Forests for the people : the story of America's eastern national forests /

Forests for the People tells one of the most extraordinary stories of environmental protection in our nation's history: how a diverse coalition of citizens, organizations, and business and political leaders worked to create a system of national forests in the Eastern United States. It offers an...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Johnson, Christopher
Corporate Authors: SpringerLink (Online service)
Group Author: Govatski, David
Published: Island Press,
Publisher Address: Washington :
Publication Dates: [2013]
Literature type: eBook
Language: English
Subjects:
Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.5822/978-1-61091-215-0
Summary: Forests for the People tells one of the most extraordinary stories of environmental protection in our nation's history: how a diverse coalition of citizens, organizations, and business and political leaders worked to create a system of national forests in the Eastern United States. It offers an insightful and wide-ranging look at the actions leading to the passage of the Weeks Act in 1911--landmark legislation that established a system of well-managed forests in the East, the South, and the Great Lakes region--along with case studies that consider some of the key challenges facing eastern forests today.The book begins by looking at destructive practices widely used by the timber industry in the late 1800s and early 1900s, including extensive clearcutting followed by forest fire that devastated entire landscapes. The authors explain how this led to the birth of a new conservation movement that began simultaneously in the Southern Appalachians and New England, and describe the subsequent protection of forests in New England (New Hampshire and the White Mountains); the Great Lakes region (Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota), and the Southern Appalachians. Following this historical background, the authors offer eight case studies that examine critical issues facing the eastern national forests today, including timber harvesting, the use of fire, wilderness protection, endangered wildlife, oil shale drilling, invasive species, and development surrounding national park borders.Forests for the People is the only book to fully describe the history of the Weeks Act and the creation of the eastern national forests and to use case studies to illustrate current management issues facing these treasured landscapes. It is an important new work for anyone interested in the past or future of forests and forestry in the United States.
Carrier Form: 1 online resource (xii, 394 p.) : ill
Bibliography: Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN: 9781610912150 (electronic bk.)
1610912152 (electronic bk.)
Index Number: SD428
CLC: S717.712
Contents: The disappearing forests of the White Mountains --
Trees to build the Lake States --
A forest crisis in the southern Appalachians --
Building a forest conservation movement --
Legislation at last --
the Weeks Act --
Creating the eastern national forests --
Issues facing the eastern national forests today --
Holly Springs National Forest --
Florida's national forests --
Monongahela National Forest --
Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness --
Ottawa and Hiawatha national forests --
Allegheny National Forest --
Michigan's national forests --
National forests of Vermont and North Carolina.