Image courtesy of Heather Hilson, Watershed Agricultural Council

A common misconception is that logging, or the harvesting of wood products is bad for a forest.
The truth is, forests can benefit from proper harvesting practices that create openings in the canopy to stimulate
new tree growth and produce food and cover for animals. Studies show that well-managed forests are
healthier and therefore better suited to filter pollutants from entering streams and rivers.

When properly managed, a forest can be harvested several times within a fifty year span. Because they are a renewable
natural resource, trees can be grown, harvested and re-grown all from the same section of land for an eternity.

Proper forestry is practiced in the Catskills by individual family forest owners and public land managers who
use trained professionals to guide harvesting decisions. Forestry assistance is available to landowners in our region
through various agencies and non-profit groups. One of these groups is the Watershed Agricultural Council (WAC).

WAC encourages proper harvesting by offering incentives that reward loggers, foresters, and landowners for using
voluntary practices to safeguard water quality. Some of these incentives include loaning bridges to loggers and paying
for use of erosion controls during and after harvesting. WAC also provides free forest management advice to
landowners and assistance with stewardship of their land.