Climate change, logging collide — and a forest shrinks

Former U.S. Forest Service Deputy Chief Jim Furnish talks with retired agency employee Dave Mertz at a logging site in the Black Hills National Forest, on July 14, 2021, near Custer City, S.D. Across the U.S. West, more trees have been dying as climate change dramatically alters the landscape and leaves forests more susceptible to wildfire and pests. (AP Photo/Matthew Brown)

Stumps are seen on a hillside in the Black Hills National Forest, on July 14, 2021, near Custer City, S.D. Government scientists say logging needs to be cut back by at least half in the forest, but timber company representatives say that conclusion is flawed and would hurt the region's economy. (AP Photo/Matthew Brown)

An area that was logged in recent years is seen in the Black Hills National Forest, on July 14, 2021, near Custer City, S.D. Timber company representatives say wildfires and beetles could get worse if logging is reduced after government scientists said harvest rates in the Black Hills were unsustainable. (AP Photo/Matthew Brown)