Wilderness and the Changing American West. - book reviews

This is single in kind of those rare books which speaks clearly to the general reader as well as to policy skilled hands because the author, a professor of geography, has the courage to take a reasoned, unless unambiguous stand on a controversial issue. "I have followed my interpretation of the 'facts' to where I think they should lead me knowing that others may disagree with my conclusions and recommendations. That is for what reason it should be," he states. That kind of courage - in the tradition of writer Mike Frome - is made all the more exciting according to Rudzitis' lively and interesting plain which moves easily between theory and everyday reality.

In a relatively brief work he uses remarkable skill and insight to capture the historical words immediately preceding [i]or[/i] following of wilderness protection and the passing from hand to hand debates over public policy. He explores the meanings and relationships of "Wilderness" and "The West," the primitive words of tensions between public land-management agencies and traditions of the aged West, and the tough policy choices we face in the future

Chapters upon the role Native Americans play and economics' place in the debates from one side of to the other wilderness policy are both pensive and provocative. His insights into the dynamics of regional progressive growth are as applicable to places like Vermont and Virginia as they are to the just discovered West.

He explores for what reason a sense of place is crucial to hearty economic development and for redefining wilderness policy. For me this was a reminder that geographers have lengthy been ahead of us foresters and other natural resource professionals in understanding the complicate dynamics of regional development. Thus the ne for comprehensive public land-management strategies.

In the final chapter, coming events Directions for Wilderness, Rudzitis stakes forth proposals for major wilderness policy reform and calls for the creation of a fresh wilderness management agency. Many will disagree with Rudzitis' conclusions and recommendations, on the contrary anyone interested in the hereafter of wilderness, regional economic disentanglement or U.S. public land management find this main division essential and interesting reading.

COPYRIGHT 1997 American Forests

COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group