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Mathematical optimization techniques have long been used to develop schedules for timber harvesting activity. These techniques provide a rational basis for decisions concerning what to cut and when to cut it. They seldom deal, however, with the issue of where. This paper describes an attempt to combine mathematical optimization techniques with the spatial allocation capabilities of a geographic information system in order to develop an on-the-ground harvesting plan. Methods are described in cartographic rather than mathemat ical terms and examples are drawn from a case study / involv ing forest land located in central Maine