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Helicopter logging, or heli-logging, is the practice of using helicopters to harvest "select" trees from deep within forests. In theory, it can have less of an impact on the environment than regular logging, because it doesn't require roads to be built into the forest—which endanger local wildlife and waterways, and often leads to more logging than originally planned (especially in cases of illegal logging).
Companies like the Swanson Group run operations meant to "harvest wood with minimal impact." GPS systems are used to map out the areas where desired trees are located, and then surveyors are sent to mark the trees to be harvested with pink ribbons. The heli-logging teams are then dropped into the territory by smaller helicopters that can navigate the harsh landscapes they'll be working in. Small areas are cleared to serve as temporary landing pallets, and then the teams perform a last safety inspection before heading to the target trees.
Heli-logging involves risks, of course: the natural hazards associated with felling large trees and cutting them up, but there's also the impact of the wind created by the helicopter, called the rotor wash, which can get up to more than 160 miles an hour—meaning any debris on the ground or even trees that are dead or cannot stand up to the wind pose a hazard if not removed beforehand. If proper preparation isn't taken care of in advance, choppers can end up leaving with no wood at all.
There's also extreme weather conditions to contend with, and the risk that the helicopter drops its load, so the pilot is given a prescribed route that does not cross any areas where people or heavy equipment are located.
Catch heli-logging in action in Heli-loggers on Planet Green.
