Rewilding the American West  John Davis' quest to save the West
through conservation biology.  | Mon Jun. 24, 2013 10:17 AM GMT
John Davis looking through binoculars  This story first appeared
on the TomDispatch website.  My home sits at the gateway to a
national park in Utah, a source of envy among tourists who
gather along Capitol Reef's "scenic drive." But after 40 years
of living in one desert or another, I know firsthand that
America's iconic desert landscapes, places like Monument Valley
and Arches National Park, are the exceptions, not the rule. The
rule is that we dig up, dump on, dam, bomb, drill, over-graze,
and otherwise abuse our deserts, most of them public lands owned
by you, the taxpaying citizen. Generally, our management of the
nation's public lands is a disgrace and deserts are exhibit A.
But let's skip the grim survey of how humans are overloading the
carrying capacity of our original earthly Eden that usually
opens a report like this. The intent of such a recitation of
folly is to compel