This Land Was Saved for You and Me: How Gifford Pinchot, Frederick Law Olmsted, and a Band of Foresters Rescued America's Public Lands

by Jeffrey H. Ryan

Overview

The story of how America’s public lands—our city parks, national forests, and wilderness areas—came into being can be traced to a few conservation pioneers and proteges who shaped policy and advocated for open spaces. Some, like Frederick Law Olmsted and Gifford Pinchot, are well known, while others have never been given their due.

Jeffrey Ryan covers the nearly century-long period between 1865 (when Olmsted contributed to the creation of Yosemite as a park and created its management plan) to the signing of the Wilderness Act of 1964. Olmsted influenced Pinchot, who became the first head of the National Forest Service, and in turn, Pinchot hired the foresters who became the founders of The Wilderness Society and creators of the Wilderness Act itself. This history emphasizes the cast of characters—among them Theodore Roosevelt, Bob Marshall, Benton MacKaye, Aldo Leopold, and Howard Zahniser—and provides context for their decisions and the political and economic factors that contributed to the triumphs and pitfalls in the quest to protect public lands.

In researching the book, Ryan traveled to the places where these crusaders lived, worked, and were inspired to take up the cause to make public lands accessible to all.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780811771665
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	09/01/2022
Pages:	232
Sales rank:	204,164
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Jeffrey H. Ryan is passionate about the outdoors and the conservation of public land, whose work has been cited in Forbes, USA Today, Appalachia and other notable publications. He is the author of Appalachian Odyssey (2016) and Blazing Ahead (2017). He lives in Portland, Maine.

Table of Contents

Preface vii

Acknowledgments ix

Chapter 1 Frederick Law Olmsted's Epiphany 1

Chapter 2 Happily Associated Passages of Natural Scenery 12

One of the Great Treasures of the World 17

Chapter 3 Birthplace of American Forestry 21

Chapter 4 Triumph and Tragedy 26

Chapter 5 Passing the Baton 35

A Profession Grows in the Biltmore Forest 36

Chapter 6 Creating Fertile Ground 39

Chapter 7 Making the Push 44

Garden and Forest 45

Chapter 8 Benton Finds His Way 50

Chapter 9 Facing the Headwinds of Change 53

Chapter 10 The Adirondacks Stir Debate 56

Chapter 11 A Forester without Forests 59

Chapter 12 Forester for Life 67

Chapter 13 A Profession Takes Root 70

The Rush to Create Forestry Schools 75

One School Thrives 78

As for Fernow and Schenck 82

Chapter 14 MacKaye Charts His Course 83

Chapter 15 Gifford Pinchot's Department 88

The Chief Takes Charge 92

Chapter 16 Hetch Hereby 98

Chapter 17 The Chief Is Dismissed 104

The Ballinger-Pinchot Controversy 105

Chapter 18 The National Forests Come East 111

Chapter 19 Along Comes the National Park Service 116

About That Letter 117

Chapter 20 MacKaye's Historic Path 125

Chapter 21 Voices for the Wilderness 134

The World's First Wilderness Area 134

A Lifelong Cause in Minnesota 136

The Problem of Wilderness 137

Chapter 22 A New Society 140

Knoxville Beckons-Twice 141

An Invitation 143

Chapter 23 Drifting Along 145

Steeped in Nature 147

Immediate Impact 149

The Black River Wars 149

Chapter 24 Man with a Mission 151

The Echo Park Dam Project 154

Chapter 25 A Wilderness Forever 159

The Wilderness Bill 160

Chapter 26 Legacy 166

The Status of Public Lands Today 167

"Conservation vs. Preservation" 168

The Baton Is Ours to Carry Now 169

Appendix 171

1 The Article That Launched the Appalachian Trail 171

2 Invitation to Join the Wilderness Society 184

3 Excerpts from the Wilderness Act 186

Bibliography 189

Notes 191

Index 207

About the Author 221

Editorial Reviews

Ryan covers the nearly century-long period between 1865 to the signing of the Wilderness Act of 1964. Olmsted influenced Pinchot, who became the first head of the National Forest Service, and in turn, Pinchot hired the foresters who became the founders of The Wilderness Society and creators of the Wilderness Act itself. This fascinating history emphasizes the cast of characters (among them Theodore Roosevelt, Bob Marshall, Benton MacKaye, Aldo Leopold, and Howard Zahniser) and provides context for their decisions and the political and economic factors that contributed to the triumphs and pitfalls in the quest to protect public lands. It is of interest to note that in researching this history, Ryan traveled to the places where these crusaders lived, worked, and were inspired to take up the cause to make public lands accessible to all. Fascinating, informative, exceptional, and unreservedly recommended for inclusion in community and academic library American Environmental History collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, environmental activists, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject.

Midwest Book Review