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CounterPunch.org | The Latest ‘Sustained Yield’ Scam Will Devastate Montana’s National Forests by George Ochenski AI generated summary, Read the full article for complete information. George Ochenski warns that the “sustained yield” logging policy championed by former timber lobbyist Tom Schultz—now head of the U.S. Forest Service—is poised to devastate Montana’s remaining national forests. He traces the policy’s origins to a 1995 Montana Senate bill, pushed by Republican Bob Brown, that set a modest harvest level on state trust lands, only to be inflated over the years. Schultz, dubbed “Chainsaw Tom,” now demands that 350‑500 million board feet be cut from Montana’s federal forests within a decade, a figure ten million board feet higher than the original target and far beyond what ecological science deems sustainable, especially amid worsening drought, hotter summers, and shrinking snowpack. The author argues that this “sustained yield” is a misnomer, serving timber interests rather than true forest regeneration, and predicts the result will be expansive clear‑cuts, barren stump fields, and the loss of vital ecosystems. Read more: https://www.counterpunch.org/2026/06/23/the-latest-sustained-yield-scam-will-devastate-montanas-national-forests/ #BobBrown #TomSchultz #USForestService #NationalForests #environment