Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1907-05-04
The Timber Supply.
Three Times as Much Timber Used
Each Year as the Forest GrOws.

Every person in the United States
as he would use ii he were 10 Europe
The country as a whole consumes
every year between three and four
times more wood than all OF the for
,sJs Of the United States grow in the
meantime. The average acre Of for.
est lays up store OF only ten cubic
feet annually. whereas II ought TO be
! laying up at least 80 cuhlc feet in order
10 furnish the products taken out Of it..
Since 1880 more than 100000. .OO'0 600
| feet of timber have been cut for lum--
Der alone. including so ,000 600, 900 feet
of cUnferous timber in excess Of the
total coniferous stumpage estimate of
the Census ia 1850.
These are some of the remarkable
Forest Service, which deals with the
timber supply Of the United States
and reviews the stumpage estimates
made by all the important authorities
A study of the circular must lead di-
rectly TO the conclusion that the rate
DIT which forest products IN the United
States have been and are being con-
sumed is far too lavish. and that only
one result can follow unless steps are
promptly taken 10 prevent waste in use
and increase the growth rate OF every
90 Af in lln nj
This result is timber famine. This
country is to-day in the same posi-
tion with regard To forest re-
sources as was Germany $50 years ago
During this period Of $50 years such
German States as SaXony and Prussia,
particularly the latter, have applied IA
policy Of government control and reg
uatiOn which has immensely increas
ed the productivity Of their forests.
The same policy will achieve even
better esults ia the United StaLes be-
cause we have the advantage Of all the
lessons Europe has learned and paid
for in the course Of century of theory
and practice.
Lest it might be assumed that the
rapid and gaining depletion Of Ameri-
can forest resources rs Sufficiently ac
counted for by the increase OF popu-
lation. it is pointed out in the circular
that the increase in population since
1880 is barely more than half the in
crease in lumber during the same
period. Two areas supplying timber
have already reached and passed their
maximum production-the Northeast
ern States in 1870 and the Lake States
in 1890. Today the Southern States,
which are cutting yellow pine amount
ing to one third the total annual lum-
Der cut of the country, are uudoubt-
near their maximum. The Pacific
States will suOn take the aScendency.
The State Of Washington within few
years has come 10 the trent and now
ranks first of all individual States in
volume Of cut.
At present but one fifth of the total
forest area Of the United states is en-
braced in National Forests The re-
naming four titths have already Dass
ed or are most likely TO pass into pri-
yate hands, The average age Of the
trees felied for lumber this year is not
less THAI $50 years. In other words,
| If he is to secure second crop of trees
OF the same size, the lumberman or
private forest owner must wait, say.
at least one hundred years for the sec
ond crop to grow. AS rule, such
! long time investments as this waiting
would involve do not commend them
selves TO business men who are accus-
toned TO quick returns. But the
States and the Nation can look much
farther ahead. The larger. then. the
area of National and State control over
woodlands, the greater is the likelihood
that the forests of the country will be
kept permanently productive.