Historic Takings in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area: Recreation and Remains

David Fazzino's book explores the impacts of government land takings half a century ago in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, comparing legal valuations with lived valuations and considering the ruins of past lives for future management regimes.

Format: Hardback
Length: 252 pages
Publication date: 15 July 2022
Publisher: Lexington Books

The Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area (DEWA) stands as one of the most visited National Park Service (NPS) units, attracting millions of annual visitors. In his book, David Fazzino delves into the profound consequences of government land takings that occurred half a century ago, forcibly uprooting families and communities across a vast expanse of 70,000 acres in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. By contextualizing these land takings within historical frameworks, Fazzino explores the intricate ways in which places have been seized, both physically and ideologically, in the pursuit of progress, development, wilderness, and recreation.

The author juxtaposes legal valuations, measured primarily in utilitarian and material terms, with lived valuations that acknowledge the experiential, intimate, personal, and relational aspects of place. Fazzino also examines the remnants of what once was and the traces of past lives in the valley, offering inclusive possibilities for future management regimes within DEWA and federal public lands.

This book serves as a valuable exploration of the complex interplay between government actions, land ownership, and the human impact on the natural world, shedding light on the enduring legacies of these historical events and offering insights into the potential for a more inclusive and sustainable future.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781793627391