Roger L. Di Silvestro

Despite the billions in public funds spent each year on the administration of our nation's wildlands and the protection of endangered wildlife, plant and animal species continue to disappear at a staggering rate. While the reasons for this trend are not always quite so clear, obscured as they are in a tangled web of conflicting political agendas, ideological imperatives, and commercial interests, its ultimate consequences are all too clear - a seriously diminished way of life for our own species. Where did we go wrong, and how must we reorient ourselves politically, scientifically, and ethically if we are to salvage what is left of our wild places before it's too late? In Reclaiming the Last Wild Places, leading environmentalist Roger DiSilvestro offers answers to these crucial questions and many more. In tracing the history of conservation and federal land management in America from the nineteenth century to the present, DiSilvestro highlights the fundamental misconceptions, tactical errors, and fatal compromises that were made along the way. Foremost among these has been the historic practice of creating isolated pockets of wilderness, exposed on all sides to the dangerous influences of human "progress." Rather than creating wildlife sanctuaries, such places become ecological prisons affording animals far from sufficient room and resources within which to thrive. Add to this the time-honored philosophy of "most economic use" and the constant concessions made by Washington to the powerful logging, cattle, and mining lobbies, and it starts to become clear why traditional land management practices have consistently fallen far short of the mark. As a remedy DiSilvestro proposes an "applied biodiversity" approach which would concentrate efforts on protecting ecosystems rather than individual species or unique geological features. Practically, this would entail a combination of various new approaches outlined in the book, including ecosystem "gap analysis" - an inexpensive, underutilized technique for detecting and filling in the gaps of ecosystems - as well as the construction of wilderness corridors that would allow animals safe passage from one wilderness area to another. At the same time, strict legislative reforms are needed to reverse more than a century of mismanagement. . Combining a concise history of conservation in America - including compelling portraits of such conservationist-heroes as John Muir, Aldo Leopold, Bob Marshall, and others - along with a comprehensive plan to reform outdated conservation practices, Reclaiming the Last Wild Places is essential reading for anyone who believes that the future of our species depends on our learning how to live in harmony with nature.

This second book in the Audubon Perspectives series is the companion volume to the eight timely and important National Audubon Society television specials airing on TBS and PBS. While its predecessor, Fight for Survival, concentrated on the ongoing struggle of a number of animal species, this book explores the fight to rescue natural habitats from the ravages of human progress. Award-winning author Roger DiSilvestro takes readers to the habitats at the heart of today's most critical wildlife conservation issues. He unfolds the drama of human activities threatening to destroy up to half the world's species within the next few decades, perhaps as many as 15 million different types of irreplaceable plants and animals--most of which will be wiped out, not by poaching, but by the degradation and loss of habitat. Through 130 full-color photographs and accompanying text, Rebirth of Nature surveys the state of critical natural habitats today. Discussion of the many threats that jeopardize the integrity of habitats is enlivened by inspiring stories of dedicated people who question the traditional, exploitative treatment of the world's resources. Read these engaging stories of people who make a difference. People like Terry Backer, a third generation Yankee fisherman, who helped form and lead the Connecticut Coastal Fishermen's Association. This unlikely alliance of lobstermen, recreational boat owners, and even swimmers forced the cities of Norwalk and Bridgeport to replace and repair sewage-treatment equipment that had been leaking into the sound and to pay for damages. Similar ecological rays of hope are revealed in areas all over the country and the world. For example, in areas like Nepal, Kenya, and Ecuador, ecotourism can play a crucial role in wildlife and habitat preservation by generating income from tourism instead of from poaching or land clearing. As tourism generates increasing percentages of a nation's income, the importance of preserving the natural area grows. In addition, Rebirth of Nature reminds us that endangered habitats are not just faraway places like African and Central American rainforests, but also natural areas closer to our own lives such as the Great Lakes and the Great Plains of the American West. In doing so, and in providing enlightening examples of successful programs to reclaim endangered habitats, Rebirth of Nature gives us all hope that through education and action we can make a difference.

Covers animals protected by the Endangered Species Act, including the North American deer, the wild turkey, the pronghorn, waterfowl, the gray wolf, the grizzly bear, the California condor, the bowhead whale, the western diamondback rattlesnake, the river otter, bats, migratory birds.

In this work, the author chronicles the turbulent years Roosevelt spent as a rancher in the Badlands of Dakota Territory, during which the character and commitment of the future president and conservationist took shape.