| At one time, the northwest coast and East Coast of | | | | the late 1960's, few American elms remained. |
| the United States (from the Atlantic Ocean to the | | | | Another blight attacked American chestnut trees in |
| Mississippi River) was a huge, ancient forest. Now, | | | | the early part of the 20th century. Chestnut trees |
| only small pockets remain. The loss of virgin forest | | | | were once a dominant hardwood species in American |
| through logging, importation of blighted trees and | | | | forests. The importation of Japanese chestnuts |
| wood products, agriculture, and monoculture has | | | | introduced a blight first identified at the New York |
| changed the face of America. | | | | Botanical Gardens in 1904. While the imported |
| Timber industry has long been an important feature | | | | chestnut trees were blight resistant, the disease |
| of the United States economy, providing wood and | | | | spread throughout America creating what has been |
| many well paying jobs. But without regulation and due | | | | called the worst ecological disaster in the United |
| to ever-increasing demand for wood products and | | | | States. |
| land for developments, the American forest has | | | | Southern hardwood forests began to disappear at an |
| suffered incredible devastation. | | | | alarming rate following the American Civil War when |
| Trees prevent erosion. They trap and retain water. | | | | timber companies logged out vast tracts of old |
| When rain falls on exposed, clear cut land, nutrients in | | | | growth forest. Millions of acres have been lost since |
| the earth are lost along with the top soil that is | | | | then. In the mid twentieth century, the explosion of |
| washed away. Clear cutting causes flooding due to | | | | interest in soy bean production encouraged land |
| excessive run-off. The loss of shade creates a rise in | | | | owners to clear cut old growth forests in order to |
| temperature along streams and rivers, which effects | | | | dedicate the land to soy beans. The resulting loss of |
| fish and amphibian life that depend on certain | | | | ancient forests eventually destroyed what was left |
| temperature levels. Wildlife habitat, destroyed by | | | | of the great southern forests and the habitat of the |
| deforestation has endangered America's plants and | | | | Ivory Billed woodpecker, an impressive bird of the |
| animals, leading to the extinction or near extinction of | | | | south now thought to be extinct. |
| certain species. | | | | The West Coast was once home to extensive tracts |
| From the earliest colonial times, trees have played an | | | | of virgin redwood forests. Timber industry reduced |
| important role in America's history and economy. | | | | the size of the ancient forests. In 1963, a National |
| Early colonists felt uncomfortable in the great, virgin | | | | Geographic survey found that only 300,000 acres of |
| forest that was the East Cost of America. The huge, | | | | redwood forest form the original two million acres |
| ancient trees and darkness gathered there made the | | | | remained. |
| colonists nervous. Of course, trees had to be | | | | Industrial interests have long battled with ecological |
| removed for agriculture and homesteads and much | | | | interests over the condition of American forests. |
| of the old forest was removed for a fledgling timber | | | | Timber industry decries government regulation |
| industry. The American colonies became a seemingly | | | | claiming that they have a right to clear cut, that it |
| limitless source of lumber for Europe. | | | | creates jobs and business opportunity for the United |
| America has been faced with several tree losses. | | | | States. Agriculture demands large, open areas for |
| Many cities and towns attempted to beautify their | | | | food production. Housing development invaded |
| streets by planting American elm trees. The tall, | | | | forested areas during the housing boom of the late |
| gracefully shaped trees provided shade and created | | | | twentieth century. But there must be a balance |
| lovely tree lined streets in urban neighborhoods as | | | | between business and environmental interests. The |
| well as the beautiful avenues of trees sentimentally | | | | virgin forests are gone, now. Only hidden pockets |
| associated with small town America. But the planting | | | | remain. But the few ancient wooded areas must be |
| of a single type of tree, which is called monoculture, | | | | preserved. They are our national heritage, a reminder |
| created a terrible loss for those areas. Dutch elm | | | | of the America that once spread beneath a leafy |
| disease devastated those lovely avenues of trees | | | | canopy of trees. |
| during several outbreaks in the twentieth century. By | | | | |