Dear friends,
If you're among the loggers and timber fallers who work America's forests, you practice a craft that Bureau of Labor Statistics data confirms is the most dangerous occupation in the United States. Every shift, every tree you fell carries inherent dangers: struck by falling trees and branches during felling operations, chainsaw accidents causing severe lacerations and amputations, heavy equipment rollovers on steep terrain, crushed by logs during loading and transport, and remote location accidents with delayed emergency response. These aren't theoretical risks—they're the daily realities you manage through skill, constant vigilance, and deep respect for the power of both nature and machinery.
Your family understands that you've chosen a profession where a miscalculated notch, an unexpected wind gust, or a split-second error can mean catastrophic injury or death—often in remote locations where help is hours away. Creating a comprehensive digital legacy plan isn't an admission of fear—it's responsible preparation that provides your loved ones with clarity, context, and connection if the dangers of logging claim you as they've claimed forestry workers before you. Your family needs to understand that you didn't take reckless chances, but rather managed extreme risks through training, experience, and constant attention to safety protocols.
Your final messages should acknowledge the pride you take in forestry work and your connection to the land. Share what this profession has meant to you—the satisfaction of skilled timber falling, the beauty of working in forests, the tradition of a craft passed down through generations. Explain your safety protocols, your equipment maintenance routines, your decision-making process when assessing lean, wind conditions, and terrain hazards. Let your family see that every tree was felled with full knowledge of widow-maker branches overhead and the unpredictable behavior of massive timber under stress, guided by years of experience and an uncompromising commitment to doing the work right.
The nature of logging work means you operate in remote forest locations with limited cell coverage, unpredictable schedules affected by weather and site conditions, and the reality that if something goes wrong, emergency responders may be hours away. Implement automated check-in protocols with realistic windows that account for communication dead zones, changing job sites, and the physical demands that might prevent immediate check-ins. Your emergency contacts should understand typical work locations, expected shift patterns, and escalation procedures when contact is lost during operations on steep terrain or in wilderness areas. Include detailed information about your employer's safety protocols, crew contact information, and emergency response procedures.
Consider creating season-specific messages that address the unique aspects of different logging operations and terrain challenges. Document your proudest accomplishments, the difficult jobs you've completed safely, the skills you've mastered over years of chainsaw operation and equipment handling, and the deep satisfaction of working in one of America's most demanding professions. These details provide context that helps your family understand why you chose this career despite having the highest fatality rate of any occupation. Share your philosophy about the importance of forestry work, the respect you have for both the forest and the machinery, and the meaning you've found in physically demanding labor that most people couldn't imagine doing.
Your posthumous messages might include practical information about your employer's protocols, workers' compensation benefits, and the specific challenges your family may face if the worst occurs during logging operations. Address the reality that timber falling accidents can be catastrophic, that injuries from falling trees or chainsaw accidents in remote locations may be fatal due to delayed emergency response, and that your family might face difficult questions about why you continued working in such a dangerous profession. Provide guidance about connecting with your logging crew, accessing support from other forestry families, and understanding the unique bond among those who work the timber.
For those who share your life, acknowledge both their strength and their constant worry. They've endured countless shifts wondering if this would be the day a tree barber-chaired, a chainsaw kicked back, or equipment rolled on steep terrain. Express gratitude for their acceptance of a profession that Bureau of Labor Statistics data confirms as America's deadliest occupation. Let them know that if the worst happens during logging operations, it occurred while you were practicing a craft you believed in, working hard to provide for your family, and doing work that builds the nation despite the extreme physical dangers.
Those who work as loggers and timber fallers understand risks that most Americans never contemplate. Your digital legacy should reflect both the dangers you managed and the pride you took in skilled forestry work. Whether you're establishing encrypted video messages or comprehensive final communications, ensure your system accounts for the realities of remote forest locations and the unpredictable nature of timber falling operations. Your family deserves messages that honor your craft, acknowledge the statistical dangers of having America's most dangerous job, and provide closure that might be complicated by the circumstances of logging accidents in wilderness areas. Document your proudest achievements, your commitment to safety despite extreme occupational hazards, and the profound satisfaction of mastering one of the world's most physically demanding and dangerous professions.