Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1907-05-09
THE TIMBER SUPPLY
Three Times as Much Timber Used
Each Wear as the Forest Crows

Each Year as the Forest Grows
Every person is using over six
times as much wood rs he would use
IL he were in Europe. The country
as Il whole consumes every year be-
tween three and four times more
wood than all of the forests OF the
United States grow in the meantime.
The average acre OF forest lays up a
store of only 10 cubic feet annually,
whereas it ought to be laying up at
least 80 cubic feet in order to furnish
the products taken out OF it. Since
1880 more than 10000, 900 900 feet OF
timber have been cut for lumber
alone, including $4,000, 000,0 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 Circular97 OF the
Forest Service, which deals with the
timber supply OF the United States
and reviews the stumpage estimates
made by all the important author
tiles. A study of the circular must
lead directly to the conclusion that
the rate at which forest products in
the United States have been and are
being consumed is far too lavish,
and that only one result can follow
unless steps are promptly taken to
prevent waste in use and to increase
the growth rate OF every acre of
forest in the United States. This
result is q timber famine. This
country is today in the same position
with regard to forest resources as
was Germany l50years ago. During
this period of $50 years such German
States us Saxony and Prussia,
particularly the latter, have applied
Il policy OF government 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 advant-
age of all the lessons which 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 ofAmeri-
can forest resources is sufficiently ac-
counted for by the increase of pOpula-
ton, it is pointed out in the circular
that the increase in population since
1880 is barely more than half the
increase in lumber cut in the same
period. Two areas supplying tim
Der have already reached and passed
their maximum production-the
Northeastern States in 1870 and the
Lake States in 1890. To-day 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 q few years
has come to the front and now ranks
first of all individual States in
volume of cut.
At present but one-fifth ofthe total
| forest area OF the United States is
embraced in National forests. The
remaining four-ffths have already
passed or are most likely to pass into
| private hands. The average age Of
| trees felled for lumber this year is not
less than 80 years. In other words,
ii he is to secure a second crop of
trees of the same size, the lumberman
or.private forest owner must wait,
say, at least one hundred years for
the second crop to grow. AS rule
such longtime investments as this
waiting would involve do not com
mend themselves to business men
who are accustomed to quick returns.
But the States and the Nation can
look much further ahead. The larg-
er 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.
|