Our Forests Are Changing. The Conversation About Forest Management Should Change Too.

For generations, many people have viewed logging as one of the primary threats to our forests. It’s an idea rooted in the perception that cutting trees is harmful to the forest and the best way to protect a forest is simply to leave it alone.

But a growing body of research is telling a different story.

Across the Northeastern United States, forests are facing unprecedented challenges from invasive insects, disease, severe weather, and climate-related stressors. These threats are changing the composition of our forests, killing trees at increasing rates, and creating economic and ecological consequences that are proving that forest conservation and management are more beneficial than preservation…

The Science Is Clear: Natural Mortality Has Overtaken Harvesting

A recent study by researchers at the University of Vermont examined forest conditions across 18 Northeastern states and documented a remarkable shift.

In 2009, timber harvesting accounted for slightly more tree mortality than natural causes. By 2024, that relationship had completely reversed. Natural mortality was responsible for 39 percent more biomass loss than harvesting.

In nearly every state studied, natural causes now kill more trees than logging.

Researchers identified invasive insects, disease, extreme weather, and other climate-related stressors as major contributors to this increase. In some states, insect-related mortality alone exceeded losses from harvesting.

Perhaps the most surprising takeaway is that harvesting is no longer among the primary drivers of tree mortality in many Northeastern forests.

That finding challenges a narrative that has shaped public perception for decades.

Changes in Climate Behavior are Increasing Pressure on Forests

Forests have always faced natural disturbances. Insects, storms, disease outbreaks, and droughts are part of natural forest dynamics.

What is changing is the frequency, intensity, and scale of those disturbances.

Warmer winters are helping some invasive insects survive and expand their range. More erratic weather patterns are exposing forests to flooding, drought, ice storms, and wind damage. At the same time, stressed trees become more susceptible to pests and pathogens that can accelerate decline.

Researchers describe these factors as compounding stressors. A tree weakened by drought becomes more vulnerable to insects. A stand damaged by a storm may be more susceptible to disease. Together, these pressures can create widespread mortality that affects entire ecosystems.

The Emerald Ash Borer provides a clear example. Since arriving in North America, it has killed millions of ash trees. Scientists now warn that erratic climate behavior  may further increase the risk posed by invasive species throughout the Northeast.

These are challenges that cannot be ignored simply because they occur naturally.

The Costs Extend Beyond the Forest

The impacts are not measured only by the number of trees that die.

A recent study by economists David Wear and John Coulston found that disturbance-related losses across eastern U.S. forests increased from approximately $30.8 billion annually to $49.5 billion annually—a 61 percent increase.

The study found that weather events, insect outbreaks, and other disturbances are creating growing economic losses for forest landowners, forest-based businesses, and rural communities. Even more concerning, researchers estimated that roughly 40 percent of those losses were unexpected based on historical disturbance patterns.

In other words, the risks facing forests are changing faster than many previous models predicted.

Those impacts eventually affect everyone. Healthy forests provide wildlife habitat, clean water, recreation opportunities, carbon storage, renewable materials, and thousands of jobs throughout the Northeast. When forests decline, the effects ripple across communities, ecosystems, and local economies.

Active Management Is Part of the Solution

Recognizing these challenges does not mean our forests are in trouble beyond repair. In fact, the research points to something foresters and logging professionals have understood for years: managed forests are remarkably resilient when given the opportunity to adapt.

Across the Northeast, foresters are using science-based practices to promote regeneration, increase species diversity, improve wildlife habitat, and help forests withstand insects, disease, and extreme weather.

In Vermont, for example, forest managers are creating small openings around seed-producing ash trees to encourage natural regeneration in areas affected by Emerald Ash Borer. In other situations, selective harvesting is used to reduce competition and improve the health and vigor of the remaining trees.

These are not examples of exploiting forests.

They are examples of stewardship through management.

Responsible harvesting is one of many tools used to help forests remain healthy in the face of changing conditions.

Working Forests Benefit More Than Trees

The forests of the Northeast are more than scenic landscapes. They support families, communities, wildlife, and regional economies.

The forest products sector provides thousands of jobs, supports local businesses, and produces renewable materials that society depends on every day. At the same time, managed forests continue to provide wildlife habitat, recreational opportunities, watershed protection, and long-term carbon storage.

Forest management and environmental stewardship are not juxtaposed. In many cases, they are deeply connected.

The best forestry today is driven by science, guided by professional expertise, and focused on long-term outcomes.

A New Conversation About Forests

The discussion about forests is often framed as a choice between harvesting trees and protecting them.

The research suggests that is the wrong conversation.

The real challenge is how we respond to increasing threats from invasive species, disease, severe weather, and climate change. The question is how we maintain healthy, resilient forests that can continue providing environmental, economic, and social benefits for future generations.

Professional logging contractors are not simply harvesting timber. They are part of a larger network of foresters, landowners, mills, conservationists, scientists, and communities working to steward one of the Northeast’s most valuable natural resources.

The science is becoming increasingly clear: the future of our forests will depend not on what we preserve, but on how well we manage, adapt, and care for them in a rapidly changing world.