The state wants to loosen logging rules across much of the Haines State Forest, including area now set aside for habitat and recreation.

But after decades without big timber harvests, no one is exactly lining up to log. Even with a major sale on the books, the roads haven't been built and the trees are still standing.

Some loggers and conservation groups point to the same thing: the economics just don't pencil out.

In Will Steinfeld's latest, the debate isn't just about what could be logged, but whether anyone actually will.

That story and more in your weekly digest of the latest stories from the Chilkat Valley News, featuring local coverage and reporting from partner newsrooms across Alaska.