the controller/prescribed burns done for firebrake uses only(for now). Forestry science is changing daily on what is the smart way to husband our forest habitats.
But if you believe the global alarmists, which I don't think you necessarily proscribe in doing - animals aren't going to have much habitate at the rate global warming is going.
I think a balance should be struck; more tightly controlled logging should be allowed as additional fire brake, with forestry science used in full control. A living growing tree is going to absorb more CO2 than a dead tree sitting there just waiting to burn.
The present forestry logging method wasn't considered economically feasable either until modern science and design improved the equipment loggers use.
Now forestry logging companies think more like farmers; you don't ruin your fields because you want more product some day; and you don't want to ruin animal habitat either because it is all tied together in forestry health for the trees also.
A real farmer tries to raise animals and plants in the most efficient and long lasting conservation techniques. Farmers were way ahead of the green wiennies on water usage, soil conservation and animal health, and ag science is well established enough to cover forestry too. In fact there are already forestry research stations on par with any ag science out there.
I've seen automated and human operated farm machines that are well capable of consuming underbrush without felling trees and processing the brush for celulosic methanol. I just don't see the real challenge; we got robot tractors that can farm fields without human interferrence - now - today.
I've seen hay harvesters in the Dakotas that operate in worse geology than some forest environments. Specially made to operate at high angle and low swath width.
Forestry machines now in use are specially designed not to damage the forest floor and soil science practiced now is comparable to methods use by regular farmers now in the corn fields.
I get mad when tree huggers won't let the forestry service build carefully designed fire fighting access roads to expedite fighting forest fires; but they don't care if fire fighters are killed each year because they can't maneuver against the threat.
With cellulosic methanol farmers will no longer need to burn their fields to clear them of excess brush. These kinds of methods are now obsolete.
