COLVILLE, Wash.—Kurtis Vaagen of Vaagen Bros Lumber leads a decade-long project to restore 50,000 acres of the Colville National Forest, aiming to create fire-resilient forests for future generations while emphasizing community and environmental stewardship. …Over the last three decades, state and federal policy changes have restricted timber harvests on both state and federal forestlands, compelling the forest products industry to adopt more efficient and sustainable timber harvesting practices. One lumber company based in Colville, Vaagen Bros Lumber, bid on a contract to restore the Colville National Forest over a decade ago. Emphasizing sustainability and the creation of future forests, Kurtis Vaagen, Vice President of Vaagen Bros Lumber, stated that their goal is to restore the forest to be fire-resilient for future generations.