The 19th century saw the rapid cutover of native forests in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States. Due to concerns about deforestation, there arose a nascent conservation movement, which publicised the adverse environmental effects of the cutover, fire, wasteful logging practices, and the importance of sustainable forestry practices. Through an examination of the arguments opposing scientific forestry management and conservation, this article discusses how conservation and economic development were understood and changed in the Anglo-American political economy of the 19th and early 20th centuries. The article argues that these 19th-century debates echo opposition to climate mitigation policy today. It concludes that climate mitigation proponents must reconceptualise the notion of public interest and create a more cohesive narrative regarding the desirability of climate mitigation policies.