NHPR—The project will log more than 600 acres, a relatively tiny portion of the Sandwich Range’s more than 35,000 acreage. But it will cut trees near spots popular for hiking, bringing logging trucks to normally quiet slices of the forest. In certain tree stands, clear cuts are planned.
Colloquially, many Granite Staters may see the White Mountain National Forest as similar to a national park — a place of nature protected from development and extraction. But in reality, national forests like the one in the White Mountains are managed with economic considerations front of mind — which means supporting local timber industries as well as recreation-based tourism.