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Then why didn't a logging company apply to clean out the forested areas that were denuded by the pine bark beetle? Thousands of trees were left standing and dead because of the beetle infection. They burned quite fiercely when the fires came. Logging companies would have had little trouble getting a permit cleaning those out, as they were a well-known fire hazard and next to residential areas. But they didn't apply to cut them down, as their commercial potential was limited.

Then why didn't a logging company apply to clean out the forested areas that were denuded by the pine bark beetle?

LOL!! You are kidding of course. You obviously are clueless how the system works.

Any attempt by a logging company to "clean out" diseased trees would be met by an apeal from some local screwball enviro group. That is if the USFS would even consider a "clean out"...the USFS is incompetent and is now made up almost entirely of employees with degrees in recreation and ecology, biology and wilderness studies. They are the first line of resistance.

But lets for the sake of argument say the USFS agrees to allow a salvage timber sale...say a couple of hundred acres. When the sale is advertised, the first thing that happens is an appeal is filed...don't forget with NEPA the USFS would have to complete an Environmental Impact Study. This normally takes the FS at least two to three years to complete.

Sounds easy, just go in and "clean out" the old dead trees...by the time it happens, if ever, the entire forest is dead.

Timber companies don't "apply" to cut timber on US Forest Service lands. The Forest Service must decide that there is timber to be cut in an area, then go through a lenghty process to get the sale approved. Part of the process is an Environmental Assessment followed by a decision document that offers timber for sale. Usually, the decision is appealed by one or more environmental groups. If the appeal is denied and the decision to sell timber is upheld (the process can take months), then the lawsuits begin. If the timber to offered for sale is bug-killed, there is a limited period of time when it can be cut before it is too far gone to be commercially viable. Lots of hurdles to be conquered before a single tree can be cut.

I'm going to try to find some facts to back this up, but the timber companies have been crying, trying, begging to log burned areas, infested areas for years. The enviro's have kept them out maintaining they'll disturb the dirt. They have stopped every bid to get to this wasted timber. Mills have rebuilt to handle 6 and 8 inch timber. They've transititioned to chip mills to process the junk and waste.

Remind me if I don't get to this soon, I should be able to find some data for you. Every night on our local news, we hear about the enviro's lawyers challenging each bid to log the stuff you mention and dragging the court process out until the timber is no longer useful.