The Promise of Wilderness: American Environmental Politics since 1964 (Weyerhaeuser Environmental Books) - Hardcover

Turner, James Morton

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0295991755 ISBN 13: 9780295991757

Publisher: University of Washington Press, 2012

Synopsis

From Denali's majestic slopes to the Great Swamp of central New Jersey, protected wilderness areas make up nearly twenty percent of the parks, forests, wildlife refuges, and other public lands that cover a full fourth of the nation's territory. But wilderness is not only a place. It is also one of the most powerful and troublesome ideas in American environmental thought, representing everything from sublime beauty and patriotic inspiration to a countercultural ideal and an overextension of government authority.

The Promise of Wilderness examines how the idea of wilderness has shaped the management of public lands since the passage of the Wilderness Act in 1964. Wilderness preservation has engaged diverse groups of citizens, from hunters and ranchers to wildlife enthusiasts and hikers, as political advocates who have leveraged the resources of local and national groups toward a common goal. Turner demonstrates how these efforts have contributed to major shifts in modern American environmental politics, which have emerged not just in reaction to a new generation of environmental concerns, such as environmental justice and climate change, but also in response to changed debates over old conservation issues, such as public lands management. He also shows how battles over wilderness protection have influenced American politics more broadly, fueling disputes over the proper role of government, individual rights, and the interests of rural communities; giving rise to radical environmentalism; and playing an important role in the resurgence of the conservative movement, especially in the American West.

About this title

Book Description:

Examines how the idea of wilderness has shaped the management of public lands since the passage of the Wilderness Act in 1964.

About the Author:

James Morton Turner is assistant professor of environmental studies at Wellesley College.

About this edition

• Publisher: University of Washington Press
• Publication date: 2012
• ISBN 10: 0295991755
• ISBN 13: 9780295991757
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 576