Public Lands in the Western US : Place and Politics in the Clash Between Public and Private

This edited collection explores the many ways in which diverse individuals and groups--such as state and federal managers, First Peoples, ranchers, miners, oil and gas extraction industries, sports enthusiasts, environmentalists, local residents, and tourists--actively negotiate, contest, and collaborate on issues regarding public lands in the American West. Tracing these ever-morphing alliances and antagonisms, this volume highlights the recurring patterns within this diverse array of social actors Cover 1 Public Lands in the Western US 2 Public Lands in the Western US: Place and Politics in the Clash between Public and Private 4 Copyright 5 Contents 6 Part I Overview 8 Introduction 10 References Cited 15 Chapter 1 18 Public Lands through the Prism of Senses of Place 18 Grounded in Senses of Place 25 Performatives of Collaboration and Conflict 28 Plan of the Book 32 Notes 34 References Cited 34 Part II Exploring Senses of Place 40 Chapter 2 42 The New Wild West 42 A Brief History of America’s Western Range Wars and Sagebrush Rebellions 44 Bunkerville, Malheur, and Cedar City 47 Cattle Grazing and the Ranchers’ Beef with the Federal Government 49 God, the Nay Book, and the Constitution 52 Identity, Heritage, and a Nostalgic Imagined Past 54 Range War as Revitalization Movement 56 Conclusion 60 Notes 61 References Cited 62 Chapter 3 66 Public Land, Place, and Shadow Displacement in Rural Utah 66 Myers Valley: A Private Island in a Public Land Sea 66 Discussion and Conclusion: Ranching and Place in Rural Utah 70 Notes 72 References Cited 72 Chapter 4 74 Claiming the Los Angeles River for “the Public,” by Boat and by Permit 74 A Hazard 76 A Water Resource 78 A Place of (and for) Nature 82 Challenges and Conclusions 85 Notes 86 References Cited 86 Chapter 5 88 Chile and New Mexico 88 The Enchantment of Active Engagement 88 Enchantment, Presence, and Absence 91 Anglos as the Target Subject of Enchantment 93 Who Are the Hispanic New Mexicans? 96 The Enchantment of Consuming Place 97 Red Chile and Green Chile 99 Taking Chile Home 103 Note 103 References Cited 103 Part III Practices and Contexts of Collaboration and Conflict 106 Chapter 6 108 A Reckoning of the Nuclear West 108 References Cited 121 Chapter 7 122 Public Lands Security 122 The History of Local-Federal Struggle 123 The Advent of BLM Law Enforcement 126 The Catch-22 of BLM Law Enforcement 128 Clashing Local and Federal Authority 129 The Failure of Local-Federal Partnerships and Collaboration 131 Anti-Federal Movements 131 Discussion and Conclusion 134 Notes 136 References Cited 136 Chapter 8 140 Restoring Wild Bison in the Heart of Cattle Country 140 The Interagency Bison Management Plan 143 The Buffalo Field Campaign 144 Cattle Country 145 Restoring the Buffalo Nation 149 Defusing the Landmine 151 Conclusion 152 Notes 153 References Cited 153 Chapter 9 158 Through a Forest Wilderness 158 Traditional Ecological Management in Yosemite Valley at the Time of Contact 161 Park Creation, Surveillance, and the Displacement of Traditional Ecological Practices 165 Revisionary Critiques, Revisionary Policies: Plant Gathering in a New Millennium 171 Toward a Conclusion 174 References Cited 176 Chapter 10 182 Nature’s Belonging 182 Introduction 183 On Landscapes and Conservation 186 Surplus Landscapes and Species of Capital 191 Landscape Imaginaries and the Settler Pastoral 196 Conclusion: Place and Cultural Politics 199 Notes 200 References Cited 202 Index 206 About the Editors 216 About the Contributors 218