Beginning during the 1880s, the Southern Appalachian mountains became the scene of a major logging boom that continued until the 1920s. It was begun and sponsored almost wholly with capi-tal from outside the region. Within four decades, the logging boom dramatically altered the land ownership pattern and influenced the economic and social structure of the Southern mountains.In addition, large-scale logging caused extensive damage to the mountain environment, and drew the attention of conservationists in the region and in Washington, DC. A movement to secure the protection of the Southern Appalachian forests in National Parks or National Forests helped lead to the passage of the Weeks Act in 1911, and with that, the federal government came to the region as a major holder and manager of land.
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