Book excerpt: Trees were one of the first natural resources used by man. In North American, most native and early European settlements were set up near forests from where wood was harvested for firewood, building homes and boats, and for fortifying villages. Western Canada had, and continues to have, huge coniferous forests. McKenzie in British Columbia, Canada, is a community based on timber mills, timber supply and tourism. It has a population of 5,450 people.