Debunks the myths that have contributed to the often polarized character of contemporary discussions of the public lands in the United States. Recounting numerous episodes throughout American history, John Leshy demonstrates how public lands have generally served to unify the country, not divide it.

John D. Leshy is Distinguished Professor Emeritus at the University of California, Hastings College of Law in San Francisco. Before joining the Hastings faculty in 2001, he served as solicitor (general counsel) of the Interior Department throughout the Clinton Administration, special counsel to the House Natural Resources Committee, professor at Arizona State University College of Law, Associate Solicitor of Interior, with the Natural Resources Defense Council, and the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. Leshy has published widely on public lands, water, and other natural resource issues, as well as on constitutional law and legal history. He has four times been a visiting professor at Harvard Law School, from which he graduated after earning an A.B. from Harvard College.