To the white clouds

de JM Neil, J. Meredith Neil

"Idaho's early stance was that environmental protection and economic expansion were compatible, resulting in recurring assaults to the state's spectacular geographic and faunal treasures. An irrigation project reduced Shoshone Falls, the former "Niagara of the West," to a mere trickle. Jackrabbits, foxes, and other "varmints" were routinely herded into enclosures and bludgeoned to death. Idaho waters were poisoned as part of a program to eradicate "trash fish." Communities dumped raw sewage directly into nearby lakes, streams, and rivers, and conducted aerial sprayings of DDT and other pesticides. Industry threatened the environment with dredging, phosphates, radioactive waste, and more. Yet, as citizens recognized the value of their state's natural resources, they worked to introduce change."--Jacket.