A complete look at America's National Forests-their triumphs, challenges, controversies, and vital programs-and the dedicated people who keep them alive.
From the lowland swamps of coastal Carolina, across the tallgrass prairies of Illinois, to Colorado’s iconic snowy peaks and California’s towering redwood forests, our national forest system is a legacy that belongs to each of us. These beautiful landscapes have a story to tell, and so do the people who help keep them alive and thriving—whether it’s citizen scientists tracking wildlife populations, dedicated members of the Forest Service overseeing sustainable timber harvests, or everyday advocates for responsible usage and equitable access.
In Our National Forests, Greg Peters delves into these stories and many others, revealing what makes our national forests so extraordinary and worthy of our attention. He explores the forces that have shaped the US National Forest System and continue to drive its work—the far-reaching effects of deforestation, the ongoing issues of sustainable use, wildfire and its growing impact, Native rights and concerns, and forest access for diverse populations. Perhaps surprisingly, many of our forests’ concerns are the same as those facing our society.
Our National Forests offers a tour across nearly 200 million acres of mountains, forests, deserts, watersheds, and grasslands. As the owners and stewards of these amazing places, we all have much to learn from their stories. After all, national forests are known as “the peoples’ lands” for a reason.
“This beautifully illustrated and gracefully written book demonstrates how vital these complex landscapes and their fraught place in US environmental culture are.” —Char Miller, Pomona College, author of America’s Great National Forests, Wildernesses, and Grasslands
“Greg brings decades of lived and professional experience to bear in this outstanding narrative. With both historic and personal references in the sweeping arch of thoughtful natural resource management, this remarkable book offers a practical guide to encourage conscientious environmental stewardship for all to follow.” —James Edward Mills, author and National Geographic Explorer
“In Greg Peters’s hands, the subject of the United States National Forests comes alive as a history of America, at turns humbling and tragic, but ultimately an inspiring reminder of the incredible resource that is our public lands.” —Brendan Leonard, author of The Camping Life and Surviving the Great Outdoors
