Correctly managed, forests regenerate naturally.
Continuous Cover Forestry – natural forest management
Forests are almost always naturally uneven-aged, in other words they contain trees of all sizes. Dominant canopy layer individuals are few compared to smaller trees, to which competition will in most cases deny the opportunity to ever reach full size. However, if a smaller healthy tree is freed from the shadow of the canopy, its growth accelerates: the individuals that win the competition for light will constitute the dominant trees of the next generation. Non-clearcut forestry, also called Continuous Cover Forestry or CCF, is based on this phenomenon. In natural conditions dominant trees die and fall over time, but in Continuous Cover Forestry they are harvested for commercial use.
	Stands managed as uneven-aged and logged using Continuous Cover Forestry retains the looks and feel of a forest. This picture shows the path (skid row) of a harvester through a CCF forest a few years after harvesting took place.
Logging using Continuous Cover Forest management removes not only big mature trees but also smaller less viable ones that would otherwise compete with the healthiest smaller trees as they grow. Some larger trees are also retained both as seed trees as well as to enhance wildlife and landscaping. The number of retention trees is governed partly by management and legal requirements, but more can be left if the owner wishes. Once smaller trees have reached maturity, the logging cycle is repeated again at 15-30 year intervals depending on the growth rate at the site.