Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1907-05-08
The Timber Supply.

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
forests Of the United States grow i'll
tho meantime The average acre OF
forest lays up store Of only 10 cubic
feet annually, whereas it ought to be
laying up at least 30 cubic feet IN
order to furnish the products taken
ont of it. Since 1880 more than
700, 600, 600, 000 feet of timber have
been cut for lumber alone, including
80. O. 0, 600, 00U feet of coniferous timber
in excess of the total coniferous STUN
page 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.
study of the circular must lead
directly to the conclusion that the
rate at which forest products in the
United States have been amt 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 The result is
a timber famine. This country is
today in the same position with re-
gard to forest resources as was Ger.
many $50 years ago. During this
period of 100 years such German
states as Saxony and Prussia, par.
ticularly the latter, have applied a
policy CT government control and
regulation which has immensely in
creased the productivity of their for
ests. The same policy will achieve
even better results in the United
States, because we have the advantage
of all the les ,ons which Europe has
learned and paid for in the course of
a century of theory and practice.
Lest it might be assumed that the
rapid and gaining depletion of
American forest resources is sufficient
ly accounted for by the increase of
population, it is pointed out i'll the
circular that the increase in popula-
ton since 1880 is barely more than
half the Increase in lumber cut in the
same period Two areas supplying
timber have already reached and pas
sed their maximum production-tEe
Northeastern States in 1870 and the
Lake States in 1890. 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 in
dividual 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
remaining four fifths 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 100 years. In other
ords, 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 least one hundred years
for the second CrOp fO GROW As a
rule, such longtime 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 woodlands, the greater is
the likelihood that the forests of the
country will be kept permanently pro-
ductive.