Durango semi-weekly herald., 1907-05-16
THE TIMBER SUPPLY.
Three Times as Much Timber Used
Each Year as the Forest Grows.


Each Year as the Forest Grows.
Every person in the United States
Is using over six times as much wood
as he would use II he were in Europe.
The country as 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 store of only ten cubic feet
annually, whereas II ought to be lay
ing up at least thirty cubic feet In
order to furnish the products taken
out OF It. Since 1880 more than 700.
900 100000 feet OF timber have been
cut for lumber alone. including SO,-
000,000.000 feet of coniferous timber
In excess Of the total coniferous
stumpage estimate OF the census In
$780,
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
directly 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 promptly taken to prevent waste
in use and to Increase the growth rate
of every acre o. forest In the United
States This result Is a timber fam
inc This country Is today In the
same position with regard to forest
resources as was Germany $50 years
ago. During this period Of so years
such German states as Saxony and
Prussia. particularly the latter, have
applied 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 advantage
OF all the lessons which Europe has
learned and paid for in the course of
a century of theory and practice. &
Lest II might be assumed that the
rapid and gaining depletion of Amer.
lean forest resources is sufficiently
accounted for by the increase of pop
ulation, II 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. To areas supplying timber have
already reached and passed their max
imum production-the 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 state1
will soon take the ascendency. The
state of Washington within a few
years has come to the front and now
ranks first OF all invldual states In
volume OF cut.
| At present but one-fifth OF the total
forest area OF the United States 10
embraced in national forests. The
remaining 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 i50 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
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 81
the country will be kept permanent,
productive.