The people who live near the Forest have a much greater stake in how the resources are used, or not used. If we lock away the resources of that forest, it could shut down the economy of the region and alter the lives of the local people. The majority of the urban dwellers will never visit a national forest. Less than one percent of the population will ever have that back-country wilderness experience that is supposedly enhanced by the knowledge that there has never been a road or logging operation where they are going. The only good to the greatest number in locking away our resources is that it makes them feel good.
Conservation is the wise use of natural resources.
Let's stop referring to the use of resources as exploitation or devastation. Most of the readers of this magazine know that cutting some trees is good for the forest and wildlife habitat. The general public is clueless about that. Cut the notch leaving an appropriate hinge. Drive the wedge to lift the tree in direction of fall.