The 8-years of Clintonism didn't help any, but the total neglect and deterioration of our national forests has been going on for decades...since about the time the environmental movement started gaining un-earned political power.
In the little Idaho town I lived in and still have property, 25-years ago there were 5-sawmills within 30-miles of town. Now, there are none. There hasn't been a live tree timber sale in the local national forest in 10-years.
One of the problems is the infiltration of the USFS by the green movement. All the old guys with forest and timber management degrees are all sitting around waiting to retire...I don't think a person can get a job in this forest unless he or mostly she, has a degree in recreation, biology, or some ecology program.