Death Valley National Park N P Timbasha Shoshone Homeland

The first comprehensive study of the park, past and present, Death Valley National Park probes the environmental and human history of this most astonishing desert. Established as a national monument in 1933, Death Valley was an anomaly within the national park system. Though many who knew this landscape were convinced that its stark beauty should be preserved, to do so required a reconceptualization of what a park consists of, grassroots and national support for its creation, and a long and difficult political struggle to secure congressional sanction. This history begins with a discussion of the physical setting, its geography and geology, and descriptions of the Timbisha, the first peoples to inhabit this tough and dangerous landscape. In the 19th-century and early 20th century, new arrivals came to exploit the mineral resources in the region and develop permanent agricultural and resort settlements. Although Death Valley was established as a National Monument in 1933, fear of the harsh desert precluded widespread acceptance by both the visiting public and its own administrative agency. As a result, Death Valley lacked both support and resources. This volume details the many debates over the park’s size, conflicts between miners, farmers, the military, and wilderness advocates, the treatment of the Timbisha, and the impact of tourists on its cultural and natural resources. In time, Death Valley came to be seen as one of the great natural wonders of the United States, and was elevated to full national park status in 1994. The history of Death Valley National Park embodies the many tensions confronting American environmentalism.

"The final LEIS is part of the associated legislation (S. 2102), 'Timbisha Shoshone Homeland Act', which passed the Senate and House of Representatives and became enacted on October 17, 2000. The final LEIS provides two alternatives to be evaluated according to potential environmental impacts that could result from the transfer of several separate parcels of land identified by the National Park Service (NPS) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to be held by the Secretary of the Interior in trust for the Timbisha Shoshone Tribe. The resources analyzed include: cultural resources, water resources, socio-economics and environmental justice, land use, recreation and wilderness, vegetation, and wildlife. The LEIS also evaluates the possible authorization to purchase two parcels of approximately 120 acres of former Indian allotted lands in Saline Valley, California, at the edge of Death Valley National Park, and the 2,430-acre Lida Ranch near Lida, Nevada, from private owners"--Preliminary page.

National Parks are part of the heritage of America, and this title examines one of the most compelling parks in the country, Death Valley National Park. Students will examine the ecosystems, geology, and the flora and fauna that makes Death Valley unique. Readers will learn this park's history from early human habitation through its designation as a national park, and examine the conflict between conservation and tourism that challenges efforts to preserve this national treasure for future generations. Includes original photos from award-winning author/photographer John Hamilton. ABDO & Daughters is an imprint of ABDO Publishing Company.