Reclaiming the Native Home of Hope

Environment. Controversial issues for decades, and for decades to come. Ranchers, farmers, oil and gas industries, conservationists, endangered species act, economy, etc. all play major roles in how we should (or to some should not) safeguard our outside world. Being an advocate of protecting our natural areas, I was greatly informed through these 18 essays on the different modes of thinking and how to reach conformity among such a divisive group of people and customs. Although a few of the articles were overly academic, the majority of the essays were insightful on management, recreating, preservation, restoration and sustaining landscapes. As Francis Parkman, author of "The Oregon Trail" said in the 1800's, "The buffalo are gone, and all his millions, nothing is left but bones". The same could be said of our western wild areas if some sort of accordance is not established. If we continue treating the earth with disrespect for generation after generation, no longer will there be wild places to comfort the soul and spirit in all of us. Flora, fauna, uncommon landforms, historical trails, air, water, sacred Native American sites, etc., too much is at risk here.

Reclaiming the Native Home of Hope delivers a top-notch set of essays and case studies on western ecosystems, species re-introduction, land management, and conservation. The majority of the setting is focused on the Utah wilderness with other stories spiraling out to the Great Basin and Colorado Plateau areas.The essays challenge the traditional thinking about the best uses for these remote and relatively unpopulated areas (e.g., mining and ranching) and bring the natural qualities to the top of the list. The book's arguments to preserve ecosystems of the west are balanced with constructive thoughts on ways to preserve jobs and private land.Stephen Trimble sums up the motivation for spending time in open, natural spaces in an essay called "Letting Go of the Rim." The kind of story that would have left Wallace Stegner smiling.