Uploaded November 2021 | Updated September 2026, 3 days ago
The biggest road network in America isn’t the Interstates. Or the Federal Highway System. No, the biggest road network in America belongs to the United States Forest Service, who operates a network of forest roads over 300,000 miles long.
This staggering feat of engineering was constructed largely to accommodate one thing: logging. These forest roads stretch their tendrils deep into the American interior, all in search of fresh timber.
But even as logging has become less and less prevalent on our National Forests, these roads still remain. Now, they facilitate a wide variety of uses, including not only logging, but hiking, biking, fishing, mining, fire management, and more. As these activities continue to become more prevalent, questions will have to be asked about whether or not this maintenance-deprived system can, or should, stick around. Forest roads are a contentious topic in wild areas, and give rise to some of the more controversial and complex issues facing our public lands today. This video is a small introduction to these issues, but feel free to comment down below with your thoughts!
Enjoy!
Link to @OPB series “Timber Wars”: opb.org/show/timberwars
The biggest road network in America isn’t the Interstates. Or the Federal Highway System. No, the biggest road network in America belongs to the United States Forest Service, who operates a network of forest roads over 300,000 miles long.
This staggering feat of engineering was constructed largely to accommodate one thing: logging. These forest roads stretch their tendrils deep into the American interior, all in search of fresh timber.
But even as logging has become less and less prevalent on our National Forests, these roads still remain. Now, they facilitate a wide variety of uses, including not only logging, but hiking, biking, fishing, mining, fire management, and more. As these activities continue to become more prevalent, questions will have to be asked about whether or not this maintenance-deprived system can, or should, stick around. Forest roads are a contentious topic in wild areas, and give rise to some of the more controversial and complex issues facing our public lands today. This video is a small introduction to these issues, but feel free to comment down below with your thoughts!
Enjoy!
Link to @OPB series “Timber Wars”: opb.org/show/timberwars
