Timber harvested in the Appalachian Mountains is often high graded. This means loggers cut the valuable timber and leave the small, crooked, or non-desirable species standing.This is an example of incidental breeding. We are selecting for small trees with poor form and that is all we will have in another 100 years. Convincing loggers to implement good silviculture is difficult. Establishing a weight overage allowance would allow log trucks to run on interstates with the same weight that they run on state roads. This would increase their profit margin and may be enough to motivate them to harvest more responsibly. Verification of proper practices could be done along with "Best Management Practices" enforcement.



