Where Roads Will Never Reach

Frederick H. Swanson writes about the wild landscapes of the West from his home in Salt Lake City, USA. His books include The Bitterroot and Mr. Brandborg: Clearcutting and the Struggle for Sustainable Forestry in the Northern Rockies (University of Utah Press, 2011). Among his awards are the Wallace Stegner Prize in Environmental and American Western History, the Spur Award, and the Utah Book Award.

"Offers a provocative, stimulating, and engaging study of the history of wilderness and of the efforts to protect wilderness areas. The author has delved deeply into this subject and probed its major milestones, campaigns, and arenas." -Mark Harvey, author of Wilderness Forever: Howard Zahniser and the Path to the Wilderness Act "Outside of Alaska, the Northern Rocky Mountains are the absolute heart and soul of what's left of primitive America. We owe a great deal of thanks to the many ordinary citizens and small handful of legislators who saved these tracts from extensive fragmentation during the frenzy of post-war industrial overdevelopment. And we owe Swanson our gratitude for telling their story in clear, direct, and readable prose." -James M. Glover, author of A Wilderness Original: The Life of Bob Marshall "Swanson has captured the importance of passion and commitment by individuals and groups to the wild lands of the Northern Rockies. The people portrayed in his book felt connected to the land and flora and fauna that make Montana the last best place."-Joan Montagne, past president, Madison-Gallatin Alliance "This reliable and very well written account of the forest history of the Northern Rockies, with a focus on the great Wilderness resource of this region, is based on an amazing and innovative use of primary sources, with no archival source being missed. Without doubt the definitive history of this important subject."-Dennis Baird, The Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness History Project "In this systematic and detailed study of establishing wilderness areas in the Northern Rockies, Swanson provides a valuable reminder that preservation advocates should remember the role of sportsmen and outfitters who understood the backcountry as a place of beauty and living space for wild creatures."-Environmental History "Swanson shows how grassroots efforts can alter national environmental policy."-Forest History Today "In addition to devoting space to well-known advocates such as Howard Zahniser and Stewart Brandborg, Swanson sheds light on the local activists Cecil Garland, Doris Milner, and Bill Cunningham, among others. These profiles give the book the local flair it promises and make it a must-read for anyone who is thankful for being able to wander these areas today."-Pacific Northwest Quarterly "In Where Roads Will Never Reach Swanson has produced an enjoyable narrative worthy of the epic landscape it describes. It is an inspirational study of the preservation of one of the nation's most beautiful natural regions."-Utah Historical Quarterly