Ronald Reagan and the public lands : America's conservation debate, 1979-1984 / C. Brant Short.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Short, C. Brant (Calvin Brant), 1955-

Series:

Environmental history series ; no. 10.

Environmental history series ; no. 10

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Watt, James G., 1938-2023.

Watt, James G.

Reagan, Ronald.

United States. Department of the Interior.

United States.

Conservation of natural resources--Government policy--United States.

Conservation of natural resources.

Conservation of natural resources--Government policy.

Environmental policy--United States.

Environmental policy.

Public lands--United States.

Public lands.

Physical Description:

xi, 178 pages ; 23 cm.

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

College Station, Tex. : Texas A&M University Press, [1989]

Summary:

The federal government holds a vast domain of American land. Does it hold these acres in trust for future generations and for the planet itself? Or does it hold them as a resource for economic development and growth? Indeed, should it hold them at all? These questions became a focal point for New Right politics in the 1980 presidential election that brought Ronald Reagan into the White House. The Sagebrush Rebellion and the New Right attempted to convince the public that environmentalism threatened the nation's well-being. Environmentalists sought new ground for fighting back.

In this cogent analysis of the public lands debate, Brant Short looks at the New Right's positions and the strategies for advancing them, the origins of dissatisfaction in the Sagebrush Rebellion, and the opposition that arose as a new conservation consensus was formed. Short's approach places the contemporary conservation debate clearly within the context of environmental issues that have confronted Americans throughout our history. The perspective he offers on recurring rhetorical strategies illuminates the continuing schism over how our public lands should be used and maintained.

Contents:

1. American's Conservation Consensus: Origins of the Public Lands Debate 3

2. "Western Men at Lexington Bridge": The Rise of the Sagebrush Rebellion 10

3. "Save Our Public Lands": The Environmental Response to the Sagebrush Rebellion 26

4. The Presidency and the Public Lands: Conservation and the 1980 Presidential Campaign 40

5. "Paralysis by Analysis": The Conservation Rhetoric of James Watt 55

6. Selling the Public Lands: Lock, Stock, and Barrel 81

7. Rebuilding the Consensus: Environmental Rhetoric, 1981-84 100

8. The New Right versus the New Deal: Competing Visions of Progress in the Conservation Debate 128.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN:

0890964114

OCLC:

18833379