How Is It Possible to Preserve Forests and
Cut Them Down at the Same Time?

It’s simple: trees can be raised on managed timberlands, sometimes called "tree farms."

For example, there is a piece of land made up of four different areas. The trees in each area are five years older than the trees in the area next to it (see below). The trees in plot D are 15 years old, the trees in plot C are 10 years old, the trees in plot B are 5 years old, and the trees in plot A have just been planted.

After the trees have matured, they are cut down. Then new trees are planted in their place. Using this example, it’s easy to see that every five years, an area will be ready to harvest and replant. This is called a sustainable rate of harvest, and the cycle can go on forever! We can continue this process of harvesting and replanting over and over without ever running out of trees.