Pennsylvania Has One National Forest: But What's It For?

Who should the Allegheny National Forest serve? I tried to figure that out once. But let's just say the jury is still out.

Just try thinking about it from Pittsburgh's perspective. Would you rather live near a pristine wilderness where you can do backwoods camping? Or would you rather live near a posh rural retreat with a lot of amenities? Is it the government's job to provide either? What about the people who live there? Do they have a say? What if they want something you don't want? Do their views take precedent? Why? Why not? What if they "built" the forest with their own hands? What if they saved it from extinction? Is there a balance? Who gets to strike it? What if that balance gets struck and people litigate until that balance is no longer possible? Messy stuff.

Someone ought to write a book.

Wait...