America's Public Lands - 2nd Edition by Randall K Wilson (Paperback)

About the Book

This updated edition traces the oft-forgotten ideas of nature that have shaped the evolution of America's public land system. The result is a fresh and compelling account of the most pressing challenges facing national parks, forests, rangelands, and wildlife refuges from thei...

Book Synopsis

This updated edition traces the oft-forgotten ideas of nature that have shaped the evolution of America's public land system. The result is a fresh and compelling account of the most pressing challenges facing national parks, forests, rangelands, and wildlife refuges from their early beginnings through the first years of the Trump administration.

Review Quotes

Thanks to Randall Wilson, we now have a splendid perch from which to view the broad sweep of public lands management in the United States, both spatially and temporally. Eschewing the hackneyed nature-as-commodity versus nature-as-wilderness dichotomy in favor of an approach that tacks much closer to reality, Wilson reminds us that resource conservation and management is--and always has been--a messy business. Perhaps most important, he provides us with the context, tools, and inspiration we need to find common ground as a people and address the environmental challenges that confront us in the twenty-first century.

This valuable new edition of Randall Wilson's prize-winning book on public lands offers timely updates on Obama and Trump administration legislation and important new material on wild and scenic rivers and trails. Wilson also serves up plenty of fresh examples that reflect the author's ongoing passion for America's greatest gift to itself. If you love the nation's public lands, you will love this book!

Wilson's America's Public Lands set a new standard in bringing the US public domain into clear view for a broad array of readers. The second edition keeps pace admirably with the changes afoot in environmental politics with Wilson's deft insight, nuance, and wide-ranging expertise. The book guides us to understand the significance of America's public lands and teaches us not to take these lands and waters for granted.

About the Author

Randall K. Wilson is professor of environmental studies at Gettysburg College. The first edition of America's Public Lands won the J. B. Jackson Prize from the American Association of Geographers.