Forest landowners and managers are hard at work every day in forests throughout the state. They ensure that trees are thinned, spaced and growing properly, and that excessive dry brush is cleared and other fire hazards minimized. All this is done while maintaining wildlife habitat, biodiversity and water quality.

Forests where the sustainable production of timber is carefully balanced with protecting other important resources such as water quality and wildlife habitat are known as "working forests." After timber is harvested from these forests, they are replanted and harvested again in a sustainable process that may span decades – and even lifetimes.