Los Angeles herald., 1907-05-12
TIMBER SUPPLY
RUNNING SHORT
APPEAL FOR A FIRMER GRIP
FOR STATE CONTROL
Statement l!..de That the American
PeozIe Are Extravagant in Use
Of TImber-EarIy Famine
Facing the Public

Every person in the United States is
using over six times as much wood as
he would use If he were in Europe.
The country as a whole consumes
every year between three and four
times more wood than all Of the for
ests OF the United States grow in the
meantime. The average acre OF forest
lays up q store of only ten cubic feet
annually, whereas it ought to be lay
ing up at least thirty cubic feet In
order to furnish the products taken
out of 1t. Since 1880 more than 700,-
900 900, 900 feet of timber have been
cut for lumber alone, including 80,
900, 900 feet of coniferous timber In
excess of the total coniferous stumpage
estimate of the census In 1880.
These are some of the remarkable
statements made in circular 81 of the
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
at 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
taken to prevent waste in use and to
increase the growth rate of every acre
of forest in the United States. This
result is timber famine. This coun-
try Is today in the same position with
regard to forest resources as was Ger
many $50 years ago. During this period
of $50 years such German states as
Saxony and Prussia, particularly the
latter, have applied a policy of govern
ment control and regulation which has
Immensely increased the productivity
of their forests. The same policy will
achieve even better results in the
United States, because we have the ad-
vantage of all the lessons which Eu-
rope has learned and paid for in the
course of a century of theory and
practice.
Conditions by States
Lest it might be assumed that the
rapid and gaining depletion of Amer
ican forest resources is sufficiently ac-
counted for by the increase of popula-
ton, /: is pointed out in the circular
that the increase in population since
1880 is barely more than half the in
crease in lumber cut in the same pc
riod. Two areas supplying timber have
already reached and passed their max
imum production-the northeastern
states in 1870 and t,-o lake states in
$780, Today the southern states, which
cut yellow pine amounting to one-third
the total annual lumber cut of the
country, are undoubtedly near their
maximum. The Pacific states will soon
take the ascendency. The state of
Washington within few years has
come to the front 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
embraced in national forests. The re-
manning four-ffths have already
passed or are most likely to pass into
private hands. The average age of
the trees felled for lumber this year
is not less than $50 years. In other
words, If he is to secure a second crop
of trees of the same size, the lumber
man or private forest owner must wait,
say, at lease 100 years for the second
crop to grow. AS rule, such long
time investments as this waiting would
involve do not commend themselves to
business men who are accustomed 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 wood
lands, the greater is the likelihood that
the forests of the country will be kept
permanently productive.