Professor Robert Keiter will read from and sign copies of his new book, “To Conserve Unimpaired: The Evolution of the National Park Idea,” on June 6 at 7 p.m. at the 15th Street Gallery (1519 S. 1500 E.) in Salt Lake City. The reading will be preceded by a 6 p.m. reception and is free and open to the public.
Each year, about 280 million people visit a national park, seeking everything from jaw-dropping beauty to breathtaking excitement, from a vacation to a livelihood. The park system is charged with conserving these special places unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations. But what does this actually mean for today’s national parks, which are not, and have never been, isolated nature reserves? In “To Conserve Unimpaired: The Evolution of the National Park Idea,” Keiter explains how parks are changing to adapt to the environmental, economic, and demographic changes they face today.
Jody Hilty, North American program director of the Wildlife Conservation Society, writes of Keiter’s new book: “Keiter offers a clear understanding of the origin of national parks and controversies that continue through today. How would parks balance wilderness values, enjoyment of visitors, science, and education? Making the case that parks are a central tenet of conservation, To Conserve Unimpaired offers key insights into today’s challenges to sustain the value of national parks into the future.”
Keiter is the Wallace Stegner Professor of Law, university distinguished professor, and founding director of the Wallace Stegner Center for Land, Resources, and the Environment at the University Of Utah S.J. Quinney College Of Law. His other books include “Keeping Faith with Nature: Ecosystems, Democracy, and America’s Public Lands” (2003); “Reclaiming the Native Home of Hope: Community, Ecology, and the West” (1998); and “The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem: Redefining America’s Wilderness Heritage” (1991).
The reading is jointly sponsored by The King’s English, the Wallace Stegner Center, and the Southwest Regional Office of the National Parks Conservation Association. Funding is provided by the Cultural Vision Fund.