In "Crossing the Next Meridian," Charles F. Wilkinson, an expert on federal public lands, Native American issues, and the West's arcane water laws explains some of the core problems facing the American West now and in the years to come. He examines the outmoded ideas that pervade land use and resource allocation and argues that significant reform of Western law is needed to combat desertification and environmental decline, and to heal splintered communities. Interweaving legal history with examples of present-day consequences of the laws, both intended and unintended, Wilkinson traces the origins and development of the laws and regulations that govern mining, ranching, forestry, and water use. He relates stories of Westerners who face these issues on a day-to-day basis, and discusses what can and should be done to bring government policies in line with the reality of twentieth-century American life.
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From Publishers Weekly
Legal scholar, environmentalist and author of The Eagle Bird, Wilkinson explicates basic environmental issues being faced in the American West. Natural resources, he contends, are controlled by laws, policies and regulations that, formed in the 19th century, do not embrace today's economic trends, scientific knowledge and social values. Wilkinson cites five particular areas requiring reform: the Hardrock Mining Law (1872), public rangelands, forest lands, dams and energy development. Reviewing the history and practice of Western laws and regulations, he describes their practice in specific cases today and discusses possible solutions. Wilkinson advocates that the West give up its reliance on extractive industries and pursue instead the promise of an economy based on recreation and tourism. This important study should be read by lawmakers at every level of government.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent, thought-provoking,
By A Customer
This review is from: Crossing the Next Meridian: Land, Water, and the Future of the West (Paperback)
A very scholarly, but accessible, history of the development of the West and the social/political/economic structures that shaped land, water and resource rights there. In particular, Wilkinson is addressing the notorious Hardrock Mining Act of 1872 (still in effect), the distribution of land and grazing rights, the fisheries of the Pacific Northwest, and the timber industry. His analysis of the Lords of Yesterday - his term for the antiquated statutes that govern those industries - is very convincing. The book's only weakness is that this is a 1992 text (presumably researched in the decade previous) that doesn't reflect changes in the laws and political pressures over the past decade. It would benefit from a new edition.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Links the past, present, and future of the American West,
By twest@ecology.coa.edu (College of the Atlantic, Bar Harbor, Maine) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Crossing the Next Meridian: Land, Water, and the Future of the West (Paperback)
Wilkinson offers a balanced account of the forces that created the law and policy of the American West, and also of the forces that keep those outdated policies active in a very different West. As a native of Colorado, it was apparent that Wilkenson has spent a great deal of time in the American West and truly understands the complex issues that the region faces today. Very well researched, very easy to read.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Should be required reading in high school,
By A Customer
This review is from: Crossing the Next Meridian: Land, Water, and the Future of the West (Paperback)
Great and informative book. Puts a lot of the problems now faced in the west into their context. Covers a lot of land history in the west not generally covered in school, but definately not a dry read!
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Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
In 1960, Harold Thomas founded the Trus Joist Corporation. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
hardrock mining law, special water districts, pedis possessio, unpatented mining claim, unpatented claims, hardrock minerals, annual assessment work, western water development, western water law, reclamation movement, water developers, federal range, supra note, federal public lands, tooth meridian, next meridian, vested property rights, holistic resource management, small miner, eleven western states, hardrock miners, grazing program, public rangelands, ranching practices, prior appropriation Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Forest Service, United States, Camp Creek, New Mexico, American West, Pyramid Lake, Pacific Northwest, Colorado River, Los Angeles, San Juan-Chama Project, Supreme Court, Bureau of Reclamation, Rio Grande, Celilo Falls, Hardrock Act, Truckee River, World War, Army Corps of Engineers, Interior Department, Endangered Species Act, Gifford Pinchot, Salmon River, Big Eddy, Bureau of Land Management, John Wesley Powell New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
In 1960, Harold Thomas founded the Trus Joist Corporation. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
hardrock mining law, special water districts, pedis possessio, unpatented mining claim, unpatented claims, hardrock minerals, annual assessment work, western water development, western water law, reclamation movement, water developers, federal range, supra note, federal public lands, tooth meridian, next meridian, vested property rights, holistic resource management, small miner, eleven western states, hardrock miners, grazing program, public rangelands, ranching practices, prior appropriation Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Forest Service, United States, Camp Creek, New Mexico, American West, Pyramid Lake, Pacific Northwest, Colorado River, Los Angeles, San Juan-Chama Project, Supreme Court, Bureau of Reclamation, Rio Grande, Celilo Falls, Hardrock Act, Truckee River, World War, Army Corps of Engineers, Interior Department, Endangered Species Act, Gifford Pinchot, Salmon River, Big Eddy, Bureau of Land Management, John Wesley Powell New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 100
books:
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45
books
cite this book:
See all 45 books citing this book
- The Forest Service (RFF Press) by Professor O. F. Robinson on 4 pages
- History of Public Land Law Development by Paul Wallace Gates on 4 pages
- Land Law (Irish Law Texts) by Robert A. Pearce on 4 pages
- The Fight for Conservation by Gifford Pinchot on 4 pages
- Beyond the Hundredth Meridian: John Wesley Powell and the Second Opening of the West by Wallace Stegner on page 26, page 236, and Back Matter
See all 100 books this book cites
- The Natural Wealth of Nations: Harnessing the Market for the Environment by Roodman M David in Back Matter (1), Back Matter (2), and Back Matter (3)
- Public Lands and Political Meaning: Ranchers, the Government, and the Property between Them by Karen R. Merrill in Back Matter (1), Back Matter (2), and Back Matter (3)
- The Next West: Public Lands, Community, and Economy in the American West by John A. Baden on page 128, page 180, and page 202
- Something in the Soil: Legacies and Reckonings in the New West by Patricia Nelson Limerick in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
- Salmon Without Rivers: A History Of The Pacific Salmon Crisis by James A. Lichatowich in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
See all 45 books citing this book
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