Cutting Trees to Save the Forest

In 1998, the Chattooga River Watershed Coalition (CRWC), a conservation group, bought a forest so they could harvest the wood from it. While that may have surprised many people, what the group did next was even more unusual. CRWC brought in draft horses to help haul the trees out—an old-fashioned logging technique that’s gentler on soil and surrounding trees. And they used a local sawyer to cut the logs in ways that get more lumber from each tree. In the end, the CRWC proved that sensitive areas can be managed sustainably, provide jobs for locals, and raise awareness about how conservation and business can go hand in hand. Or, in this case, “hand in hoof.”