Discovering the unknown landscape
Subtitle: a history of America's wetlands
By: Ann Vileisis.
Publisher: Island Press
Published: 1997
Place of publication: Washington, D.C
Language: eng
Number of pages: 433
Subjects: Wetlands -- United States.
Description: The confusion and contention that surround wetland issues today are the products of a long and convoluted history. In Discovering the Unknown Landscape, Ann Vileisis presents a fascinating look at that history, exploring how Americans have thought about and used wetlands from colonial times through the present day.

She discusses the many factors that influence patterns of land use - ideology, economics, law, perception, art - and examines the complicated interactions among those factors that have resulted in our contemporary landscape. As well as chronicling the march of destruction, Vileisis considers the seemingly contradictory tradition of appreciating wetlands: artistic and literary representations, conservation during the Progressive Era, and recent legislation aimed at slowing or stopping losses.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. 351-415) and index.