Ruin and Recovery: Michigan's Rise as a Conservation Leader

by Dave Dempsey

Ruin and Recovery tells the story of Michigan's cycles of resource exploitation and conservation from the early days of statehood in 1837 to the present day. Drawing from a large number of resources, including archival records and reminiscences, official documents and individual interviews, Ruin and Recovery charts the development of a conservation ethic in Michigan and chronicles the major battles for environmental protection since the late 1800s. Michigan has faced two turning points in its conservation history. One came at the end of the nineteenth century when its logging era ended, only to be followed by raging forest fires that left millions of acres of land denuded. Ruin and Recovery 's discussion of this first turning point is from historical records and the later recollections of survivors of the ruinous 1908 Metz forest fire in northeastern Lower Michigan. The second turning point came in the late 1960s, when water and air pollution prompted public outrage. This controversy is brought to life through interviews with local residents, scientists, and agency officials who observed the Kalamazoo River to be the most polluted in Michigan. Both turning points set the stage for the historic eras of rebuilding that followed. Dave Dempsey serves as Communications Director for Conservation Minnesota and consults for other environmental and conservation organizations across Minnesota and Michigan. He is author of William G. Michigan's Passionate Moderate and Ruin and Michigan's Rise as a Conservation Leader .

368 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2001

Reviews

[Isabelle Baird · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in US environmental history.

Mr. Dempsey presents Michigan’s environmental history in an organized and engaging way, making a complex history both accessible and interesting. Although I’ve never lived in Michigan, the rich background provided here has helped me develop a connection to Michigan's geography and fragile natural resources. After reading this book, I've gained a deeper appreciation for the key people, places, and events that shaped Michigan’s natural resource history.

This work has been inspirational to me on many levels, as I am sure it will be for generations to come. I’ve gifted this book to several thankful friends. Random thought: This would be an excellent format for similar books about other states!

[Katie Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent, intelligent read with great intersections that juggle politics, conservation, and public health. It's a book that manages to easily paint many pictures and highlights some inspirational Michigan conservationists.

[Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dempsey's book is a fine display of scholarship and accessible prose for any Michigan resident. This book covers Michigan's conservation and environmental history from the arrival of the first French fur trappers to the Great Lakes state. Michigan's Indian tribes and nations are not given enough detail, but the book shines in its focus regardless. The chapters covering the 19th century were particularly revealing and interesting to me. All kinds of Michigan cities, towns, parks, and forests are given attention, making history much closer to home. Many of the conservation success stories can give Michiganders something to be proud of. This beautiful state was saved from complete use of its natural resources by some brave conservationists. Much of the book focuses on rather dry bureaucratic state governmental history, but there are plenty of interesting spots.

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Most of the book was pretty dry, although very informative. The epilogue was excellent.