As the Nation's principal conservation agency, the Department of the Interior has responsibility for most of our nationally-owned public lands and natural and cultural resources. This includes fostering wise use of our land and water resources, protecting our fish and wildlife, preserving the environmental and cultural values of our national parks and historical places, and providing for the enjoyment of life through outdoor recreation. The Department assesses our energy and mineral resources and works to assure that their development is in the best interests of all our people. The Department also promotes the goals of the Take Pride in America campaign by encouraging stewardship and citizen responsibility for the public land and promoting citizen participation in their care. The Department also has a major responsibility for American Indian reservation communities and for people who live in Island Territories under U.S. Administration. Cover Photographs: [Illustration: Granite Mountain in the Great Basin Desert (photograph by Terrence Moore).] [Illustration: Sonoran Desert (photograph by Peter Kresan).] [Illustration: Zabriskie Point in Death Valley, California (photograph by Peter Kresan).] [Illustration: Artists Point in Monument Valley (photograph by Peter Kresan).] [Illustration: Death Valley, California (photograph by Cecil Stoughton).] [Illustration: Cacti in the Sonoran Desert (photograph by John Olson).] [Illustration: Back Cover] Transcriber’s Notes --Corrected a few typographical errors. --Slightly displaced photographs and captions for better display on scrolling eBook viewers. End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Deserts, by A. S. Walker