Public input sessions for the Nantahala and Pisgah National Forest management plan revision are winding down. Managing national forestland is always a humorous concept. The lands are supposedly set aside to preserve natural habitat, and yet the public is being asked to weigh in to help the managers know how to direct Mother Nature. I can see the appeal of forest management, though. Trees and squirrels are less likely to kiss up and spook up reports than human underlings. Over at the Tribune, Don Mallicoat shares an unintended consequence of making forest management more democratic.