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"War in the North Country"
September 1998

Talk about fascinating stories! Imagine the timber industry and conservationists on the same side, defending the idea that profitably managed forests offer the best defense against a proliferation of country estates owned by the privileged class. Such developments block public access and take productive timberland out of production. 

Hunters, fishermen, campers and boaters living here have come to view this region's mainly privately owned forests as their own, and they don't take kindly to the idea that someone might lock the gate. But environmentalists and property rights advocates disagree on how to keep timberlands productive - and open to the public. Environmentalists favor using federal dollars to buy as much of it as they can. But property rights advocates don't want a larger federal presence in their region. Many here fear federal control would cripple their timber-based economy as it has in the West.

So the question - how to keep the 26 million-acre Northern Forest forested? At stake: control of one of the largest working forests in America. This is instructive reading for anyone concerned about the future of forests and forestry in America.