This is happening because ‘the greenies’ came up with stupid ideas for natural forest control. By ‘natural’ I mean no one interferes with things like controlling burns, clearing brush etc.
In my part of Washington, from the Kitsap Peninsula to Packwood where I commonly travel, the woods are in horrible shape. The most common problem is the brush has been allowed to choke out the bases of trees. Most of the trees are pecker poles, no good for anything but firewood really. After being logged, they allow the forest to grow naturally, instead of taking out trees that will be too close together to allow them to mature. Blackberrys, Huck and Salal, fill in under the trees and it is so thick humans cannot walk through it. I am sure this is purposeful, to allow Bambi and Thumper safety. 60 years ago when I was a boy exploring woods, this was uncommon. There were always trails travelled by game. It is very different in the 2,000’s. It is obvious this is a plan or policy.
Bingo.
The Indians knew better than that. In the Americas North and South and east and west, they periodically burned the forest
to clear out the underbrush to promote large game animals to thrive. Early settlers were amazed that you could “march an army through the forest.”