One of the interesting things about flying is looking at the landscape from above. I've read a fair bit of American history at this point, and one of the things I know is that the east coast was nearly deforested by the end of the 19th century. That's no longer true - even in a heavily populated corridor like the east coast, the forests are back in a big way. A quick look out the window shows that - as we left the DC area, the towns and suburbs all look like they are nestled into the forest. It's not primeval forest by any stretch of the imagination, but it's not a denuded wasteland either. It's really quite remarkable, all things considered.