The Wild East: A Biography of the Great Smoky Mountains (New Perspectives on the History of the South)

Explores the social, political, and environmental changes in the Great Smoky Mountains during the 19th & 20th centuries. Although this national park is often portrayed as a triumph of preservation, Brown concludes that the largest forested region in the eastern US is actually a re-created wilderness-a product of restoration & even manipulation of the land. Park management continues to waffle between shifting views of wilderness, negotiating the contradictory mission of promoting tourism and preservation. The Wild East Explores The Social, Political, And Environmental Changes In The Great Smoky Mountains During The Nineteenth And Twentieth Centuries. Although This National Park Is Most Often Portrayed As A Triumph Of Wilderness Preservation, Margaret L. Brown Concludes That The Largest Forested Region In The Eastern United States Is Actually A Re-created Wilderness, A Product Of Restoration And Even Manipulation Of The Land. In The 1970s, Brown Writes, The Smokies Faced Many Of The Consequences Of These Management Decisions. Major Crises With Brook Trout, Black Bears, And Exotic Species Pushed Park Officials Toward A Greater Regard For Ecology. At The Same Time, Scientists Trained During The Environmental Movement Foraged Through The Land's History Seeking To Re-create The Look Of The Landscape Before Human Settlement. Park Management Continues To Waffle Between These Shifting Views Of Wilderness, Negotiating The Often Contradictory Mission Of Promoting Tourism And Ensuring Preservation.--jacket. 1. Forest Economies -- 2. A Lumberman's Dream -- 3. Scenery In The Eminent Domain -- 4. Landscaping A Park Out Of The Wilderness -- 5. A Lake In The National Defense -- 6. Drive-in Wilderness -- 7. Bearly Managing Tourons -- 8. Still Not A Wilderness -- 9. In Search Of The Wild East -- 10. Global Threats, Local Conspiracy Theories. Margaret Lynn Brown. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [413]-438) And Index. "The Wild East explores the social, political, and environmental changes in the Great Smoky Mountains during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Although this national park is most often portrayed as a triumph of wilderness preservation, Margaret L. Brown concludes that the largest forested region in the eastern United States is actually a re-created wilderness, a product of restoration and even manipulation of the land.". "In the 1970s, Brown writes, the Smokies faced many of the consequences of these management decisions. Major crises with brook trout, black bears, and exotic species pushed park officials toward a greater regard for ecology. At the same time, scientists trained during the environmental movement foraged through the land's history seeking to re-create the look of the landscape before human settlement. Park management continues to waffle between these shifting views of wilderness, negotiating the often contradictory mission of promoting tourism and ensuring preservation."--BOOK JACKET. This volume explores the social, political, and environmental changes in the Great Smoky Mountains during the 19th and 20th centuries. The author concludes that this national park, a large forested region in the eastern United States, is actually a re-created wilderness.