WASHINGTON STATE — U.S. Rep Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Skamania, co-introduced a piece of legislation that would boost job training programs in the forestry and timber industries. The Jobs in the Woods Act comes in the wake of the labor shortage in the forestry industry and related fields. If passed, the bill would create a grant program for nonprofits, state governments and colleges to use on forestry workforce training programs. “The only way we’ll keep the woods working for future generations is if we provide the next generation a pathway to pursue careers in forestry,” Perez said. “This bipartisan bill will make that possible and connect people to careers in this critical field that is essential to Southwest Washington.” …In recent years, labor shortages in the timber industry have harmed the growth of forestry and manufacturing.