The property my parents bought a quarter century ago had been logged fairly heavily a decade or so prior to the purchase, and aside from a few stands of old trees, it was mostly 10 acres of scrubland. Over the years, lots of fir, pine, and spruce saplings sprouted up, but they grew so thickly that none had enough soil or light. These have been thinned over the years, and a few big old trees had to come down due to factors like disease or damage. However, the end goal is to have a healthy forest instead of the invasive weeds that predominated when we arrived.

A lot of folks here treat their forestland as a long-term crop, logging in sections and replanting, or selectively harvesting while maintaining some old trees. Douglas fir and larch are the gold standard for framing lumber, and scraps are used for engineered wood products like Oriented Strand Board and Truss Joists.

One of my library patrons had a legal spat with a neighbor who cut down trees on the wrong side of the property line. Here in timber country, that is a severe offense. Triple damages and court costs are on the lighter end.