Question

think you are a lumberjack. What would your daily routine

Answer 1

Loggers across the country harvest thousands of acres of forest a year. The work is physically demanding and can be dangerous, with logging consistently listed as the most dangerous job in America. Workers risk serious injury not only from falling out of trees, but also because they often work in locations far away from hospitals. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a decline in the number of workers in the profession because of the aging workforce and physicality of the job, but the need for logging-equipment operators will remain.  

For The Atlantic’s series of interviews with American workers, I spoke with Carlson about being a third-generation logger and why he enjoys his work so much. The interview that follows has been lightly edited for length and clarity.