Illinois

Statewide: Logging in the Shawnee

NPR Illinois | 91.9 UIS | By Sean Crawford

Published January 22, 2026 at 2:45 PM CST

The logging in southern Illinois’ Shawnee National Forest began in August before hitting a legal pause in early September.

On this episode, the Trump Administration is using a legal shortcut to make it easier to remove trees in national forests. Illinois' Shawnee National Forest is an early battleground against the increasingly popular tactic to fast track timber sales across the country.

Juanpablo Ramirez-Franco reports from southern Illinois.

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