In the late 1880s, exploitation of forests in the Adirondack region of New York raised the first concerns and actions in the U.S. about the impact of humans on the environment, leading to the establishment of a protected Forest Park. The Adirondack Park Agency was subsequently created in the 1960s to further regulate both the public and private lands within the park boundary. In this text, 39 American academics, researchers, woodlands management professionals, environmental activists, and journalists explore the knowledge gained by the Agency over the past three-plus decades. The 34 chapters examine the Adirondack ecosystem and its relationship with the economy; the cultural history, institutional mechanisms and political economy that form the social cornerstone of the park; and the perspectives of those who reacted to the political conflict of the park agency years, seeking resolution through a balance of conservation and development. Academic but accessible to the general reader. Annotation ©2009 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)