▁necessary . ▁However ▁the ▁Government ▁of ▁India ▁generally ▁opposed ▁his ▁methods ▁and ▁refused ▁to ▁allow ▁it ▁to ▁operate ▁in ▁India ' s ▁North ▁West ▁Front ier . ▁Histor ians ▁have ▁long ▁deb ated ▁its ▁scope ▁and ▁effect iveness ▁in ▁the ▁peace ful ▁spread ▁of ▁Imperial ▁influence . ▁ ▁Environment ▁Although ▁environmental ▁history ▁was ▁growing ▁rapidly ▁after ▁ 1 9 7 0 , ▁it ▁only ▁reached ▁emp ire ▁studies ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 0 s . ▁Gregory ▁Bart on ▁arg ues ▁that ▁the ▁concept ▁of ▁environmental ism ▁emer ged ▁from ▁forest ry ▁studies , ▁and ▁emphas izes ▁the ▁British ▁imperial ▁role ▁in ▁that ▁research . ▁ ▁He ▁arg ues ▁that ▁imperial ▁forest ry ▁movement ▁in ▁India ▁around ▁ 1 9 0 0 ▁included ▁government ▁res erv ations , ▁new ▁methods ▁of ▁fire ▁protection , ▁and ▁attention ▁to ▁re venue - produ cing ▁forest ▁management . ▁The ▁result ▁e ased ▁the ▁fight ▁between ▁rom antic ▁pres ervation ists ▁and ▁la isse z - f aire ▁business men , ▁thus ▁giving ▁the ▁comprom ise ▁from ▁which ▁modern ▁environmental ism ▁emer ged . ▁ ▁In ▁recent ▁years ▁numerous ▁sch ol ars ▁c ited ▁by ▁James ▁Be att ie ▁have ▁exam ined ▁the ▁environmental ▁impact ▁of ▁the ▁Empire . ▁Be in art ▁and ▁Hugh es ▁argue ▁that ▁the ▁discovery ▁and ▁commercial ▁or ▁scientific ▁use ▁of ▁new ▁plants ▁was ▁an ▁important ▁concern ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 th ▁and ▁ 1 9 th ▁centuries . ▁The ▁efficient ▁use ▁of ▁rivers ▁through ▁d ams ▁and ▁ir rig ation