Public Landscapes
Document Type
Book Chapter
Publication Date
2023
Department 1
Environmental Studies
Abstract
This chapter examines public lands as a central component in the American landscape. Opening with various expressions of how public lands are typically encountered in the landscape, the authors present a snapshot of where they are, what they are, and most importantly, why they matter (i.e., not only in terms of environmental conservation but in the way they reflect broader long-held values and unresolved tensions in American society). The next section offers a brief history of public lands by major type, including national parks and monuments, national forests and wildlife refuges, and BLM lands and wilderness areas. The third and final section discusses major themes in current public land literature, including the challenges of visitation and access, the rise of collaborative and cross-boundary ecosystem management practices, recent public land use conflicts (both reactionary and progressive), and the implications of climate change.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003121800-7
ISBN/ISSN
9781003121800
Recommended Citation
Wilson, Randall K., and Yolonda Youngs. “Public Landscapes.” In The Routledge Companion to the American Landscape, edited by Chris W. Post, Alyson L. Greiner, and Geoffrey L. Buckley. Routledge, 2023. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003121800-7
Required Publisher's Statement
The book containing this chapter is available from the publisher's website.