A primer for private woodland owners and managers on protecting the ecological and economic vitality of forested land in the US. Moving beyond the concept of "low impact forestry", McEvoy brings together the latest scientific understanding and insights to describe a new approach. He offers a thorough discussion of silvicultural basics, synthesizing and explaining the current state of forestry science on topics such as forest soils, tree roots, form and function in trees, and the effects of different harvesting methods on trees, soil organisms, and sites.