival of forests on long-abandoned farmland. Fishery management consists of joining in the worldwide rush to exploit wild fish stocks down to levels that trigger precipitous declines. A lot of rangeland management involves fussing over balancing the scales with respect to a resource that is being abandoned in favor of feedlots. And U.S. agriculture has been turned about from its historic preoccupation with surpluses to a frantic effort to push production up with ever more chemical and energy-dependent technology and expanded acreage, while attempting economy by dropping soil-conservation practices. It is not a picture that inspires much confidence. It does suggest that the rest of the world should go slowly in adopting American practices. Instead, we need new cooperative efforts to pump life into theories of ''enlightened management,'' to flush them out with a body of proven practices. It is time for countries that believe they are enlightened to join in funding applied R and D projects to show that there is more than hope in these new approaches. We must show that there is clearly a better way that will really work. As we look ahead, we will never find a better time to begin than now. (auth, Conclusions)