The church in Warren, a hilltop town in the Western Uplands.

The close association of the phases of land-use history with the phases of geologic history underscores the main theme of this book. There is a connection between people and land in Connecticut. The land supports us, shelters us, cradles us. The view from Heublein Tower in Walcott Mountain State Park provides a good illustration of this relationship. From this vantage point, time and the land spread out before the viewer. The Metacomet Ridge stands wooded and relatively undeveloped, its hard traprock resisting change. Below is the populous Central Valley, its soft brownstone meekly acquiescing to the demands of development. Beyond rise the Eastern Uplands and Western Uplands, once again wearing a forest coat after two centuries of standing cleared for crops, pasture, and firewood.

The relationship between people and land goes the other way too. Not only has the land had a great influence on people, but people have had a tremendous impact on the land. Much of our impact in Connecticut has focused on the land's drainage system. Many of Connecticut's

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