Beyond the Stony Mountains: Nature in the American West from Lewis and Clark to Today

Dr. Dan Botkin has delivered an important and timely contribution to the voluminous literature associated with the on-going commemoration of the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial. "Beyond the Stony Mountains," provides a synthetic and desperately needed overview of the Lewis and Clark expedition vis a vis the geography of the trail environments. While many of the titles associated with the Corps of Discovery provide detailed assessments of particular aspects, Botkin's most recent contribution provides an ecological historical perspective of the landscape dynamics associated with two hundred years of change. This change, documented in well-researched analysis spanning over ten years of work, highlights the interconnected cultural and ecological factors associated with landscape change. Moving beyond typical social, economic, and political history of the Lewis and Clark expedition, Botkin pinpoints key examples of the historical geography and provides insights unique to the ecological mind. Moreover, Botkin's analysis proves a key assertion provided by Dr. Gary Moulton, Editor, "the Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition." Despite copious examinations of the data and information contained in the Journals, it is possible to extract additional, meaningful analysis from the pages of the text. This analysis is, of course, dependent on the perspective of the investigator and the particular critical lense through which the Journals are examined. In Botkin's case, we have a holistic, naturalist's approach that defines the heuristic methodology. Again, such an analytical approach presents a substantial contribution to the literature and serves as a point of convergence for many researchers looking to document scientifically specific aspects of landscape dynamics through the story that is the Lewis and Clark expedition. Botkin's contribution provides a wealth of new information, geographical theses for discussion, and a modern foundation for the continued examination of the significance of change along the Lewis and Clark trail. Provided that change is one of the few constants we can assign to the legacy of the Corps of Discovery, it is important that we dig deeply with Dr. Botkin, beneath the surface, and examine the geographical lessons contained in the Journals. It is only through a scientific assessment of where we have been that we have some sense of where we are and, most importantly, where we are going collectively as nation living in the shadow of the Stony Mountains. Congratulations to Dr. Botkin for this worthwhile contribution.