The Conservation Diaries of Gifford Pinchot / Gifford Pinchot and the Making of Modern Environmentalism

Abstract

Review: The Conservation Diaries of Gifford Pinchot By Gifford Pinchot Edited by Harold K. Steen Review: Gifford Pinchot and the Making of Modern Environmentalism By Char Miller Reviewed by William Theodore Johnson Scottsdale Public Library - Palomino Branch, USA Gifford Pinchot. The Conservation Diaries of Gifford Pinchot. Durham, NC: The Forest History Society, 2001. 230 pp. ISBN 0-89030-060-7 (paperback). US$19.00 Char Miller. Gifford Pinchot and the Making of Modern Environmentalism. Washington, DC: Island Press, 2001. 457 pp. ISBN 1-55963-822-2 (hardcover). US$28.00. Recycled, acid-free paper. Editor Harold Steen has labored long and hard to provide us with a glimpse of the personal side of Gifford Pinchot. The Conservation Diaries cover two periods, from 1889 to 1915 and from 1936 to 1946. The 21-year gap between Pinchot's early and final years constitute a significant omission of time and development in the life of this conservation giant. Steen has organized Pinchot's personal entries into logical groups such as those covering his travels out west, his work with the Forest Service, and his relationships with Theodore Roosevelt and Secretary Ballinger. He introduces each section with a very helpful overview and then lists specific entries in chronological order. Unfortunately, many of the entries are so brief and lacking in substantive content, that one can only wonder about their value. For example, in the section on Youth to Maturity on 11/17, 1891, the entry reads, Biltmore ... Met Miss Houghteling after lunch. The section on the Forest Service includes an entry on 6/1, 1898, which states, New York ... Letters and Division work. Most other entries reveal something of Pinchot's personality, self assessment, or feelings. Only those who are serious about conservation history will find this material of interest. Therefore, this title is recommended for special libraries and specialists in North American environmental history. The birth of modern environmentalism has been made much clearer by Gifford Pinchot and the Making of Modern Environmentalism, an excellent contribution to conservation history. Char Miller accurately and fairly reflects the great balancing act between preservation and sustainable use in