A concern around the turn of the 20th century was that many woodworking facilities in Indiana would be forced to close due to dwindling timber supplies.

The timber industry was a major part of southern Indiana's agricultural income, but thousands of acres had been deforested.

[6] During the Great Depression, the Works Progress Administration chose to make Clark State Forest a training center for the Civilian Conservation Corps, and also made it Indiana's largest CCC cantonment in November 1933.

The existence of these horse trails is one reason why nearby Charlestown State Park did not include them in its development plans.

Species of wildlife of interest to hunters include deer, foxes, ruffed grouse, squirrels, wild turkeys, raccoons and woodcocks.

All of these human activities are however of secondary importance to the primary function of the state forest, which is timber management.