Officials say a timber harvesting operation has begun at Beaver Mountain in northern Utah.
On Monday, Kamas-based Thompson Logging Inc. began the estimated 36-month operation to harvest 320 acres (129.5 hectares) of timber. The company has a contract with the State of Utah School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration that runs through 2019.
Thompson Logging President Terry Thomas says the operation will focus on reducing fire potential and clearing areas affected by the mountain pine beetle. The company will mostly pull lodgepole, sub-alpine and spruce trees. Thomas says the lumber will ultimately end up in Cache Valley and the surrounding area.
The company is not sure whether it would log through the winter. Beaver Mountain Operation Manager Travis Seeholzer says log trucks would make skier traffic difficult.
