Virtual Author Talk: John Leshy on "Our Common Ground"

John Leshy’s new history of America’s public lands, Our Common Ground (Yale University Press, 2022), explains how the U.S. government came to hold nearly 30% of the land in the nation (more than 600 million acres) and, through four federal agencies (National Park Service, Forest Service, Fish & Wildlife Service, and Bureau of Land Management), manage it primarily for recreation, education, and conservation of biodiversity and cultural resources. The book focuses on the key political decisions that led to this result, one that has been supported by durable and bipartisan political consensus—a political success story that is particularly welcome in an era of cynicism about government. The first comprehensive history of this major American institution in many decades, it is particularly timely as the world grapples with the challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss. 

Speaker

John Leshy
Professor Emeritus, University of California, Hastings College of the Law

Moderator

Felicity Barringer
Writer-in-Residence, The Bill Lane Center for the American West