In 1902 — 120 years ago this spring — my grandfather turned 21 and immediately moved to western Washington from his birthplace in Michigan. He soon got a good job in a lumber mill, married my grandmother and launched a family — including my dad in 1912.

Like many in the Pacific Northwest, I wouldn’t exist without the wood-products industry. It put roofs over the heads and food on the tables of tens of thousands of families. Grandpa worked at the mill for nearly 30 years until the Great Depression forced mass layoffs. He then found employment with the Works Progress Administration, treating railroad ties with creosote, which probably caused the cancer that killed him in 1958.

I know Grandpa was proud of his four kids — a dentist, a lawyer, civilian human resources manager for U.S. Coast Guard District 13, and a successful restaurant owner. And we grandkids have all built decent lives, too. I like imagining that he, as a big-time newspaper reader, would enjoy my Chinook Observer. An avid gardener, I think of him when I find a helpful gardening article to run.

Knowing how many families have profound ties to industrial forestry has always helped guide my coverage of a wide range of related issues. For example, I opposed the governor’s recent proposal to expand stream setbacks in forests because it imposed costs on private landowners that really should be our overall society’s responsibility. On the other hand, I’m deeply annoyed that large forestry corporations now charge residents for many forms of access. And logging steep slopes near highways is really irritating. Take a look at our online satellite photo of the slide on State Route 401 near Knappton (tinyurl.com/SR401-slide), and it’s pretty clear there was inappropriate harvesting in a slide-prone area. It’ll cost $2 million in public funds to repair, not counting months of inconvenience from a long detour.

Forests remain a vital part of living here, even though automation has eliminated most jobs. We’re currently working on the next phase of our coverage of Ilwaco’s new community forest project — something I strongly support, bringing local control to a sliver of Pacific County’s vast timberland.

If you’re not already a subscriber, I’d sure appreciate it if you’d become one. Ongoing support from you is what keeps community journalism alive and well. The Chinook Observer’s paid circulation has increased 20.5% in the past year. Thank you!