Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1907-05-16
UNITED STATES GREAT LUMBER
CONSUMER.
Three Times aS Much Timber Used
Each Year as The Forest Grows.
Onc-fitih of The Forest Area is
Embraced in National Forest
Reserves.

Every person in the United States is
using SIX times a. much wood as he
would II he were in Europe. The conn
try As whole consumes every wear be-
tween . and times more wood than all
OF the forests vi the United States grow
IN the meantime. The average acre of
forest lays up store OF only 10 cnhic
ieet annually, whereas it ought 10 he law
lng mp at least 50 cubic feet in order to
furnish the products taken ont of it,
since 1850 more than 100000 900 COO feet
Ci timber have been cut for lumber alone
including 50 100000, 900 feet Of coniferous
timber IN excess Of the total conilerous
s'ulhpase estimate OF the Census II 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 bv
all the Important authorities. "A study
OF the circular must lead directly to the
cohc!nslon that the rate at which forest
products IN the United States have been
ana are being consumed is far too lavish.
and tnat only one result can follow nm.
less steps are promptly taken to prevent
waste IN use and to increaee the growth
rate OF every acre OF forest in the United
States. This result is timber famine.
Inns country is today in the same posi-
ton with regard to forest resources us
was Germany $50 years ago. During
this period OF l50 years such German
states as Saxony and Prussia, particular
~ the latter, have applied policy OF
government control and regulation
which has immensely increased the pro-
uuctlVlty OF their forests. The same pol
icy Will achieve even better results i'm
tho United States, because we have the
advantage OF all the lessons which Europe
mas Iearned and paid for in the Course OF
Il century OF theory and practice.
Lest 1t might be assumed that the rap.
i'd and gaining depletion OF American
forest resources is sufficiently accounted
ior by The increase OF popu' alton, it is
pointed out In the circular that the in
crease in population since 1880 is barely
more than half the increase in lumber
cut IN the sam period. Two areas SUD.
plying timber have already reached and
passed their maximum production-,he
Northeastern states in 1870 and the Lake
states in 1890. Today, the Southern
states, which cut yellow pine amounting
TO oile-thlrd the total annual lumber cut
oi the country. are undoubtedly near
their maximum. The Pacific States will
soon take the ascendency. The state of
washington within lew years, has
come to the front and now ranks first of
all individual states in volume of cut.
AT present but one-tiith OF the total
forest area OF the United states is EN-.
braced IN National Forests. The remain.
lng lour-liiths have already passed or are
liable to pass into private hands. The
average age OF the trees feled for lumber
tins year is not less than $50 years. In
other words If he is to secure another
crop OF trees OF the same size the lum-
herman 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 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 Ma.
tlonal and State control over woodlands,
the greater is the likelihood that the
forests OF the country will be kept per-
manently productive.