Bruce Babbitt

Although published in 2005 this is still interesting as a historical account of many of the initiatives of Bruce Babbitt to push land-use planning at the federal level. Of particular interest to me was his account of the negotiations to set aside land in Orange County, California after the endangered-species listing of the gnatcatcher. He tries to draw lessons of what worked, and although we know now that many of the projects didn't last, many of them did. This was a short and easy read and I thought it was well worth my time even if it is a bit dated.… (mer)

Bruce Babbitt was the former Secretary of the Interior. He makes the compelling point that in order to protect our natural habitats from unintelligent destruction by haphazard development, it would be wise to create broad sweeping land use plans. Something that, in many cases, the federal government is in the most apt position to handle. There are many areas that cross various 'borders', such as state lines, that are in peril from short-sighted interests. By taking a larger view of a region, the human needs can be accomplished without devastating our national treasures.

I appreciated the tone of the author. He takes us along on his own journey of discovery.… (mer)