Timber (Bauholz) has for Americans, a cash crop for early settlers, raw materials and as trees were felled by hand, for planting. Today, however, it's not the swing of an axe that starts the tree on its road to the sawmill. can do the job of many. Here in the Black Hills of South Dakota, the Baker family has been harvesting timber .

" it was primitive machinery: ag tractors, horses skidding (rutschen), old McCullough chainsaws." "They started just with a few pieces of equipment and it's ." Bob and Bill Baker and their wives, Rita and Diane, operate the family logging (Holzgewinnung) and lumber business. Felled trees are hauled (befördern) to the company sawmill . "We saw rough lumber and we sell a lot of rough lumber to ag markets for corrals (Gehege) and fencing (Einzäunung) and that type of thing and also fence posts for the same markets. And then we also have a planer mill (Hobelwerk) where we - tongue in groove (Nut-Feder), log siding (Holzhausverkleidung) and ."

On this overcast (bewölkt) July afternoon the Bakers are thinning (lichten) a stand of trees hazard (Gefahr). Bill says the thinning also makes it possible to help control the Mountain Pine Beetle, an these Ponderosa Pines. Supervising (beaufsichtigen) this project is , Jack. "I'm an outdoor enthusiast so to work in the woods is just sort of second nature to me. I'm hiking around, looking at the different terrain and deciding how we're gonna approach different scenarios."

The giant machinery used in the woods can fell a tree, and make it ready for the mill. "Technology has advanced the industry as far as the approach of which trees to cut and how to cut them." And in a nod (Zustimmung) to conservation and good business, is processed. "The bark ends up going to landscape projects. The slabs (Baumstammstück) and end trims of the wood end up going through a chipper (Häcksler) and the chips are sold for fuels or for particle board plant (Spannplatte) material. We utilize ."

Between 25 and 35,000 trees will be used in turning out the lumber. The Baker's sawmill will process board feet (spezielles Holzmaß) each year. "So many of the customers come up here and they say that they just and all the fresh lumber and the sawed logs (Stamm) and whatever. We're so used to it, we don't appreciate it ."

Timber has long been a renewable (erneuerbar) resource. These Ponderosa Pines regenerate quickly. And the Bakers work with other agencies to facilitate (erleichtern) forest management. "The land managers, the forest service and private industry have their own foresters (Förster). And these people trying to figure out the best prescription (Rezept) for thinning forests, for whatever needs from watershed (Wasserscheide) to wildlife habitat to mountain pine beetle mitigation (Abschwächung), ."

is more than just a logging firm. They see it as a with a lasting commitment (Verpflichtung) to the land. "They've both established a reputation (Ruf) for and it's important for me to keep that reputation alive and to ." "We live, work and play here. We're very proud of the Black Hills and what we can the Black Hills." "Our goal is never to . We're of the mindset (Einstellung), we want to cut a tree that will new and better trees."