Product Description

The eleven million windswept acres of wildflowers and grass in the twenty national grasslands in the United States are scattered across a region extending from the Pacific Ocean to the eastern edge of North Dakota. Although all were once seas of grass teeming with wildlife, they now exhibit striking differences, ranging from a small lake recreation area in Texas to the enormous Little Missouri National Grasslands in North Dakota. An essential guide to the American grasslands and the Grasslands National Park of Canada, "The National Grasslands" presents a history of the region, including the establishment of the national grasslands as an important part of the New Deal's social revolution. The guide also provides a concise summary of the debates surrounding preservation and use, including the Buffalo Commons controversy. Each national grassland receives individual attention, including overviews of flora and fauna, clear descriptions of terrain and noteworthy natural features, and vital information on grasslands' history, visitor centres, ranger stations, and Web sites. All the articles are richly illustrated with maps and exquisite photographs by the noted Great Plains photographer Georg Joutras, in the first full-length book on the history of the national grasslands. Francis Moul is an environmental historian and retired newspaper publisher living in Lincoln, Nebraska. Georg Joutras is a professional wildlife and landscape photographer who lives in Lincoln. He is the author of "Along the Edge of Daylight: Photographic Travels from Nebraska and the Great Plains" (Nebraska 2005).

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #552733 in Books
• Published on: 2006-01-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 153 pages

Review
"Francis Moul has written a book that has been needed for a long time. The history of the national grasslands and their ecological and economic importance should be common knowledge for all Americans. These landscapes are truly national treasures and so is this book."--Dan O'Brien, author of Buffalo for the Broken Heart: Restoring Life to a Black Hills Ranch and owner of the Wild Idea Buffalo Company "This is a smart, comprehensive, and insightful body of work that brings to life the complex history, ecology, and politics of our nation's grassland treasures and sets the stage for the myriad challenges they face in the twenty-first century."--Michael Forsberg, photographer and author of On Ancient Wings: The Sandhill Cranes of North America "Like the grasslands themselves, The National Grasslands covers lots of territory. It is a broad, sweeping tale of time and place. In Renaissance style, Moul integrates into his account biology, history, politics, conservation studies, geology, and agriculture. And, somehow, he manages to write in a way that is both scholarly and lyrical. Moul is a great advocate and cheerleader for the grasslands."--Mary Pipher, author of Writing to Change the World "This rich introduction to the region encompasses the geological history, unique arid environments, and social and political movements that characterize it... The striking color photographs by Georg Joutras provide engaging evidence of the sweeping vistas linked to this geographic masterpiece." The Bloomsbury Review