BlessingsonUncleSam’ssoldiers!Theyhavedonetheirjobwell,andeverypinetreeiswavingitsarmsforjoy.--JohnMuirMuir’swordsandthisbookbothcelebrateacrucialbutlargelyforgottenepisodeinournation’shistory--howagenerationpriortothecreationofaNationalParkService,theUSArmyranYosemiteNationalParkinanunusualalliancewiththefabledpreservationistJohnMuirandhisSierraClub.HarveyMeyersonbringsthatlargelyforgottenepisodeinournation’shistorytolifeandusesitasatouchstoneforareconsiderationofacenturyofcivilian-militarycooperationinenvironmentalprotectionandinfrastructureconstructionwhoseimpactandrelevancestillresonate.DespitetheworldwiderenownandpopularityofYosemiteNationalPark,fewpeopleknowthatitsfirststewardsweredrawnfromtheso-calledOldArmy.From1890untiltheestablishmentoftheNationalParkServicein1916,thesesoldiersprovedtobeextremelycompetentandfarsightedwildernessmanagers.Meyersonrecapturestheforgottenhistoryoftheseearlyenvironmentalistsandhowtheysetsignificantstandardsforthefutureoversightofournationalparks.Thearmy,Meyersonsuggests,hadactuallybeenwellpreparedtoassumethisstewardship.Duringitsfirsthundredyears--anddespitetheinterruptionsofwarfare--itssoldiershadcrisscrossedtheAmericanlandscape,preparingmapsandwritingdetailedreportsdescribingclimate,weather,physicalterrain,ecosystems,andthediversefloraandfaunapopulatingthelandstheyexploredandoftenprotectedduringaneraofwide-openexploitationofnaturalresources.Suchexperiencemadethearmybettersuitedthananyotherfederalagencytooverseetheearlynationalparkssystem.Combiningenvironmental,military,political,andculturalhistory,Meyerson’sstudyisespeciallytimelyinlightofYosemite’senormouspopularity(fourmillionvisitorsannually)andrecentcontroversiespittingconservationforcesagainstdambuildersandproponentsofexpandedpublicaccess.
