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Book Review
| Conservation in the Progressive Era: Classic Texts. Edited by David Stradling. Weyerhaeuser Environmental Classic Series, Seattle: University of Washington Press, 2004. xii + 110 pp. Notes, bibliographic essay, index. Paper $12.95.
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| More than a century after the birth of conservation, America still debates its basic definition and how various national political movements have handled it. Environmental dilemmas such as waste, pollution, resource exhaustion, and sustainability continue to challenge us today. The Progressive Era includes the years from the ending decade of the nineteenth century into the first decade of the twentieth century. |
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Much of the earlier discussion about conservation occurred during the Progressive Era with such men as Gifford Pinchot and John Muir carrying flags for the causes they felt were important; utility conservation for Pinchot and preservation for Muir. Papers are presented by both men. Pinchot's "Principles of Conservation," and Muir's "Hetch Hetchy Valley" are presented as both the beginning and ending essays. |
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David Stradling has done an excellent job of selecting papers to republish that explain why progressive conservation became such an important issue when it did and why many Americans became involved with conserving natural resources. A total of twenty-two papers are republished from the Progressive Era: They provide breadth and knowledge of what was happening in America during this important time period. |
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The book is divided into five parts with three to six essays on the various topics. Each of the subjects has opening statements provided by Stradling that provide brief comments about the place of the document in regard to the others. Stradling places conservation in historical context, using the words of participants in and opponents to the movement. In addition to well-known figures such as President Theodore Roosevelt, Pinchot, and Muir, there are texts from lesser-known but just as important voices that are often overlooked in environmental studies. These come from women, rural communities, and the working class. |
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Conservation in the Progressive Era: Classic Texts, one of a sub-series in the Weyerhaeuser Environmental Books series, provides excellent information about an important time and events in the history of America. I would highly recommend the book for reading by those interested in both the conservation movement in America and the Progressive Era. This would make an excellent text for students in classes on the history of conservation. |
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Donald R. Theoe, CF/CFA#17, ACF is a consulting forester with Woodland Forestry Consultants in Lakewood, Washington. He has served as the national historian of the Society of American Foresters since 1989. |
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