Choice 评论

Switzer's evenhanded and timely work describes the organized opposition to federal environmental policies, starting with the creation of the public domain and continuing to the current battles over wetlands, endangered species protection, and grazing rights. Part 1 provides a historical overview and covers the recent land use conflicts involving agriculture and outdoor recreation. Part 2 describes how business interests have focused more on influencing pollution control policies than on land use, using lobbying and public relations campaigns and by participating in administrative agency rule making, which produces the vital details of environmental law--the regulations. Part 3 takes up the recent grassroots opposition to natural resource policies, distinguishing among the Sagebrush Rebellion, county supremacy groups, and the Wise Use and property rights movements. They are by no means a monolithic force. The environmental opposition has used the same tactics as the environmental protection groups. The conclusion argues that business has met with more success than the grassroots organizations, but that there is little chance of a large-scale dismantling of environmental regulations. Appendixes provide a list of acronyms and an instructional time line of US environmental milestones. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty. B. C. Wyman; McNeese State University