Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1907-05-04
THE TIrlBER SUPPLY.
Three Times as Much Timber Used
Each Year as the Forest Grows.

Z
Every person in the United States
is using over six times as much WOOD
as he would use if he were in Euroye.
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 Tor
est laws up a store of only 10 cubic
feet annually, whereas it ought to be
LAYING up at least 80 cubic feet in or
der to furnish the products taken out
of if. Since 1880 more than 100000
O00 600 feet of timber have been cut
for lumber alone, including SO 100000
900 feet of coniferous timber in excess
of the total coniferous stumpage estI-
mate 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
directly to the conclusion that the
rate at which forest products in the
United States have been and are be-
ing 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
ythe United States. This result is
timber famine. This country is today
~ the same position with regard to
forest resources as was Germany $50
years ago. During this period of $50
years, such German states as Saxony
and Prussia, particularly the latter,
have applied policy of government
control and regulation which has i'm
mensely increased the productivity
'~of their forests. The same policy will
achieve even better results in the
Omitted States, because we have the
advantage 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
fapid and gaining depletion of Ameri-
can forest resources is sufficiently ac-
counted for by the increase of popu-
lation, it 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
period. Two areas supplying timber
have already reached and passed their
maximum production-the Northeast
ern 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 individual states in
volume of cut.
4 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
us 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 least one hundred years
for the second crop to grow. AS a
rule, such long time investments as
this waiting would involve do not
commend themselves to business men
who are accustomed to quick returns.
kBut 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
productive.