Written for a general audience, Contested Terrain shows how expectations about land use, combined with human interactions with nature, have defined the Adirondacks. As he outlines disputes for control of the land, Philip G. Terrie introduces the key players, from the year-round residents to wealthy downstate landholders, and twentieth-century preservationists and developers. Richly illustrated with black-and-white photographs from the collection of the Adirondack Museum -- many rarely seen before -- this book provides a comprehensive introduction to the history of the Adirondacks.

Terrie discusses the conflict that has been debated in this region for centuries: Is the Adirondack Park a place to be exploited for its resources or is it to be treasured for its natural beauty and open spaces? The genteel sportsman of the 1850s perceived the area much differently from settlers struggling to make a living through farming, trapping, guiding, and logging. And the debate continues today. Diverse images of the Adirondacks have emerged: Downtown Lake George and the remotest corner of the West Canada Lakes Wilderness Area are in the same park, yet in history, human use, and appeal, they are vastly different.

The ever-growing waves of seasonal visitors and the threat of land decimation all emphasize the need for a lucid, humane, and environmentally sensitive agenda for the Adirondacks' future.