Olympic Battleground

Book excerpt: A shocking revelation . . . . No one vitally interested in the past, present, or future of the national parks can afford to ignore this work of historical dynamite. This is the first comprehensive history of Olympic National Park A case study of the need for citizen action to protect our natural areas As a seasonal ranger in Olympic National Park early in his career, Carsten Lien discovered the shocking truth. Flouting the law, and contrary to public expectation, the National Park Service was logging the very land it was supposed to preserve. Lien vowed to uncover the story behind the destruction. In Olympic Battleground, Lien documents more than one hundred years of political chicanery, citizen activism, bureaucratic failure, and the loss of primeval forest. This classic in historical investigation is now updated with a new chapter on the most recent preservation challenges confronting the park.