"Angry as one may be at what heedless men have done and still do to a noble habitat, one cannot be pessimistic about the West. This is still the native home of hope. When it fully learns that cooperation, not rugged individualism is the quality that most characterizes and preserves it, then it will have achieved itself and outlived its origins. Then it has a chance to create a society to match our scenery."

If you have about an hour to spare, I highly recommend watching this lecture by John Kitzhaber to the University of Idaho about the conflicts between economic activity and environmental sustainability. That quote by Wallace Stegner from The Sound of Mountain Water is how he begins his talk. Scroll down to the section "McClure Lecture Series - John Kitzhaber - Creating a Society to Match our Scenery"

http://www.its2.uidaho.edu/webcast/archives.htm