The Big Thicket of East Texas, which at one time covered over 
two million acres, served as a barrier to civilizations throughout
most of historic times. By the late nineteenth century, however,
an assault on this wilderness by settlers, railroads, and timber
companies began in earnest. By the 1920s, much of the wilderness
had been destroyed. Spurred on by the continued destruction of
the region, the Big Thicket Association (BTA) organized in 1964
to fight for its preservation. Arguing that the Big Thicket was a
unique botanical region, the BTA and their supporters convinced
President Gerald Ford to authorize an 84,550-acre Big Thicket
National Preserve in 1974.

     Saving the Big Thicket is a classic account of the region's 
history and a play-by-play narrative of the prolonged fight for the
Big Thicket Preserve. It is a clearly written case study of the
conflict between economics and preservation, presenting each 
side with objectivity and fairness. Originally written by Cozine 
in 1976, it has been updated with a new afterword by Pete A. Y. 
Gunter.

_________________________________________________________

JAMES J. COZINE, JR., received his doctorate from Texas A&M 
University in 1976. He is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force and, 
since 1983, the director of Educational Talent Search at the 
University of Louisiana at Monroe. PETE A. Y. GUNTER is
Regents Professor of Philosophy at the University of North
Texas and author of The Big Thicket, also published by UNT
Press.


Number Four: Temple Big Thicket Series


What people are saying about this book

"Cozine was on the scene while smoke from the big battle still 
hung in the air, talking to both conservationists and timber 
industry people."—Thad Sitton, author, Backwoodsman