{"product_id":"colorado-powder-keg-ski-resorts-and-the-environmental-movement-9780700618699","title":"Colorado Powder Keg: Ski Resorts and the Environmental Movement","description":"\u003cp\u003eDownhill skiing is a vital economic engine for many communities in the Rocky Mountain states  attracting 20 million skier days per season. Colorado is by far the most popular destination  with more than two dozen major ski resorts creating a thriving industry that adds billions to the states coffers. But  many ask  at what cost  Michael Childers traces the rise of Colorados ski industry alongside that of the burgeoning environmental movement  which sprang up in opposition to rampant commercial development on mountains that had been designated as public lands. Combining official ski resort figures  U.S. Forest Service documents  real estate and tourism records  wildlife data  newspaper articles  and public comments  Childers shows how what started as an innocent leisurely pursuit has morphed into a multi-billion dollar business that forever changed the landscape of Colorado and brought with it serious environmental consequences.  This first environmental history of skiing in Colorado traces the recreations rise in popularity as a way of examining major changes in public land management in the American West during the last century. As more people headed to Colorados mountains in search of thrills on the slopes  the USFS quickly became overwhelmed by the demand and turned resort development over to the private sector. The result has been a decades-long battle between developers and environmentalistswith skiers and Colorado residents caught in the middle.  Childers examines the history of the ski industry within Colorado throughout the twentieth century along with the challenges the industrys growth posed in balancing the private development of public lands and mounting environmental concerns over issues such as rural growth  wildlife management  and air and water pollution. He then traces the history of radical environmentalism back to the 1960s to show how it picked up momentum  culminating in the Earth Liberation Fronts 1998 arson at Vail Ski Resortwhich ended up doing more harm than good to the environmentalist cause by recasting the mega-resorts as victims and turning public opinion against all environmental activists in the area.  As Americans weigh their desire for fresh powder against their concern for protecting unspoiled lands  Childerss book provides valuable food for thought. Colorado Powder Keg opens a new window on the history of skiing in the American West as it adds to the broader debate over the management and purpose of national forests.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45279803146293,"sku":"ByrdShop_0700618694","price":38.56,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0627\/8139\/0901\/files\/9780700618699.jpg?v=1780611075","url":"https:\/\/atxbooks.com\/products\/colorado-powder-keg-ski-resorts-and-the-environmental-movement-9780700618699","provider":"ATX Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}