Table of Contents

Foreword by William Cronon

Preface

Acknowledgments

The Peculiar Past of a National Monument

The Seeds of Controversy

Primeval Parks and the Wilderness Movement

"A Mere Millpond"

Searching for an Alternate Site

Wilderness for a New Generation

The Great Evaporation Controversy

The Politics of Preservation

A Symbol of Wilderness

Triumph of the Park System

Epilogue

Notes

Bibliography

Index

Promotional Information

Details the first major clash between conservationists and developers after World War II

About the Author

Mark W. T. Harvey is associate professor of history at North Dakota State University in Fargo.

Reviews

"The Echo Park controversy marks the beginning of the modern wilderness movement. Understanding it is essential for knowing the importance of wilderness in American culture." --Roderick Nash, author of Wilderness and the American Mind "A Symbol of Wilderness is a superb introduction to what has made the wilderness movement a significant force in 20th century environmentalism. This is a natural for classroom use." --William L. Lang, Portland State University "With the recent proliferation of dam-removal campaigns and rising concern over the ecological impacts of artificial reservoirs, this is a must-read for anyone--scholar, student, or general reader--seeking to comprehend the complex relationship between large-scale dams and the environmental movement."--Donald C. Jackson, author of Building the Ultimate Dam: John S. Eastwood and the Control of Water in the West "By every standard of narrative and historical scholarship, this book is a major contribution to our understanding of protected parks and wilderness." --Alfred Runte, author of National Parks: The American Experience