Michael J. Yochim

Details a series of conflicts about park management over the past few decades, including the reintroduction of wolves, the continued use of snowmobiles, gold mining, and allowing bison to roam beyond park boundaries. The bottom line is simple: politics always wins. But political coalitions can be built depending on the strength of the relevant science, as well as on the framing of issues as being about protecting nature, preserving access to the park, or promoting the economy of the surrounding areas.… (mehr)

In 2014, Yochim and two friends spent a week exploring the Thorofare, a remote region in Yellowstone National Park. That expedition, undertaken mostly by canoe because Yochim was in the early stages of ALS, became the backbone of his book. He also draws on the first-person accounts of the rangers who patrol the area, historical documents, and his earlier personal experiences working in Yellowstone and Yosemite.

Yochim argues for the need to preserve "wildness" in the wilderness and buttresses his argument by giving readers a glimpse into one of the Lower 48’s most remote, still wild areas. A Week in Yellowstone's Thorofare is a great book for celebrating 100 years of our National Parks, learning more about Yellowstone in particular, or thinking more deeply about the importance of wilderness and wildness in nature.

There is no question that Yochim’s medical condition, which he addresses frankly, adds poignancy and melancholy to the story. He shares a part of the country he loves with readers who will probably never see it for themselves, knowing he will never see it again.… (mehr)