The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), which manages public lands and the national forests, which are managed US Forest Service (FS) face key issues. One of these prime issues is how to balance the protection and developments of these lands. Other questions relate to which lands the government should own, and the adequacy of funds and programs for agencies to acquire and protect lands. Also, the prevention of forest fires, the preserving and caring of the national forests is focused on.

Eleven pieces, written by contributors whose academic or organizational affiliations are not noted, describe and discuss the legislative background, management issues, points of contention, and other features of major debates in natural resource management in the US. Topics include the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge; the Endangered Species Act; assessing non-market values of natural resources through contingent valuation; wetlands regulation and the law of property rights "takings"; international forest agreements; and mining in national parks and wilderness areas. c. Book News Inc.