Bring Back the Buffalo!
A Sustainable Future For America's Great Plains
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- USD 30.99
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- USD 30.99
Descripción editorial
In Bring Back the Buffalo!, Ernest Callenbach argues that the return of the bison is the key to a sustainable future for the Great Plains. Vast stretches of the region have seen a steady decline in population and are ill-suited for traditional agriculture or cattle ranching. Yet those same areas provide ideal habitat for bison.
Callenbach explores the past history, present situation, and future potential of bison in North America as he examines what can and should be done to re-establish bison as a significant presence in the American landscape. He looks forward with high hopes to a time when vast herds of buffalo provide permanent sustenance to the rural inhabitants of the Great Plains and again play a central role in the balance of nature.
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Callenbach (Ecotopia!) envisions two fundamental changes for the Great Plains: restoration of great herds of buffalo (bison) with accompanying pronghorn, deer and elk and widespread development of wind power. He makes a cogent case for restoring buffalo to sparsely settled regions poorly suited to cattle. Once close to extinction, nearly 140,000 bison are thriving today in parks, on ranches and on Indian reservations. Callenbach points out that bison have a less damaging ecological impact than cattle on streams and grasses; their meat is a healthy choice over beef; and the animals are a tourist attraction. Also, bison require no winter care, and fewer hands can manage them. Callenbach tells us where to see bison in state and national parks; he looks at ranches--Ted Turner runs the biggest herd on his Montana ranch, and Don Thiel has tourist facilities on his Terry Bison Ranch in Wyoming. Callenbach examines the future potential of buffalo; as long as the federal lands bureaucracy classifies bison as ``exotic'' animals, his vision appears to be in the distant future. Illustrations.
