It's hard, unpleasant work. But it's not shortsighted to do what you have to do to keep your family alive and maybe build a better future for them. You have to understand the complex specific reasons behind what they are doing, and if you wish them to change their actions, provide them with some better options. It really is. Try to find it among the non-rich who need something from the environment to give their kids an even break.
Forests grow back.
The market will drive prices up if the supply of forest products cannot keep pace with demand. As a biological resource with some fixed capacity to regenerate, forests have a fairly well-defined rate of sustainable yield. Over-cutting occurs when the sustainable yield rate is exceeded. In the US, real prices for lumber, pulp, and paper have been rising for many years, and as I'm sure you're aware, rising real prices for raw materials can put a drag on economic growth. Recall what happened to Procter and Gamble last month when their earnings shortfall was attributed to high pulp prices.