Tree Farms on Display: Presenting Industrial Forests to the Public in the Pacific Northwest, 1941–1960

Abstract

The Northwest timber industry faced growing public dismay during the 1940s over the impact of clear-cutting practices on private forest lands, prompting lumber companies to coordinate a comprehensive public relations campaign. Along with producing promotional materials championing logging as an essential regional economic enterprise, the companies invested in planting tree farms on harvested lands. Not only did tree farms help regenerate private timberlands cleared by logging and fire, they also provided visible evidence of the industry's commitment to responsible environmentalism. By inviting the public onto private timberlands and engaging them in the planting of tree farms, the timber industry was able to foster a sense of transparency and communal stewardship. Historian Emily Brock documents the industry's public relations efforts and invites readers to consider the ecological significance of tree farms, particularly those that now hold mature Douglas fir.