Forest Under Siege: The Story of Old Growth After Gifford Pinchot

$24.95

Description

In the 1890s, Gifford Pinchot was inspired by the magnificence of the Cascades centering the landscape of the Pacific Northwest. His resolve to protect the forests led to him becoming a celebrated early leader of the United States Forest Service. In Forest Under Siege, naturalist and environmentalist Rand Schenck tells the history of the Service since its founding in 1905.

He bemoans the sometimes seemingly indiscriminate destruction of well over half of the old-growth trees that existed in Pinchot’s time. But he moves on to recognize how, as new construction materials become available, the need for timber, once the forests’ primary use, has been reduced for the construction of roads, railroads, and urban demands.

Two relevant philosophies exist in the care of forests as preservation makes way for conservation, for regeneration and sustainable activity, practical use without incurring wholesale destruction. The book is packed with information extrapolated from archival research and from interviews, conducted over several years, with people holding professional and personal attitudes.

A unique epilogue features an entertaining imaginary discussion between Gifford Pinchot and America’s favorite naturalist, John Muir. Their voices, to which Schenck is closely attuned, demonstrate the demands of the natural world on the future of our ecosystem.

Additional information

Book Author

Rand Schenck

ISBN

9781638640257

Format

Trade

Page Count

258 pages

Issue

August 2024

Publication Date

02-May-2024

Publisher

Washington State University Press

Star Count

5

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