The little-known story of how the U.S. government came to hold nearly one-third of the nation's land and manage it primarily for recreation, education, and cons

How it is that the United States—the country that cherishes the ideal of private property more than any other in the world—has chosen to set aside nearly on

"The public lands of the western United States comprise some 450 million acres of grassland, steppe land, canyons, forests, and mountains. It's an American comm

In the United States, the federal government owns more than a quarter of the nation’s landscape—nearly 640 million acres; or more than a million square mile

Includes bibliographical references and index.