Mark Cioc | from the editor | Environmental History, 11.1

from the editor

ON BEHALF OF ALL Environmental History readers, I would like to thank Adam Rome for his superb stewardship of the journal over the past four years. Adam continued the efforts of his predecessor, Hal Rothman, to diversify the journal's geographic and topical range, and he focused on making the journal more accessible, both visually and electronically. He worked with the Forest History Society to redesign the front cover and inside text format that has resulted in one of the more visually attractive journals. Under his leadership, the journal increased its number of illustrations and photographs. He initiated the "Gallery" section, and added more "Reflection" essays. He was always open to new ways of using the journal, as can be seen by the two Anniversary Forum pieces of 2005: "What's Next for Environmental History" (January 2005) and "What Books Should be More Widely Read in Environmental History?" (October 2005). Since 2003, the journal has been available on-line through the History Cooperative.	1
Because of the long lead time between an article's submission and its publication, Adam's editorial impact no doubt will continue to be visible throughout 2006. All four of this issue's articles, for instance, were originally submitted while Adam was editor, and all display his considerable editorial skills. The articles by Richard Judd ("A 'Wonderfull Order and Ballance': Natural History and the Beginnings of Forest Conservation in America, 1730–1830") and Ben Cohen ("Surveying Nature: Environmental Dimensions of Virginia's First Scientific Survey, 1835–1842") reflect Adam's commitment to research on pre- and early industrial America, a sub-field of U.S. history that environmental historians have long overlooked. Michael Smith's article ("'The Ego Ideal of the Good Camper' and the Nature of Summer Camp") is characteristic of Adam's efforts to foster research that focuses on the intersections between environmental and social-cultural history. And James Boyce's article ("Canine Revolution: The Social and Environmental Impact of the Introduction of the Dog to Tasmania") is indicative of Adam's commitment to finding and publishing the best scholarship on topics outside North America.	2
Adam assembled an excellent team to assist him as editor, including Edmund Russell (book editor), Kathryn Morse (graphics editor), and Eve Munson (managing editor). Kathy and Eve will continue to work for the journal, but Ed has decided to step down. He will be sorely missed. Book editors perform an enormous amount of work, yet receive few accolades for their efforts. Ed showed excellent judgment in deciding which books deserve review in our journal. He chose his reviewers carefully, always striving for a balanced and independent judgment. Not least, he streamlined the review process in order to ensure timely publication. Many of our reviews now appear within nine months of a book's publication, a speed few other journals can match.	3
Fortunately, Melissa Wiedenfeld has agreed to become the new book editor, beginning with this issue. Her name is already familiar to many Environmental History readers, for she has been a member of the H-Review Advisory Board and has served as a list editor and book review editor of H-Environment for many years. She recently joined the faculty at Dalton State College in Georgia, after spending several years conducting research on the Galapagos Islands. She is a welcome addition to the editorial team!	4
I would like to draw your attention to three small changes to the journal. Beginning with this issue, each essay will contain a brief abstract, located just below the title on the article's first page. Each article will now carry a bibliographic identifier at the bottom of the title page. Both of these changes bring Environmental History into conformity with the format of many other journals. I am also adding a short "Sources" section to the journal to showcase unusual and innovative source materials of use to environmental historians. Depending on reader interest and the quality of the submissions, "Sources" may be an occasional addition to the journal or become a regular feature.	5
The members and affiliates of the American Society for Environmental History and the Forest History Society provide the majority of submissions to Environmental History. Like my predecessors, I will let their interests largely determine the journal's content and the direction it takes. I plan to continue the balance of North American and non-North American articles that has held relatively steady for the past fifteen years. I will continue the trend toward more articles with a social-cultural focus (urban, labor, justice, activism), a cross-disciplinary perspective (politics, technology, science), and a comparative dimension (Latin America, Asia, Africa). Forest history and forest conservation issues will continue to hold a special place in the journal. I also will try to be as mindful as previous editors of the virtues of showcasing young scholars and of achieving a gender and ethnic balance.	6
Editors operate more behind the scenes than in the spotlight, but they are uniquely positioned to observe where the field is heading and to nudge it occasionally in one direction or another. I currently have a preference for articles that handle urban issues, technology, freshwater policies, marine resources, biodiversity, borderlands, indigenous politics, gender issues, labor battles, industrial pollution, economic history, and international diplomacy. I tend to favor broad essays over narrow monographs, especially if the topic is unfamiliar to most readers of this journal. I would like to see more essays by anthropologists, geographers, political scientists, economists, and other scholars interested in interdisciplinary approaches to environmental issues. I am more inclined than my predecessors to special issues. No doubt these and other preferences will become more apparent to you in upcoming issues.	7
I welcome your comments and suggestions, and can be reached at cioc@ucsc.edu.	8
MARK CIOC

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