Outdoor recreation policy : pleasure and preservation /

This edited anthology, another fine work from Greenwood Press, should be of acute interest to those responsible for managing or studying outdoor recreation in the US. Unlike most works on this subject, which are written by those active in the field, the contributors to this book are largely political scientists. Their perspectives about policy relevant to the recreational use of public lands are new and make a significant contribution. Not surprisingly, the authors have focused heavily on issues of political economy that are widely reported in recent political-science journals. The 19 contributors examine important topics such as planning for recreational use of natural resources, citizen participation in outdoor recreation policy making, the measurement of service provision and data needs, bureaucratic value structures, and economic/financial concerns. The format of these papers is varied; included are conceptual and quantitative pieces as well as case studies. A must for any collection addressing natural resources management. Although targeted to upper-level readers, the book is recommended to anyone with an academic interest in this area. -B. E. Wicks, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign