Table of Contents

IntroductionPart I. The History of the National Grasslands1. "No Darker Chapter nor Greater Tragedy"; 2. Land, the First Essential; 3. A Strange and Dramatic Moment; 4. Broken-up Badlands, Thin Threads of Trees; 5. Highest Purpose of the GrasslandsPart II. A Guide to the National GrasslandsAn Abundance of Sage Hens; National Grasslands Visitor Center; Western States Grasslands; Northern Great Plains Grasslands; Southern Great Plains GrasslandsPart III. Bison Instead of Cattle?Afterword

Promotional Information

An essential guide to all twenty National Grasslands in the United States, plus Grasslands National Park in Canada.

About the Author

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).

Reviews

"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