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Worship and Wilderness: Culture, Religion, and Law in Public Lands Management

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Worship And Wilderness: Culture, Religion, And Law In Public Lands Management by Lloyd Burton (Associate Professor of Law and Public Policy, and Director of the Program in Environmental Policy, Management, and Low, Graduate School of Public Affairs, University of Colorado - Denver) is an informed and informative survey and analysis of how different forces intersect to shape the management of public lands and resources in the past, in the present, and in the foreseeable future. Offering a cautionary glimpse of the risks and benefits of multiple-use management of public lands and a great deal more, Worship And Wilderness is a solid, insightful, scholarly, and very strongly recommended contribution to Environmental Studies reading lists and reference collections.

Lloyd Burton provides a thorough description of the difficulties in managing public lands when multiple interests need to be considered. Specifically, Burton discusses the conflict surrounding Devils Tower/Bear's Lodge land management plan. To rock climbers, Devils Tower is a haven for its vertical climbing peak but to Plains Indians in the area, Bear's Lodge is a sacred site spiritually important for various tribal rituals. Issues such as culture, religion, and law all affect how these particular plans are implemented. A federal court ruled that forbidding climbing during the month of June was unconstitutional; however, the Park Service could post a voluntary ban in recognition of the Plains Indian's summer solstice rituals. In Bear Lodge Multiple Use Ass'n v. Babbitt the court ruled the Park Service could accommodate American Indians in land management plans. The difference between accommodating American Indian interests versus endorsing Indian religion was noted. One aspect of the ruling Burton fails to address is that the explanation was based on First Amendment interpretations rather than the trust obligation the United States has to Indian tribes. Although implementing management plans like that of Devils Tower are complex, they are necessary to help balance public use and protection of land.