SAN MIGUEL ISLAND: Santa Barbara’s Fourth Island...

SAN MIGUEL ISLAND: Santa Barbara’s Fourth Island West by Lois J. Roberts (Cal Rim Books: $9.95, illustrated). Roberts’ concise book covers the history, geology and geography of the western-most of Channel Islands. (The islands are actually the remnants of a larger landmass that was submerged when the seas rose at end of last ice age.) The environmental history she traces is depressingly familiar: Amerindians lived quite comfortably on San Miguel for almost 10,000 years with only minimal effects on the local environment. Europeans arrived about three centuries ago and virtually exterminated many of the indigenous animals, including the sea otter, the red abalone and the northern and Guadalupe fur seals; much of the natural vegetation on San Miguel has been destroyed by overgrazing. A useful if depressing guide for anyone planning to visit the island.