Providing this balance of sustainable benefits and products is the essence of forest management. National forests are unhealthy because they have the wrong kind of trees and too many of them. Forest management practices can be used to modify unhealthy forest stand conditions while protecting other forest values. Dr. Jay O'Laughlin Burned forests can be replanted and restored to health. Roads, along with trails into more remote areas, provide recreational opportunities for hikers, hunters, fisherman, campers and berry pickers.
Mature forests provide a home for many wildlife species.
Harvesting timber provides wood products, local jobs and monies for schools and roads. Reforested clearcuts grow trees that need full sunlight and provide food for many wildlife species from songbirds to bears. Trees bordering streams help keep water clear and cool. Selective logging works well to grow trees that prefer partial shade. In Idaho, our forests fall into two basic categories.