Palmer, Tim 1948–

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Palmer, Tim 1948–

(Timothy Palmer)

PERSONAL:

Born March 20, 1948, in Beaver, PA; son of James and Jane Palmer; married Ann Vileisis (a writer). Education: Pennsylvania State University, B.S., 1971. Politics: Democrat.

ADDRESSES:

Office—P.O. Box 1286, Port Orford, OR 97465. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER:

Author, photographer, and public speaker. Chief county planner in Williamsport, PA, 1971-80; writer and photographer, 1980—. Consultant on river protection, 1986—.

AWARDS, HONORS:

Independent Publisher Book Award, for The Heart of America: Our Landscape, Our Future; National Outdoor Book Award, 1998, for The Columbia: Sustaining a Modern Resource; Director's Award for outstanding publication of the year, National Park Service, 1996, for Yosemite: The Promise of Wildness; finalist, Ben Franklin Book Award, for Pacific High: Adventures in the Coast Ranges from Baja to Alaska; Distinguished Alumni Award, College of Arts and Architecture at the Pennsylvania State University, 2005; Lifetime Achievement Award, American Rivers; Peter Behr Award, Friends of the River; River Conservationist of the Year Award, Perception, Inc.

WRITINGS:

Rivers of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania State University Press (University Park, PA), 1980.

Stanislaus: The Struggle for a River, University of California Press (Berkeley, CA), 1982.

Youghiogheny: Appalachian River, University of Pittsburgh Press (Pittsburgh, PA), 1984.

Endangered Rivers and the Conservation Movement, University of California Press (Berkeley, CA), 1986, 2nd edition, Rowman & Littlefield (Lanham, PA), 2004.

The Sierra Nevada: A Mountain Journey, Island Press (Washington, DC), 1988.

The Snake River: Window to the West, Island Press (Washington, DC), 1991.

(Editor) California's Threatened Environment: Restoring the Dream, Island Press (Washington, DC), 1993.

The Wild and Scenic Rivers of America, Island Press (Washington, DC), 1993.

(Author of essay) Yosemite: The Promise of Wildness, photographs by William Neill, Yosemite Association (Yosemite Park, CA), 1994.

Lifelines: The Case for River Conservation, Island Press (Washington, DC), 1994, 2nd edition published as Lifelines, Rowman & Littlefield (Lanham, PA), 2004.

America by Rivers, Island Press (Washington, DC), 1996.

(And photographer) The Columbia: Sustaining a Modern Resource, The Mountaineers (Seattle, WA), 1997.

The Heart of America: Our Landscape, Our Future, Island Press (Washington, DC), 1999.

Pacific High: Adventures in the Coast Ranges from Baja to Alaska, Island Press (Washington, DC), 2002.

Oregon: Preserving the Spirit and Beauty of Our Land, photography by Terry Donnelly and Mary Liz Austin, foreword by John Daniel, Voyageur Press (Stillwater, MN), 2003.

(And photographer) California Wild: Preserving the Spirit and Beauty of Our Land, additional photography by Terry Donnelly and Mary Liz Austin, Voyageur Press (Stillwater, MN), 2004.

(And photographer) Rivers of America, Abrams (New York, NY), 2006.

Luminous Mountains: The Sierra Nevada of California, Heyday Books (Berkeley, CA), 2008.

Also author of dozens of magazine articles, river studies, display packages, and brochures for conservation campaigns.

SIDELIGHTS:

Author and photographer Tim Palmer has engaged readers with numerous books on rivers and the environment. Having canoed or rafted on more than three hundred different waterways and having mountaineered extensively throughout North America, he brings his expertise and concern for conservation to his writings. In a review of Lifelines: The Case for River Conservation, Booklist critic Mary Carroll described the work as "an enlightening, energizing study" that "seeks to define the values of and threats to preservation of the nation's diminishing river legacy."

The Snake River: Window to the West takes a look at one of America's most famous waterways. The Snake River travels through Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park as well as Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and ends its journey in the state of Washington where it eventually meets the Columbia River. Palmer looks at the ways in which over-irrigation has taken water out of this waterway and has come to threaten the previously plentiful supply of wildlife in the region, affecting a range of species from salmon to eagles. A reviewer for Publishers Weekly found Palmer's book to be "an effective case for restoring greatness to a beleaguered national treasure."

Palmer's nine-month excursion through the Pacific coast mountain ranges resulted in Pacific High: Adventures in the Coast Ranges from Baja to Alaska. Here he presents his travel escapades by foot, plane, boat, bicycle, and van, as well as insightful information on the interaction between mountains and their natural and human environment. Library Journal contributor John McCormick explained: "Interspersed throughout are Palmer's strong pro-environmental message and always amusing dialog between himself and those he meets along the way."

In Rivers of America, Palmer provides readers with a glorious tour of numerous waterways located in the United States. The work includes more than two hundred color photographs, some of which cross two pages. The text of the book describes the various rivers, discussing their unique natural features and providing information about the role they play in the nation's economy. Palmer also offers his perspective on the ecology of the rivers and encourages readers to help in the conservation of these important resources. The author includes information about various groups working to preserve this part of nature. A reviewer for Publishers Weekly found Palmer's book to be a "comprehensive survey of American river systems." Booklist contributor Donna Seaman dubbed Palmer's effort "a book of river art and advocacy that is sumptuous, informative, and hopeful." Rivers of America, according to a contributor in Science News, "reveals the majesty and beauty of rivers throughout the country."

Palmer once told CA: "Nothing else really matters if we cannot learn to care for the earth, and the relationships involved in that challenge are the subjects of my writing. The dynamics between people and places are endless and fascinating, and my aim is to make my books convey an understanding of our times and our problems, of the extraordinary qualities in the landscapes and rivers of our earth, and of the fun of living in the natural world."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

American Forests, July, 1987, review of Endangered Rivers and the Conservation Movement, p. 71.

Audubon, January, 1995, review of Lifelines: The Case for River Conservation, p. 115.

Booklist, March 15, 1987, review of Endangered Rivers and the Conservation Movement, p. 1081; November 15, 1988, review of The Sierra Nevada: A Mountain Journey, p. 521; August, 1991, review of The Snake River: Window to the West, p. 2084; May 15, 1993, review of California's Threatened Environment: Restoring the Dream, p. 1657; July, 1994, Mary Carroll, review of Lifelines, p. 1901; June 1, 1996, review of America by Rivers, p. 1656; October 15, 2006, Donna Seaman, review of Rivers of America, p. 12.

Bookwatch, July 24, 1988, review of Endangered Rivers and the Conservation Movement, p. 12; December 18, 1988, review of The Sierra Nevada, p. 10; October, 1991, review of The Snake River, p. 5.

Choice, February, 1987, review of Endangered Rivers and the Conservation Movement, p. 903; March, 1992, review of The Snake River, p. 1104; November, 1993, review of The Wild and Scenic Rivers of America, p. 478; September, 1994, review of Endangered Rivers and the Conservation Movement, p. 49; January, 1995, review of Lifelines, p. 812.

Earth Science, summer, 1990, review of The Sierra Nevada, p. 32.

Kirkus Reviews, April 1, 1996, review of America by Rivers, p. 513.

Library Journal, February 15, 1987, review of Endangered Rivers and the Conservation Movement, p. 155; March 1, 1993, review of The Snake River, p. 49; July, 1993, review of The Wild and Scenic Rivers of America, p. 105; June 15, 1994, review of Lifelines, p. 90; May 15, 1996, review of America by Rivers, p. 82; August, 2002, John McCormick, review of Pacific High: Adventures in the Coast Ranges from Baja to Alaska, p. 125.

New York Times Book Review, December 4, 1988, review of The Sierra Nevada, p. 18.

Pacific Historical Review, August, 1988, review of Endangered Rivers and the Conservation Movement, p. 378.

Publishers Weekly, October 21, 1988, review of The Sierra Nevada, p. 52; July 12, 1991, review of The Snake River, p. 61; April 1, 1996, review of America by Rivers, p. 61; October 4, 1999, review of The Heart of America: Our Landscape, Our Future, p. 59.

Science News, September 30, 2006, review of Rivers of America, p. 223.

Sierra, March, 1987, review of Endangered Rivers and the Conservation Movement, p. 94; May, 1989, review of The Sierra Nevada, p. 101.

Washington Post Book World, November 13, 1994, review of Lifelines, p. 13; November 21, 1999, review of The Heart of America, p. 10.

Western Historical Society, October, 1987, review of Endangered Rivers and the Conservation Movement, p. 468.

Wilderness, spring, 1988, review of Endangered Rivers and the Conservation Movement, p. 68.

Workbook, spring, 1992, review of The Snake River, p. 39.