Bøger i Development of Western Resources serien

James Earl Sherow contends that a vast network of problems in the arid West has sprung from the mistaken notion that water is a commodity to be bought, sold, and traded. This ill-conceived approach to water development, he argues, has resulted in social problems as well as abuse of the environment. In this volume he tells the story of the inhabitants of the "Valley of Content," the High Plains section of the Arkansas River Valley, during the formative period of settlement and development. It was their desire for growth, he maintains, that spurred the construction of the very dams, reservoirs, and water conveyance structures that would ultimately undermine their success. He documents their attempts--both fanciful and fruitful--to bring the river under their control, the waves of new problems that followed each new 'solution, ' and the conflict and cooperation the process engendered. "This is a most important book. Sherow's thesis is compelling. He provides a definitive study for the period, . . . examining water use affecting agriculture, industry, and urban areas in Colorado and agriculture in Kansas. This book will be worthy of a place beside Don Pisani's From the Family Farm to Agribusiness: The Irrigation Crusade in California and the West, 1850-1930 and Norris Hundley's Water in California. It adds an important new dimension to the discussion of water in the West, a topic that is no longer one of merely regional concern."--Richard Lowitt, author of The New Deal and the West

A political and legal history of the Endangered Species Act that explains how and why this piece of legislation has become so controversial. It addresses the legal history of the act, showing how the courts created a far more powerful law than Congress originally envisioned.

This work celebrates the rescue of America's national parks by soldiers with an environmental ethic generations ahead of its time. From 1890 until the establishment of the National Park Service in 1916, Yosemite's first stewards were soldiers drawn from the US Army.

This title examines a variety of conservation organizations in the United States built on or close to trust principles, some government creations, some private, some combinations of the two, to explain how conservation trusts are created and how they work.

This study looks at the American West, transformed by tourism from a land of opportunity to a land of opportunism. Illuminating the darker side of the industry, this work describes how the costs of tourism have challenged the benefits and proven it to be a devil's bargain.

Cawley investigates the Sagebrush Rebellion, examining how the definitions of federal land management concepts, such as conservation, influenced policy-making, and exploring the tensions that pitted the West against other regions and the federal government.

Provides an overview of current issues in the field of Indian water rights and of the history of United States-Indian legal relations. Burton examines problems in environmental and social justice and also supplies a case-study of the law's failure to fulfil its promises.

Provides an analysis of the development of a North American institutional response to continental air pollution. The text chronicles how industry developed a continental perspective in a shared regional space, the mineralized West, and how efforts to protect the environment evolved.

A comprehensive examination of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) in the USA, illustrating their diverse importance, describing the people who harvest them, and outlining the steps that are being taken to ensure access to them. It brings together research from numerous disciplines.

The story of commercial activities in the Yellowstone National Park from the 1870s through to the 1960s. It examines the place of business in the development of America's national parks, demonstrating the prominent role played by profit-driven entrepreneurs in shaping the physical landscape.

Denver's Conservation Library was established in 1960 as a repository for environmental and conservation documents. In chronicling its history, Andrew Kirk also traces the cultural history of American environmentalism as viewed through the lens of this unique institution.

This work chronicles the growth - and the growing pains - of the tourist economy on Maui. It takes the readers into the heart of this island paradise to reveal the complexity of economic and environmental issues, especially as perceived by Maui's residents since the 1950s.

Traces the development of the Four Corners region - where New Mexico, Colorado, Utah and Arizona meet - and its two main industries - tourism and mining - to illustrate how each contributed to the economic and urban transformation of the region over the 1950s and 1960s.

This study examines the conflict between public power advocates and the private utility industry over control of the environment before the New Deal. In identifying the political nature of modernization, Brigham tells a story that is also environmental and social.

A comprehensive examination of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) in the USA, illustrating their diverse importance, describing the people who harvest them, and outlining the steps that are being taken to ensure access to them. It brings together research from numerous disciplines.

The organic food industry is a multi-billion dollar business driven by ever growing consumer demand for safe food and a greater public awareness of ecological issues. This book explores the roots and branches of alternative agricultural ideas in 20th century America.

A comparative history of how Boston and Oakland solved their water shortage problems at the end of the 19th century. It looks at the transformation of the cities, their natural surroundings and politics, applying urban history to environmental concerns and environmental history to urban problems.

Takes a comprehensive look at how and why the Missouri River Basin - now with six major dams and hundreds of miles of navigation canals - has become one of the most significantly altered drainage systems in America. The book also looks at the consequences of this.