The Whitewater Wars

The Whitewater Wars is an entertaining and at times funny story about a new outdoor recreation industry's struggle to gain a foothold in Appalachia in the early 1980s. Living close to the edge at times with relatively little money, rafting and kayaking pioneers in river shorts and sandals were seemingly no match against powerful federal agencies in the battles for the Ocoee and Gauley Rivers. They were grossly underestimated. Here is what Marc Hunt, one of the first Ocoee River paddlers, has to say about The Whitewater Wars. "Successful advocacy efforts for the environment are always uphill battles, and winning them requires leaders with vision, grit, and integrity. David Brown brought those qualities in spades to the efforts to save the Ocoee and Gauley rivers. Anyone with passion for protecting America's rivers, and for that matter anyone who just enjoys hearing about political brawls with powerful federal bureaucracies, will love the quick read that The Whitewater Wars delivers through David's gifted storytelling." David Arnold, a cofounder of Class VI River Runners, in Lansing, WV said, "This book does much more than describe how an industry started and grew in the mountains of Appalachia. It is the behind-the-scenes account of the power of passion to make change happen. This 'David and Goliath' story gives hope to anyone committed to changing the way we do things."