Well, here's what I do to fight it, and by the way, the "agency" I work for keeps us timber people in a separate building. We aren't even Timber anymore, we are Forest Products. I offer, even though I don't like to, to take part in every little school kid show and tell day I can. Unfortunately, the school is now doing the requesting of what they want and timber was left out of the day for little kids. I have a nice slideshow and three poster boards with pictures on them. Little kids love to measure stuff and talk about logging, because they like equipment.
This area also used to be "logging and mills". The demographics have and are changing. A friend tells people that she is doing "timber enhancement" on her land. Last year the Morton newspaper put an article in the paper about how nice the play was that was on during the Logger's Jubilee because it was a good escape from the logging. I quit feeling the urge to support the theater after that was written. The paper writes cheery articles about artists moving here and doesn't run the humorous editorial that was called, "Back of the Crew Bus" anymore. Maybe the writer died? I lost touch while in exile.
I take part in another website that is 90% tree huggers. I think they would love to kick me off, but I hang in there and remind them, when they whine about the conditions of the roads in the forest, that 90% of those roads were built and maintained for logging. If they want good roads again, better start logging or else pay a fee. Lordy, they hate that logic. The scary part is, they want to turn our area, and most all the woodsy rural areas into their playground. They'll come right out and tell us we can always move and find jobs in another field. The wood can come from other countries. So, I fire back with making the Seattle area a National Park....etc.
If it makes you feel better, and it is an evil thought, I can see the day when there will be too many "professionals" and the people who will be in demand will be the ones who can do the dirty work--like fixing the septic system, running the excavator, logging. I think we are almost there.
I remind the airheads that I don't tell doctors how to run their business as they are the experts in medical matters. Why are people who are ignorant of the woods telling me how to do my job? Apparently, any idiot can do forestry work.
So, just tough it out. Remind them that you pay with the same type of money. They sure don't want to refuse it, I bet. Be nice, and then drive off with the
Earth First, We'll Log The Other Planets Later bumper sticker on your truck.
Oh. The doctor that used to have a clinic here, used to wear a hickory shirt around his office, was known to be the best chainsaw cut stitcher upper (less scarring), and specialized in crushing injuries. One guy here who went to him the first time said he didn't know if it was a real doctor or not. The doctor had on rigging clothes. He was afraid it was a logger about to stitch him up.