A Force for Nature: Paul Schaefer's Adirondack Coalitions

by David Gibson, Chad P. Dawson (Other)

Overview

A staunch advocate for the Adirondack Park, activist and writer Paul Schaefer deeply influenced conservation policy in New York State. His work and writing inspired countless conservationists, with his tireless efforts paving the way for the protection of "forever wild" forests in the Wilderness Act of 1964. Until his death in 1996, Schaefer continued to strive to instill the same care for the Adirondacks in the next generation. A Force for Nature is a testament to that lifetime of advocacy, community, and life in the Adirondacks. David Gibson, who was mentored by Schaefer, traces the impact of a man who helped ensure the continued integrity of the largest protected parkland in the contiguous United States. Drawing on Schaefer's own writings, as well as interviews and family narratives, Gibson paints a vivid and comprehensive portrait of the icon and the Adirondack Park that serves as his legacy. A Force for Nature sheds light on the storied life of a dedicated conservationist and examines how environmental devotion has contributed to the Adirondacks remaining forever wild and protected for future generations to love.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780815611745
Publisher:	Syracuse University Press
Publication date:	04/14/2025
Series:	New York State Series
Pages:	262
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

David Gibson is the current managing partner of Adirondack Wild: Friends of the Forest Preserve and the former executive director of the Association for the Protection of the Adirondacks.

Table of Contents

Foreword by Chad P. Dawson xiii Part One. Origins and Lessons of a Wilderness Leader 1. Introducing Paul Schaefer and the Adirondack Park 2. Influential Defender of Wilderness 3. Coming of Age in the Adirondacks 4. Designing with Nature 5. Schaefer's Adirondack Mentors and Teachers: John Apperson and Bob Marshall 6. Pivotal Years for Schaefer and His Family Part Two. Battles to Save Adirondack Woods, Waters, and Wildlife 7. The End of Arbitrary Power to Dam Wild Rivers 8. Saving the Wild Upper Hudson 9. Howard Zahniser Where Wilderness Preservation Began 10. "The Time Is Now!": Adirondack Land Protection 11. Gale-Force Winds 12. Internal Combustion Engines and the Forest Preserve 13. The Adirondack Northway Part Three. Schaefer's Aura, Influence, and Lasting Legacy 14. Wilderness Hunting and the Beaver House 15. Adirondack Neighbors 16. The Adirondacks on a National Stage 17. Schaefer's Legacy 18. The Beaver Gavel 19. The Wind Off the Mountains 20. Links in the Chain

Editorial Reviews

Paul Schaefer's life is so intertwined with the history of the Adirondack Park that the two stories cannot be told separately. We have long needed a biography, and this is a good one. No one except the author could have known many of the things reported here. We are lucky that he put them in writing.

author of A Wild Idea: How the Environmental M Brad Edmondson

Paul Schaefer believed we each carry a book within us. Dave not only believed that - he wrote it. His new biography, the first ever about Paul Schaefer, carries forward the 'forever wild' legacy Paul devoted his life to. Through these pages, Paul's spirit walks with us - guiding, teaching, and calling us to care.

Ken Rimany