Contested landscapes : the politics of wilderness in Utah and the West

CONTESTED LANDSCAPE is a collection of essays that frame the wide-ranging passions and details of the political debate over wilderness issues in Utah and the West. Utah contains more Bureau of Land Management acreage than any other state in the United States with the exception of Nevada and Alaska. To some this acreage is more than enough, to others too little, hence the debate. The national debate about this western issue has continued virtually unabated for over twenty years, involving local, state, tribal, and national politics and revealing a diverse national opinion on the value of wilderness. Contested Landscape addresses this heated debate in objective terms, avoiding pejorative labels while exploring the positions of both pro-wilderness and multiple-use advocates. CONTESTED LANDSCAPE clarifies relevant laws, policies, court cases, and political activity. This book provides useful background, examining the evolution of the wilderness concept, the U.S. Constitution and wilderness designation, and the BLM wilderness inventory. It also addresses "hotbutton" political issues: mining and other extractive uses of wilderness, state trust lands, grazing, roadless areas, archaeological resources, and the "cost" of solitude. In their conclusion the editors offer workable solutions including a community contextual approach to negotiation. The broad range of perspectives and issues assembled in CONTESTED LANDSCAPE, although framed by the Utah wilderness debate, is far-reaching enough to allow each reader to draw his or her own conclusions about wilderness issues in the New West. As the editors conclude, this "is not about right or wrong; it's about needs and values. When we begin to consider all of these needs and values, then we will find a solution." There is a debate in the New West over the land and its proper uses. Some people of the rural West seek to continue the lifestyle that has contributed so much to the American image, while others want to protect the remnants of the wild lands that are so important to us as a people. But both sides share a desire to preserve something distinctly American.Contested Landscape frames these wide-ranging passions and details the controversy over wilderness issues in Utah and the West, a debate that has continued unabated for over twenty years, involving local, state, tribal, and national politics. It provides useful background, examining the evolution of the wilderness concept, the U.S. Constitution and wilderness designation, and BLM wilderness inventories. It also clarifies relevant laws, policies, court cases, and political activity and addresses hot-button issues: mining and other extractive uses of wilderness, state trust lands, grazing, roadless areas, archaeological resources, and the "cost" of solitude.As the editors point out, this debate "is not about right or wrong; it's about needs and values. When we begin to consider all of these needs and values, then we will find a solution."This book will be invaluable to general readers and policy-makers alike who wish to learn more about wilderness issues in Utah and the West. The Evolution Of The Wilderness Concept / Christopher Wehrli, Robin Clegg -- The U.s. Constitution And Wilderness Designation / Tina L. Compton, Kirsten Jansen, Jerold N. Willmore -- Weighted In The Balance: The Bureau Of Land Management Wilderness Inventory / Sara Mccormick, Brent Osiek -- Drawing Lines In The Desert Sand: The Politics Of Public-interest Groups / Andrew Fitzgerald, Deborah Schwabach -- Don't Cry Out Acreage Figures In A Crowded Theater / Lucas Smart, Amber Ayers -- Babel In The Wilderness: The Rhetoric Of Sufficiency/release And Excepted Activities / Meredith Mckell Graff -- A Legacy Of Conflict: Mining And Wilderness / Joshua Footer, J.t. Vonlunen -- State Trust Lands: A Problem In Wilderness Designation / Cyrus Mckell, David Harward -- Beef And Backpackers: Grazing In Wilderness / Christopher Krueger, Christian Senf, Janelle Eurick -- Divided Highway: The Politics Of The Roadless Debate / Christa Powell, Buck Swaney -- Pottery And Pithouses: Archaeological Resources In Wilderness / R. Kelly Beck -- The Cost Of Solitude / Chris Perri -- The Year Of Utah Wilderness: Lessons From 1984 / Richard Warnick -- The Community Context Approach / Doug Goodman, Daniel Mccool. Edited By Doug Goodman And Daniel Mccool. Includes Bibliographical References.