Residents of Washington can appreciate the nature and surrounding natural beauties along roads, sidewalks, in parks, and even right outside of their houses, but this wasn't always the case. During the 1800s, logging caused the destruction of many forests with old-growth trees in and near Washington. The trees were mainly cut down for timber production, with Douglas fir and red cedars being the most popular due to being the most valuable in building and construction.
Fortunately, we as humans have advanced and recognized some of the errors in our ways, and Washington has had its logging business in a steady decline due to new laws and regulations in place, which have made the state have some of the toughest forestry practices in the United States. While Washington has been in a steady decline with regard to logging and deforestation, some other places in the world haven't.
About 18 million acres of forest are cut down each year in countries such as Brazil, Indonesia, Thailand, the Democratic Republic of Congo, parts of Africa, and Eastern Europe; for perspective, that's roughly the same size as the country of Panama. Reasons for deforestation include: agricultural expansion (farming food or cash crops), infrastructure development (roads, schools, cities, hospitals), and boosting industries (meat, timber, mining) by getting easier access to needed resources like minerals, oil, wood, and good soil.
Forests act as "carbon sinks" by taking in the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide from the air and turning it into the oxygen we breathe through photosynthesis. Trees absorb 300 billion tons of carbon dioxide, but once they are cut down and turned into a variety of things for our use, such as paper or furniture, they release toxic pollutants. Trees also protect us against desertification, droughts, floods, and soil erosion. Plants are also available as ingredients for medicine, and without forests, pathogens can spread from increased contact between animals and humans as the animals have lost their habitat.
Scientists predict that at our current rate, we will lose all of our forests within one hundred years. But we also can't just stop doing it right now, as the backlash could be catastrophic. Instead, taking controlled actions to steadily reduce it, like Washington, could be a solution to this problem.