The trees are “saved.” The old loggers are in their 50s and 60s and their knees have given out. The ban on logging since the late 1980s interrupted the passage of logging knowledge to the next generation and they are now a rare breed.
The enviros now have so many regulations in place that no one can afford to log except the big boys.
The days of nice, straight grain structural lumber is long gone and if you want it, it is almost always custom order from only a few mills left here in Oregon. To get the quality. of timber and hardwood for the new house, we cut and milled trees from our ranch. We have quality timber that builders haven't seen in years.
I've been offered incredible cash prices for some of the black oak we milled for our flooring. No sale.