"Why, during a devastating five-year drought, is the California Central Valley's agribusiness still irrigating its fields? Why are the state's northern counties selling off their groundwater while draining their aquifers toward eventual mud? Why are oil and gas industries targeting ancient sites that are of inestimable value? How will California deal with wildfires and mudslides that are ever more monstrous and uncontainable? How does the state reconcile its eco-green reputation with challenges posed by runaway growth, dependence on oil, and changing climate conditions? Not So Golden State looks below the surface of California's ecological history to expose some of its less glittering conundrums. Char Miller details policy steps and missteps in public land management; the impact of recreation on national forests, parks, and refuges; and efforts to restore wildland habitat, riparian ecosystems, and endangered species. He calls on Californians to develop sustainable practices in fragile landscapes and to ensure resilient, habitable, and equitable communities."--Page 4 of cover.