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The Battle Over Hetch Hetchy: America's Most Controversial Dam and the Birth of Modern Environmentalism - Hardcover
Synopsis
At the beginning of the 19th centurry, an unknown granite valley in California's Sierra Nevada mountain brought a controversy over the use of land and nature to the floor of Congress and thrust preservationist concerns into national consciousness. The city of San Francisco pressed for the damming of the Tuolumne River in newly created Yosemite National Park in order to create a pure and reliable urban water supply. Gifford Pinchot, the first head of the US Forest Service, supported the reservoir, articulating the position that nature should be used, managed and controlled by man, a position of utilitarian conservation Theodore Roosevelt supported. But for the first time in American history, a significant national opposition arose to defend and preserve nature, led by John Muir and the Sierra Club. Three years after congressional approval of the dam, Woodrow Wilson signed the National Parks Act to prevent future damming projects in nationally protected land; no dam has been approved since. In 1933, the city completedthe O'Shaugnessy Dam, but in the wake of the controversy there arose an active environmental movement, which developed interest group techniques and strategies that would effectively turn regional issues into national battles. The dam became a symbol of unquestioned growth, misplaced faith in technology and engineering, and a disrespect for nature and national parks. In the first popular book on Hetch Hetchy to be published since 1965, Bob Righter provides a short accessible narrative of the Hetch Hetchy controversy and its continuing impact on American history, including the contemporary debates ver resource management in California and proposals to tear down existing dams worldwide.
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About the Author
Raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, Robert W. Righter is Research Professor of History at Southern Methodist University.
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The Battle over Hetch Hetchy
Published by
Oxford University Press Inc, 2005
ISBN 10: 0195149475
ISBN 13: 9780195149470
Used
Hardcover
Seller: World of Books (was SecondSale), Montgomery, IL, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Hardback. Condition: Good. In the wake of the devastating 1906 earthquake and fire, the city of San Francisco desperately needed reliable supplies of water and electricity. Its mayor, James Phelan, pressed for the damming of the Tuolumne River in the newly created Yosemite National Park, setting off a firestorm of protest. For the first time in American history, a significant national opposition arose to defend and preserve nature, led by John Muir and the Sierra Club, who sought to protect what they believed was the right of all Americans to experience natural beauty, particularly the magnificent mountains of the Yosemite region. Yet the defenders of the valley, while opposing the creation of a dam and reservoir, did not intend for it to be maintained as wilderness. Instead they advocated a different kind of development--the building of roads, hotels, and an infrastructure to support recreational tourism. Using articles, pamphlets, and broadsides, they successfully whipped up public opinion against the dam. Letters from individuals began to pour into Congress by the thousands, and major newspapers published editorials condemning the dam. The fight went to the floor of Congress, where politicians debated the value of scenery and the costs of western development. Ultimately, passage of the passage of the Raker Act in 1913 by Congress granted San Francisco the right to flood the Hetch Hetchy Valley. A decade later the O'Shaughnessy Dam, the second largest civil engineering project of its day after the Panama Canal, was completed. Yet conflict continued over the ownership of the watershed and the profits derived from hydroelectrocity. To this day the reservoir provides San Francisco with a pure and reliable source of drinking water and an important source of power. Although the Sierra Club lost this battle, the controversy stirred the public into action on behalf of national parks. Future debates over dams and restoration clearly demonstrated the burgeoning strength of grassroots environmentalism. In a narrative peopled by politicians and business leaders, engineers and laborers, preservationists and ordinary citizens, Robert W. Righter tells the epic story of the first major environmental battle of the twentieth century, which reverberates to this day. Seller Inventory # 00107336394
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The Battle over Hetch Hetchy: America's Most Controversial Dam and the Birth of Modern Environmentalism
Published by
Oxford University Press, 2005
ISBN 10: 0195149475
ISBN 13: 9780195149470
Used
Hardcover
Seller: ThriftBooks-Atlanta, AUSTELL, GA, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Hardcover. Condition: Good. No Jacket. Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less. Seller Inventory # G0195149475I3N00
Stock Image
The Battle over Hetch Hetchy
Published by
Oxford University Press Inc, 2005
ISBN 10: 0195149475
ISBN 13: 9780195149470
Used
Hardcover
Seller: World of Books Inc, Montgomery, IL, U.S.A.
Seller rating 4 out of 5 stars
Hardback. Condition: Good. In the wake of the devastating 1906 earthquake and fire, the city of San Francisco desperately needed reliable supplies of water and electricity. Its mayor, James Phelan, pressed for the damming of the Tuolumne River in the newly created Yosemite National Park, setting off a firestorm of protest. For the first time in American history, a significant national opposition arose to defend and preserve nature, led by John Muir and the Sierra Club, who sought to protect what they believed was the right of all Americans to experience natural beauty, particularly the magnificent mountains of the Yosemite region. Yet the defenders of the valley, while opposing the creation of a dam and reservoir, did not intend for it to be maintained as wilderness. Instead they advocated a different kind of development--the building of roads, hotels, and an infrastructure to support recreational tourism. Using articles, pamphlets, and broadsides, they successfully whipped up public opinion against the dam. Letters from individuals began to pour into Congress by the thousands, and major newspapers published editorials condemning the dam. The fight went to the floor of Congress, where politicians debated the value of scenery and the costs of western development. Ultimately, passage of the passage of the Raker Act in 1913 by Congress granted San Francisco the right to flood the Hetch Hetchy Valley. A decade later the O'Shaughnessy Dam, the second largest civil engineering project of its day after the Panama Canal, was completed. Yet conflict continued over the ownership of the watershed and the profits derived from hydroelectrocity. To this day the reservoir provides San Francisco with a pure and reliable source of drinking water and an important source of power. Although the Sierra Club lost this battle, the controversy stirred the public into action on behalf of national parks. Future debates over dams and restoration clearly demonstrated the burgeoning strength of grassroots environmentalism. In a narrative peopled by politicians and business leaders, engineers and laborers, preservationists and ordinary citizens, Robert W. Righter tells the epic story of the first major environmental battle of the twentieth century, which reverberates to this day. Seller Inventory # CIN0195149475G
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The Battle over Hetch Hetchy: America's Most Controversial Dam and the Birth of Modern Environmentalism
Published by
Oxford University Press, 2005
ISBN 10: 0195149475
ISBN 13: 9780195149470
Used
Hardcover
Seller: Twice Read Books, Napa, CA, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good. Minor edge wear to dust jacket. Seller Inventory # 000193
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The Battle over Hetch Hetchy: America's Most Controversial Dam and the Birth of Modern Environmentalism
Published by
Oxford University Press, 2005
ISBN 10: 0195149475
ISBN 13: 9780195149470
Used
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First Edition
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Hardcover. Condition: Good. 1st Edition. Minor, faint pencil marks in text on only a few pages. Not a library book. One copy only of this title. Ships in a cardboard enclosure. THE BOOK YOU SEE DESCRIBED IS THE COPY YOU WILL RECEIVE. Tim's Used Books, open shop in Provincetown, Mass., providing good books at reasonable prices on the same spot since 1991. shelf LL/right. Seller Inventory # 264136
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The Battle over Hetch Hetchy: America's Most Controversial Dam and the Birth of Modern Environmentalism
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Oxford University Press, New York, 2005
ISBN 10: 0195149475
ISBN 13: 9780195149470
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Hardcover. Condition: Near Fine. Dust Jacket Condition: Near Fine. 1st Edition. In Pristine Condition, No Marks Or Inscriptions. Grey Hard Covers With Bright Gilt Title On The Spine. The Dj Is Complete, Not Clipped And Shows The Art Work Of Albert Bierstadt ' The Hetch-Hetchy Valley California". No Apparent Shelf Or Reading Wear. Seller Inventory # 908188
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The battle over Hetch Hetchy: America's most controversial dam and the birth of modern environmentalism / Robert W. Righter
Published by
New York: Oxford University Press, 2005
ISBN 10: 0195149475
ISBN 13: 9780195149470
Used
Hardcover
Seller: MW Books Ltd., Galway, Ireland
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
3rd Impression. Fine cloth copy in a near-fine, very slightly edge-nicked and dust-dulled dust wrapper, now mylar-sleeved. Remains particularly well-preserved overall; tight, bright, clean and strong. Physical description: xxii, 303 pages: illustrations, maps. Contents: The uses of the valley -- The imperial city and water -- Water, earthquake, and fire -- Two views of one valley -- San Francisco to "show cause" -- Congress decides -- To build a dam -- The power controversy -- The legacies of Hetch Hetchy -- Restoration. Subjects: Water resources development Political aspects. Hetch Hetchy Valley (Calif.). Hetch Hetchy Reservoir (Calif.). Water-supply California History.Water resources development California. 1 Kg. Seller Inventory # 349500
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The battle over Hetch Hetchy: America's most controversial dam and the birth of modern environmentalism / Robert W. Righter
Published by
New York: Oxford University Press, 2005
ISBN 10: 0195149475
ISBN 13: 9780195149470
Used
Hardcover
Seller: MW Books, New York, NY, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
3rd Impression. Fine cloth copy in a near-fine, very slightly edge-nicked and dust-dulled dust wrapper, now mylar-sleeved. Remains particularly well-preserved overall; tight, bright, clean and strong. Physical description: xxii, 303 pages: illustrations, maps. Contents: The uses of the valley -- The imperial city and water -- Water, earthquake, and fire -- Two views of one valley -- San Francisco to "show cause" -- Congress decides -- To build a dam -- The power controversy -- The legacies of Hetch Hetchy -- Restoration. Subjects: Water resources development Political aspects. Hetch Hetchy Valley (Calif.). Hetch Hetchy Reservoir (Calif.). Water-supply California History.Water resources development California. 1 Kg. Seller Inventory # 349500
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The Battle over Hetch Hetchy: America's Most Controversial Dam and the Birth of Modern Environmentalism
Published by
Oxford University Press, 2005
ISBN 10: 0195149475
ISBN 13: 9780195149470
Used
Hardcover
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hardcover. Condition: As New. Seller Inventory # 0195149475-VB
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The Battle over Hetch Hetchy: America's Most Controversial Dam and the Birth of Modern Environmentalism
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