In this compelling book, Tom King examines the state of cultural and natural preservation in the United States and finds it sorely lacking. Despite strong sounding laws like the National Historic Preservation Act and the Environmental Policy Act, King finds developers and their governmental allies to be firmly in the driver’s seat.
King should know. He has spent 40 years in preservation including a stint at the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation.
King’s conclusions are disturbing. He finds the existing laws to be inadequate and many of those charged with enforcing them more concerned with mollifying powerful interests than in carrying out their responsibilities. He urgently calls for reforms that would put teeth into existing preservation laws.
Our Unprotected Heritage is a must read for all those concerned with preservation of our national cultural and natural resources. —Mark Michel