Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1905-12-28
Protecting Wash.
ington Forests

1857 600 acres Of forest land In Wash.
ington, In the western part OF the
state the work covers 1900, 900 acres.
The results OF this work. which will
be continued during the coming year,
will be Of great value In throwing
light on the problems OF protecting
these coast forests from fire and pre-.
venting the present excessive waste
In logging, rs well As In developing q
plan for future timber production.
The large number Of growth and
volume measurements obtained by the
service during the past few years In
this region provides a basis for esti.
mates OF present stand and future
yield OF the more important timber
trees. From these measurements It
appears that red fir In the region OF
Puget Sound Is one Of the fastest.
growing trees in the United States;
surprising eve the loblolly pine OF
the south In height and volume
growth. The yield tables show that
larger crops of timber may be expect.
ed from second-growth forests Of FIR
and herAlock than from any other kind
Of tree vt studied by the service.
Reproduction of fir on logged.over
lands is certain and rapid II the lands
are burned over with due precautions
and the mineral soil exposed. but un.
certain II . prOper seed bed is not thus
afforded. This makes slash burning
accessory In order to secure comb.
tons favorable to reproduction.
Forest fires are. however. the great.
est drawback to conservative lumber.
ing. The forests In this region are
very heavy and the trees very large.
and consequently, after logging q
great amount Of debris Is left on the
ground. In the form Of tops, rotten
logs, b~rokeh-down trees. and under.
brush. Fires easily start in such
slashes and burn ove large areas, off,
ten extending into tne uncut forest.
The most practical method. OF pre-
venting, or at least greatly ~lessening.
the chance Of forest fires under these
peculiar local conditions Is by burn.
ing the slash al It lies, at the proper
season. This method is. now being
tried with success. BY extending It
to all cuttings, the danger Of severe
forest fires will be greatly lessened.
The burning should be done from
early April TO the middle OF May,
when the slash Is dry enough to burn.
ana at the same time the fire will not
run In green timber. The quick re-
stocking Of the land with fir which
follows burning also aids greatly In
fire p~rotectio4 IL
A detailed (tudy Of waste In logging
part Of the work called for.
are nov cut on an average
about six feet high, and In large tim.
Der this meAns the loss Of u great
number OF board feet OF clear lumber
per acre. Waste also occurs in the
use IN logs for skids end
IN leaving merchantable logs in the
tops. An estimate OF this waste Will
be made by actual measurement.
In eastern Washington a tract OF
$1,000 acres has been examined. The
forest Is TYPICAL Of a large region. It
consists Of western yellow pine. fir,
Ind lodgepole pine. The object Of the
owners was to determine the prac.
liability Of obtaining a second cut of
from the cut-Over lands. The
Held work occupied q party Of three
men for one manth. To u the
basis for an estimate for future stand,
we're made Of the volume and
rate Of growth Of the important spe-
lies, the proportion Of small trees left,
The culled forest, and the reproduc.
ion after logging. The growth Of tim
Der here, though much slower than
western Washington, promises we'll
Tor the future, and the rapid Increase
In lumber and stumpage values Is a
inducement to conservative
numbering. BY setting a high diameter
limit for cutting and by preventing
lire, a fair second cut can be obtained
a reasonable period. Md ex.
reproduction for later crops
will be secured.