Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1905-05-11
THE festive CLAM TIMBER RESOURCES
An EASTERN ESTIMATEOF timber
IN NORTHWESTERN STATES.
The mississippi Valley Lumberman
Figures on Standing Timber in
Washington, Oregon, Idaho and
Western Montana. Actual Amount
Usually Exceeds Estimates.

USudily CxCee0S Estimates.
In general it can be said that the esti.
mated amount of standing timber has
usually fallen short OF the actual amount.
There are several reasons for this. One
is that estimators are inclined to be con-
servative and place their figures OH the
safe side. Another is that before the
timber is cut away, the increased mum
Der OF feet due to the increment Of growth
has thrown the calculations out; and
still another is that in different parts OF
the country estimates are based on differ.
ent measurements AS usual thing
estimates are made on the basis of the
size OF the trees that are considered mer-
chantable. A number of years ago the
pine forests OF Minnesota and other
states OF the middle north were not cut
as closely as they are at present and
estimates were based on greater diane.
ter OF the tree than at present. In the
far west where there is but compare.
lively limited market for the lower
GRADES Of stock, the estimates are based
on certain percenta. g of the tree as
we'll as on greater diameter than far.
ther east. If there were a market for
the lower grade stock that could be cut
from many OF the logs that are now
wasted, the figures would be materially
greater than those given out.
From the best authority available,
which includes government estimators,
the forester OF the department of agricul.
'ure and private estimates made by lum.
bermen who have had much experience
in the woods, it appears that the present
standing timber in the state OF Washing.
ton could be put down as amounting to
anywhere from 175 TO 200 billion feet.
In the latter part of 1902, after careful
canvass of the state, the government
report gave an estimate of about 1876
billion feet for Washington. OF this
amount 81 billion feet was east OF the
Cascade range OF mountains. The tim
western authorities, which gave the total
at 175 billion feet, was divided into
about 30 billion of red fir, Al billion
hemlock, % billion cedar, 13 billion vel!
low pine and eight billion spruce.
1t has probably been possible to come
more nearly to the correct figures Of the
state Of Washington than OF Oregon,
Montana or Idaho, tor the reason that
the Duk of the timber of Washington is
located in a comparatively narrow strip
between the summit Of the Cascades an
the Pacific ocean, and has been exploited
to a greater extent than the timber of
the other three states Two years ago
r. A. Long, Of Kansas City, in an ad-
dress on stumpage before the Southern
Lumber Manufacturers association,
summed up the amount Of standing tim.
ber in the United States after careful
research and reference to all available
authority. He placed the standing tim
Der of Oregon at that time at about 25O
billion feet, consisting OF ITO billion ltd
fir, so billion yellow pine, and the ball
ance divided about equally among spruce,
hemlock and cedar.
Although the timber resources OF
Idaho and western Montana are com.
paratively small, they are also compare.
lively little known. 1t is only within
the past few years that the manufacture
of lumber has become an important in.
dustry in that section OF the country.
Since then the development has been
rapid, but there is yet a considerable
amount OF government timber in these
two states, a great deal of which is at
present inaccessible and which will re.
main so for some years to come. The
government estimate placed the amount
OF standing timber in Washington east
OF the Cascades in 1902 at about u
billion feet. The bulk OF this is in the
eastern part of the state in what is
known as the Inland Empire. Nolthein
and western Idaho and western Montana
are also included under this head, and
without anything very definite to 60 on,
and Judging from the comparative area
covered by timber it is probable that
the amount standing in northern Idaho
and western Montana is about the same
as in eastern Washington. This means
total OF about 20 to 25 billion feet,
which is probably under rather than
over the actual stand of timber. Last
year the mills OF Washington manufac-
tured about two and one-fourth billion
feet of lumber. The cut OF the Oregon
mills was in the neighborhood of 800
million; Idaho mills cut about lao
million and the mills of Montana about
1876 million feet.