DownTheTrail.com

hiking guides, gear, and journals

  • LATEST
  • GUIDES
    • COLORADO TRAIL
    • THE LONG TRAIL
      • LONG TRAIL SHELTERS
    • ARIZONA
    • UTAH
    • CALIFORNIA
    • HAWAII
    • ALASKA
  • GEAR
    • MY GEAR LIST
  • JOURNALS
    • GRAND CANYON
    • COLORADO TRAIL
    • LONG TRAIL
    • BICYCLING ACROSS AMERICA
    • APPALACHIAN TRAIL
    • DENALI
  • MORE
  • ABOUT

Grizzly West: A Failed Attempt to Reintroduce Grizzly Bears – Book Review

updated: November 10, 2019

Grizzly bears once roamed all of the American West.

California’s state flag, for example, proudly features a brown bear, but these creatures haven’t lived freely in the state since the 1920’s.

In modern times, their habitat in the lower 48 states is generally limited to northwestern Wyoming, northern Montana, and northern Washington. It’s estimated that only about 1,500 grizzlies reside south of the Canadian border.

After the Endangered Species Act was passed, a team of environmentalists suggested that Idaho’s Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness would provide a perfect habitat for grizzlies. The effort to bring wild brown bears back to the area is the subject of this book.

GRIZZLY WEST by Michael Dax began as a master’s thesis paper, and the book follows through with the academic voice one would expect of such a work. Here you will not find a page-turning read like one would expect of an outdoor writer like Jack Kerouac, but instead an expertly detailed study on its subject.

Despite its predefined conclusion, I found myself curious to see exactly how the story would unfold. I read through the book in three or four sittings.

I left it with an understanding of environmental politics in Idaho and Montana, and the knowledge of how the campaign to reintroduce grizzlies unfolded. I get the impression that the author could turn to any comparable subject, and present us with one of the clearest and most comprehensive interpretations on the matter to date.

Dax thoroughly explores the shifting opinions that led to the project’s demise in 2001. The stage is set with a cursory history of grizzly bears as they apply to American culture – from their extreme, near-total eradication by pioneers, through to their key and pivotal protection under the Endangered Species Act.

An overview on the reintroduction of wolves in Yellowstone National Park is provided, in addition to a summary of the Northwest’s spotted owl controversy. These topics directly influenced the possible reintroduction of grizzly bears in Idaho.

Dax explains how the opposing sides boiled down to what’s dubbed as “Old West” and “New West” politics. The Old West is defined by its historic tradition in the extractive industries – logging, mining, farming, etc., whereas the New West is defined by eco-tourism and a more aesthetic, recreational use of public lands.

The campaign to reintroduce bears to the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness was spearheaded by what’s called the “ROOTS Coalition,” a rare wedding of wildlife advocates and representatives of the lumber industry.

Ultimately the ROOTS campaign found itself in a middle ground, as the more extreme, uncompromising views of the Old West and New West took hold of the debate. Dax explores the conflict’s changing tides, as each side leveraged its stance through bureaucratic means and attempted to sway public opinion.

Grizzly West is worth a read not only for its study on the attempted reintroduction of grizzly bears, but for a thorough education on how environmental politics unfold in modern America.

Related posts:

Momentum is Your Friend: a Cycling Across America Book (Kurmaskie)
Last Hours on Everest - Book Review with 5 George Mallory Quotes
13 Bill Bryson Quotes that Capture the Appalachian Trail Better than Your Crappy Journal
John Muir - The Story of My Boyhood and Youth - Book Review
Tweet
Share
Share
Pin

About Jamie Compos

I'm the guy behind DownTheTrail.com. I love the outdoors, and the Grand Canyon is my favorite destination. Be sure to subscribe to my newsletter (at the bottom of the page), or else I'll slip a rock into your backpack when you're not looking.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

My Best Gear for 2023

Backpack

Day Pack

1-Person Tent

2-Person Tent

Sleeping Bag
(3 season)

Sleeping Bag
(summer)

Sleeping Pad
(inflatable)

Sleeping Pad
(foam)

Camp Pillow

Thru-Hiking Shoes

Sturdy Shoes
(Rugged/Off Trail)

Trail Running
(minimalist shoes)

Road Running
(minimalist shoes)

Socks

Water Filter

Water Treatment

Backpacking Stove

Headlamp

Power Bank

911 calls via GPS

Thru-Hiking App

Packraft

SEE MORE DETAILS
(my ultimate gear list)

 

(purchases through affiliate links earn commission)

 

chart your course

Copyright © 2023 Down The Trail - All Rights Reserved - legal statements - contact

This site feeds you cookies and is peppered with affiliate links. Recreating outdoors can be dangerous. Links to e-commerce sites earn commission. Accept Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT