Contested Terrain: A New History of Nature and People in the Adirondacks

by Philip G. Terrie

Contested Terrain explores the competing understandings of how best to manage this spectacular natural resource. Terrie introduces the key players and events that have shaped the region and its use, from early settlers and loggers to preservationists, year-round residents, and developers. This new edition includes a comprehensive account of the Pataki years, an era of stunning conservation triumphs combined with unprecedented pressures on the region’s ecological integrity.

Genres: History, Nature, Environment

240 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

Reviews

[Timothy Riley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of this was a slog, other chapters especially the early history was fascinating. The battle over this space is pretty much the same for the past 150 years. The area is a "park" of conserved land that is filled with private landowners and towns with many logging interests owning huge parcels. Today those private parcels are heavily restricted in both their use and development. The fears were that large paper companies or railroads would sell off little 5 acre parcels and bring huge suburban sprawl to the area. Those parcels are only legally allowed to be a minimum of 45 acres now. Many long term residents hate these plans because they feel it limits their economic development-but also some live here because they want to keep it wild forever. For the most part the downstaters are interested in keeping the land conserved and also slowly buying tracts from landowners (sometimes they are willed). I didn't realize that logging companies would ignore the hardwoods and only take the old growth pine because the pines and spruces would float down the rivers much easier. When roads and railroads became more efficient in the early years of 1900's then some of the hardwoods could be harvested.
The missing part of the book for the most part is the part that Native Americans have to play. I know most are dead or shipped off to the midwest but I would only find it fair to secure for local groups some land that they can manage with similar policies than the rest.

[Jennifer Leonard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not the biggest fan of non-fiction, but this book was among the assigned reading for a summer teacher workshop I participated in. I was pleasantly surprised at how interesting and readable the book was. Terrie does an excellent job of explaining the challenges of politics in the Adirondack Park and outlining the different stakeholders.

[mary mustard · Rating 4 out of 5]

A terrific history with a resource-oriented focus; good for anyone with a material preference in history or seeking to understand the enduring political questions circling the Adirondacks. Less for those after a personal based history or one about hiking in particular.

[Aimee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could be biased by my interest in the subject matter, but I found this to be an excellent, informative read.

The author takes a very anthropological approach to the subject matter (something lacking in the majority of non-fiction, and even in histories, something that should be based in facts and not opinions). Terrie identifies his own position on the subject and biases in the foreword, and then proceeds to present his thesis in an extremely impartial manner, giving the opinions of the various groups involved without making judgements on who is 'right'.

The titular thesis, that the Adirondack History is one of 'Contested Terrain' is an excellent one, and innovative at the time of this book's original publication in the late 1990s, for it actually takes into account the lives, cultural and social aspects of the year-round residents, whom let's face it, deserve a say in what happens to their region (although Terrie is careful to never give more weight to their perspective than those of the other groups involved in the narrative of the Adirondack development and history).

Superbly done. There are a few repetitive facts, as sections of the book overlap in content, but the narrative adheres to the thesis in a very concise manner, and presents logical summations with specific evidentiary support.

My only qualm is the use of the school system statistics as evidence of the financial support provided by having taxable state land in the Adirondack townships. Money spent per child is not a good gauge, when one doesn't compensate for the baseline cost of running a school, whether there are 100 children in attendance or a 1000. The same goes for Teacher-student ratios in rural areas. The population is lower. The way the school systems are designed, a certain amount of teachers (buildings, books, supplies) are required, for various ages and grades, no matter the population. Rural areas have no choice but to spend the money on the school, because shipping the kids off to the next school over is a an impossibility due to travel distances. This means that they are spending more money per child, because there is no other option, not just because they have 'all this money' coming in from the state. Thus, this particular data set is not a good one to use to illustrate the benefit of income coming in for the townships from taxing state land (they would undeniably earn more off from privately owned, developed land... not that I support such a thing as allowing rampant development).

Overall, excellent, informative read, that helped someone who grew up in the region to understand the various pressures and factions that led to the development of the Adirondack's current socio-cultural and economic base, and it's undeniably still apt descriptor of 'Contested Terrain.'

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Contested Terrain gives a good, broad overview of the Adirondacks. From colonial times to modern day, Terrie flushes out the mystery and fascination people have had with the region. That being said, there is a certain bias that taints every discussion whether it be about the history or the economics of the Adirondacks. Terrie is an environmentalist, and that is very clear from the start of the book, and his bias continues throughout the book. Each section is dripping with disapproval over how the Adirondacks developed. Comments like, "To Emmons, the Adirondacks seemed capable of providing both beautiful scenery for the tourist and wealth for the businessman; that these two expectations might eventually generate conflict did not occur to him." They do not conflict unless you see business as destructive, which Terrie does.

Other comments like, "The only thing that distinguished the Adirondacks from the western frontier regions was that the exploitation of local riches-real or imaginary-did not involve the removal or slaughter of indigenous people." When colonists first settled America, they worked with the Indians and made treaties that weren't harmful to them. Most Indians died of disease, and while it was disease that Europeans brought over and Indians had no anti-bodies to, that does not mean we "slaughtered them." To be fair, it was American's first Democratic President, Andrew Jackson, which the Trail of Tears happened under, not a businessman.

Terrie's overall objective seems to be casting business and private land ownership in a bad light, so that the reader sympathizes with the conservationists. Eco-socialists being the more appropriate term for what they are, advocate the government using eminent domain to usurp private lands in order to create the Adirondack park. I disagree with this immensely and Terrie makes a big point out of it at the end, pushing for the government to have a bigger stake in the outcome of the park in the future. This book would have been better had he not had to taint the whole thing with his overwhelmingly liberal bias.

[Ethan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book Contested Terrain by Phillip Terrie is a very well written book about The Adirondack Park and the controversy that surrounds it. The book travels from first explorations of the park to the 21st Century. I personally think the author did a good job of keeping a neutral tone throughout the novel. I would suggest the novel to anyone who wants to know more about the Adirondacks. Overall, this novel was a very good and accurate description of the Adirondacks that I would consider reading again.

[Lois · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like the way the author presents the competing "stories" about what the Adirondacks have been about through time.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very readable overview of the history of the Adirondacks.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this historical look at the land wars surrounding the Adirondack park. Since its inception, there has been a debate between preserving the unique natural history of the area and exploiting it for timber and recreation. The debate rages today in many ways, although the tourists who visit the park probably don't know this is going on. Despite the debate, the history of the park is an incredible story of the early preservation of an area that has inspired generations of people who wish to experience beautiful wilderness.

My biggest complaint about the book is that it would be better if it had more maps to clarify the areas being discussed. The few maps that are included are quite small and difficult to read. I would have found some of the discussion to be easier to follow had better maps been included.