Wilderness Economics and Policy, Lloyd C. Irland, (Massachusetts: Lexington Books, 1979), 218 pp.
Understanding environmental problems; justifying aspirations; politics; of general applicability to environmental problems; written for the first party participant.
Wilderness Economics and Policy is a brief examination of the public mandate for preservation and governmental attempts at implementation. It is a more comprehensive examination of the economics of preservation.
Wilderness Economics and Policy will be of interest to those who seek an understanding of the economic component of wilderness preservation. The first chapter addresses the mandate for preservation of the wilderness. Following an introduction, the author offers: utilitarian and non-utilitarian justifications for preservation, and the relationship between ethics and preservation. The second chapter addresses development of US preservation policy from its ad hoc beginnings to the natural area movement. The next chapter considers legislative efforts at implementation of the preservation mandate. The author focuses on: The Wilderness Act of 1964, the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968, and the endangered species acts.
Chapter four offers the basics of the economics of preservation. The author considers the political economy of preservation and the economics of conservation, and offers a systematic approach to preservation decisions. The next chapter examines wilderness and the supply of wood. The author offers suggestions for resolving the conflict over timber values and their national economic impact. This is followed by a chapter concerned with wilderness and: minerals, recreation, and water. Chapter seven addresses the evaluation of local economic impacts; specifically, the impact of withdrawal of industries relying on locally available natural resources.
Chapter eight examines potential additions to the wilderness system and wilderness allocation issues. The penultimate chapter asserts that wilderness management is the challenge of the future. The author considers: resource management and protection, the ecological and social aspects of wilderness recreation, policy options for managing visitor impacts, and values in wilderness management. The final chapter draws conclusions from the foregoing material and closes with a consideration of cultural and ethical values.
Wilderness Economics and Policy is a closely focused examination of the mandate for, and economic aspects of, wilderness preservation. It is thoughtfully written and logically presented.
T. A. O'Lonergan
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