It is a land of huge marshes, crystal-clear trout streams and great expanses of forests. It teems with life, both wild and domesticated. This handsome large format volume of spectacular photos and engaging text offers a unique watershed study of the Klamath Basin, telling both the human and natural history of the region. William Kittredge, one of the West's most respected essayists, delivers a sensitive summary of the social and ecological conflicts surrounding land use decisions past and present, and explains why this publicly owned commons deserves public attention and government protection. The Klamath Basin is a national treasure, like the Hudson River, the Mississippi, or the Everglades.
Regulatory agencies represent the interests of that citizenry.
They are hired to protect my interests in the Everglades, although I've never lived in Florida, and the interests of everyone else. They are also hired to protect my interests in the Klamath watershed even though I live in Montana. I was with Tupper Blake at the little property he calls Marsh Island Ranch. We were looking out over the Lower Klamath Lake National Wildlife Refuge. I mean anywhere.