Rightful heritage : Franklin D. Roosevelt and the land of America / Douglas Brinkley.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 638-717) and index.

Part one: The education of a Hudson River conservationist, 1882-1932. "All that is in me goes back to the Hudson" ; "I just wish I could be at home to help mark the trees" ; "He knew every tree, every rock, and every stream" ; "Wise use" ; "Nothing like Mother Nature" ; "A twice-born man" -- Part two: New Deal conservation, 1933-1936. "They've made the good earth better" ; "He did not wait to ask questions, but simply said that it should be done" ; "Roosevelt is my shepherd" ; "The year of the National Park" ; "A duck for every puddle" ; "Sooner or later, you are likely to meet the sign of the flying goose" ; "We are going to conserve soil, conserve water, and conserve life" -- Part three: Conservation expansion, 1937-1939. "While you're gittin', git a-plenty" ; "I hope the son-of-a-bitch who logged that is roasting in hell" ; "Perpetuated for posterity" ; "To benefit wildlife" -- Part four: World War II and global conservation, 1940-1945. "An abundance of wild things" ; "The army must find a different nesting place!" ; "Conservation is a basis of permanent peace" -- Epilogue: "Where the sundial stands" -- Appendix A: National Park System areas affected under the reorganization of August 10, 1933 ; Appendix B: National Wildlife Refuges established under Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1933-1945 ; Appendix C: National Parks and National Monuments created by Franklin D. Roosevelt following the reorganization of August 10, 1933 ; Appendix D: Establishment and modification of National Forest boundaries by Franklin D. Roosevelt, March 1933 to April 1945 ; Appendix E: The nine Civilian Conservation Corps areas ; Appendix F: Civilian Conservation Corps : basic facts.

Douglas Brinkley's Wilderness Warrior celebrated Theodore Roosevelt's spirit of outdoor exploration and bold vision. Now Brinkley turns his attention to another indefatigable environmental leader--Theodore's distant cousin Franklin Delano Roosevelt--chronicling his essential yet undersung legacy as the founder of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and the premier protector of America's public lands. FDR built state park systems and scenic roadways from scratch. Through his leadership, pristine landscapes such as the Great Smokies, the Everglades, Joshua Tree, the Olympics, Big Bend, and the Channel Islands were forever saved. Brinkley traces FDR's love for the natural world back to his youth spent exploring the Hudson River Valley and birdwatching. Forestry would soon become a consuming passion. As America's president from 1933 to 1945, Roosevelt, a consummate political strategist, established hundreds of federal migratory bird refuges and spearheaded the modern movement to protect endangered species. He deftly positioned his conservation goals as economic policy to combat the severe unemployment of the Great Depression. During its seven-year existence, the CCC put nearly three million young men to work on conservation projects--including planting trees, national park preservation, pollution control, and grasslands restoration. Rightful Heritage is an epic chronicle that is both an irresistible portrait of FDR's unrivaled passion and drive and an indispensable analysis that skillfully illuminates the tension between business and nature--exploiting our natural resources and conserving them. Within the narrative are capsule biographies of such environmental warriors as Eleanor Roosevelt, Harold Ickes, and Aldo Leopold.--Adapted from dust jacket.

"Douglas Brinkley's The Wilderness Warrior celebrated Theodore Roosevelt's spirit of outdoor exploration and bold vision to protect 234 million acres of wild America. Now, in Rightful Heritage, Brinkley turns his attention to the other indefatigable environmental leader--Teddy's distant cousin, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, chronicling his essential yet under-sung legacy as the founder of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and premier protector of America's public lands. FDR built from scratch dozens of State Park systems and scenic roadways. Pristine landscapes such as the Great Smokies, the Everglades, Joshua Tree, the Olympics, Big Bend, Channel Islands, Mammoth Cave, and the slickrock wilderness of Utah were forever saved by his leadership. Brinkley traces FDR's love for the natural world from his youth exploring the Hudson River Valley and bird watching. As America's president from 1933 to 1945, Roosevelt--consummate political strategist--established hundreds of federal migratory bird refuges and spearheaded the modern endangered species movement. He brilliantly positioned his conservation goals as economic policy to combat the severe unemployment of the Great Depression. During its nine-year existence, the CCC put nearly three million young men to work on conservation projects--including building trails in the national parks, pollution control, land restoration to combat the Dust Bowl, and planting over two billion trees. Rightful Heritage is an epic chronicle that is both an irresistible portrait of FDR's unrivaled passion and drive, and an indispensable analysis that skillfully illuminates the tension between business and nature--exploiting our natural resources and conserving them. Within the narrative are brilliant capsule biographies of such environmental warriors as Eleanor Roosevelt, Harold Ickes, and Rosalie Edge. Rightful Heritage is essential reading for everyone seeking to preserve our treasured landscapes as an American birthright." -- Publisher's description