Pioneering Conservation in Alaska

In this companion volume to his Environmental Conflict in Alaska, Ross (political science, Adrian College, Michigan) chronicles exploration in Alaska since 1700 and sheds light on the three ideological camps that emerged with the arrival of non-native fur traders, whalers, mountaineers, and oil seekers: exploitation, utilitarian conservation, and preservation. Ross illuminates the efforts of pre-statehood environmentalists such as Charles Sheldon and John Muir, which, through the creation of national parks and protective legislation, preserved wildlife and wilderness in Alaska during a heyday of environmental exploitation. Ross's history concludes with the post-statehood legacy of these figures, including the 1980 Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act. Annotation c2007 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)