For years the Mike and Rusty Osborn have relished the solitude of their home in the foothills adjacent to a uniquely beautiful parcel of land known as Meadow Mesa. Then the long-time owner of the Mesa tells them that he is selling and they will have a new neighbor -- a developer.

The developer turns out to be a real scoundrel that will stop at nothing to get what he wants. He also is a smooth talker very adept at misleading others to gain their cooperation.

The developer is very aware that environmentalist groups pay close attention to what goes on in pristine areas like Meadow Mesa. He knows he needs to be extremely careful to avoid any confrontation with them. However he was not aware of the lengths to which they would go to achieve their goals. It takes him a while to realize he was up against an environmental group that prefers to operate in the shadows in order to hide their real motives.

The Osborns are caught in the middle of the conflict between the developer and the environmentalists. They are forced to draw heavily on their determination and resourcefulness to survive the battle between the competing parties.