Forests provide clean sources of water, habitat for wildlife, and multiple opportunities for recreation. There are many aesthetic benefits both in rural and urban settings that forests provide. They enhance our quality of life just by being there. In order for man to coexist with forests and derive these and other benefits, it is necessary for us to practice conservation, which means using scientific forest management. In order to properly manage our forests and also provide the many goods and services that we desire from them, it is sometimes necessary to cut trees down.
Trees are living organisms that are born, live a certain number of years, and then die.
Forests are dynamic ecosystems full of these organisms in various stages of life. If we did not harvest trees by cutting them down, they would eventually grow old, weaken, and die. By harvesting and replanting timber before it can become over-mature, we keep our forests vigorous and healthy. Selective cutting is a preferred method for many situations, however it is not a blanket solution for all situations. This is not unlike growing crops, except the time frame is much longer.