These images below demonstrate how modern timber-harvesting practices screen clear-cut areas from public view. See the story Clear-Cutting Moving Faster Than Timber Reform.

Click images for larger views Clear-cut aspen area. Photo Courtesy of the Audubon Society This aerial of a clear-cut area reflects several visual quality management practices, including natural shaping, large vegetative islands, and a narrow opening into the area that limits visual penetration from the road (lower left). Photo courtesy of Chippewa National Forest. The impact of a highly visible harvest area (upper left) is reduced by the use of narrow openings into the harvest are (lower right). A vegetative island further blocks the view into the harvest area. Image courtesy of DNR Shaping clear-cuts to resemble natural openings (above) is visually pleasing than geometric clear-cut areas (below). The top opening also uses a vegetative island o reduce apparent size from the road. Image courtesy of DNR Minnesota Total Wood Harvest - Millions of cords by year. Drop for the years 1995 and 1996 reflects a 300,000 cord decrease in DNR estimates of wood burned for fuel. Minnesota Pulpwood Production - Millions of cords (unpeeled) by year.

Read more in Mary Losure's story
Clear-Cutting Moving Faster Than Timber Reform.