- questions how bureaucracies conceive of and consequently interact with nature, and suggests that our managed public landscapes are neither entirely managed nor entirely wild

- questions which kinds of human influence, conceived of in the widest possible sense, will produce ideal environments for future generations, and who gets to choose

- draws on the author's experience as an objective scholar and over 10 years working as a practitioner in federal land management agencies

- will be of great interest to students and scholars of natural resource management, policy and politics, and professionals working in environmental management roles as well as policymakers involved public policy and administration.