Due in part to pressure from environmental concerns, the U.S. Forest Service heavily curtailed timber harvest in national forests in the late 1980s. This has impacts a number of species, including a reduction in many game populations that are dependent on early successional growth for both protection and food supply.
The resulting older growth forest also increases the likelihood of wildfire and allows insect and disease problems to reduce timber value. Not only do we miss out on logging jobs and sustainable timber revenues, but also the tourism dollars from outdoor recreational activities around the new-growth areas.
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