Sep. 7, 2021 at 11:59 amUpdated Sep. 7, 2021 at 3:40 pm

Skip AdByMANDY GODWINThe Associated Press

In midsummer, fires were burning on both sides of the Methow River.Air quality was bad enough to make national news. In better times, Central Washington’s Methow Valley is a destination for world-class climbing, hiking and skiing. It’s remote. It’s beautiful. But like much of the West, it’s increasingly aflame.

On Aug. 20, for the first time, Gina McCoy and her husband, Tom McCoy, fired up a machine they believe offers a chance to reduce catastrophic wildfires in their valley — while simultaneously combating climate change and providing local jobs that help keep forests healthy.

Through C6 Forest to Farm, a nonprofit they founded last year, the McCoys plan to accelerate forest restoration by creating a…