Why the Forest Service is logging after Hurricane Helene -- and why some say it's a mistake

Seattle, WA (Grist)

Volunteers, scientists, and hikers are asking for transparency in a process they say could prioritize profit over ecosystems

In the months after Hurricane Helene leveled thousands of acres in Pisgah National Forest, John Beaudet and other volunteers cleared downed trees from the Appalachian National Scenic Trail. Chopping them up and moving them aside was back-breaking work, but essential to ensuring safe passage for hikers. So he was dismayed to learn that a section of the trail in western North Carolina could remain closed for more than a year because the National Forest Service wants that timber left alone so logging companies can clear it.

"Rather than cut those logs out of the trail and open the trail up, the U.S. Forest Service wanted to salvage those trees as