Ruin and Recovery Tells Story of Michigan's Rise to Greatness

What would you do if during conversations with other environmentally concerned people, you kept hearing names from the past that you didn't recognize and references to environmental threats about which you knew nothing? Enroll in environmental courses at your local university? Surf the Internet seeking answers? Why not just pick up a copy of Ruin and Recovery: Michigan's Rise as a Conservation Leader by Dave Dempsey instead?

Dave's efforts-which included more than a year of research and dozens of interviews with noted past and present environmental leaders-have resulted in a comprehensive history of Michigan's conservation and environmental movement since the dawn of statehood in 1837. In his words, "It's a people book. It's about how people have changed the face of Michigan through overexploitation of natural resources-and about the people who, almost always against great odds, have rallied to heal that damage."

Dave camped out at the State Archives and the Bentley Historical Library at the University of Michigan for days on end. He visited local historical societies. He read pioneer accounts and stories of conservation heroes. He interviewed more than 40 people who played key roles in the fights of the last four decades. And he tromped through some of the places-like Hartwick Pines and Porcupine Mountains State Park-that were saved by people whose stories are told in the book. He also asked William G. Milliken to write the book's foreword. "Governor Milliken is a central figure in the book," Dave explained. "In fact, he's the only exception to a rule that seems clear after reviewing my research. The rule is that people, not politicians, have always spurred Michigan to national leadership in protecting the environment. But for almost 13 years from 1969 to 1982, we had a governor who was willing to put the environment in front of his short-term political convenience."

"Dave's book is an important contribution to the environmental work we are doing," MEC President Lana Pollack said. "It is a mark of pride for this organization to be associated with such distinguished scholarship."

Why should anyone read this scholarly work? Dave responded, "People should read it because it's as much about our collective future as our past. The same destructive and healing impulses that characterize our past threaten and provide hope about our future. The book carries messages of hope and caution."

Interestingly, Dave came to an important realization about the attacks mounted against environmental and conservation leaders by their opponents. "Advocating for Michigan's environment has always been a messy, lonely and tricky business. Going back 100 years, advocates have been derided as impractical dreamers, obnoxious, purist, ignorant of economic needs and impediments to progress. But in researching my book, I found that their critics are now forgotten, while the achievements of the advocates have given us the beauty we enjoy today. That should give heart to many people around Michigan today, fighting for scraps of biodiversity or to stop the spewing of air pollution from tire burners."

What's the one thing Dave most wants readers to remember after reading this book? "I want them to feel inspired. I want them to realize the beauty of Michigan is the spirit of its people, urban, rural, all races, all income levels, all ages. That is the most precious natural resource of all, and we will need it to face unprecedented challenges in the 21st Century. I think we're up to meeting those challenges. If we work hard and remain vigilant, somebody will be writing about our heroism in 100 years."

Ruin and Recovery: Michigan's Rise as a Conservation Leader is available from the University of Michigan Press, P.O. Box 1104, 839 Greene Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48106, (734) 764-4392, www.press.umich.edu. For more information, call (517) 487-9539.