The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1908-01-31
THE DRAIN UPON THE FORESTS
They Are at Present Being Cut Three Times
as Fast as They Grow


changes. The first change was in the
regions from which the principal kinds
OF lumber were procured, and this was
followed by the substitution of other
kinds of wood in their places. Mel
ther the centers of the lumber industry
nor the leading classes of woods are
the same as they were twenty-five
years ago. In 1880 nine States
Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin,
New York, Texas, Arkansas, Missis-
sippi, Louisiana, and Washington
produced 52.8 per cent, or more than
half of the total lumber production OF
the United States. In 1906 these
states produced SIS per cent prac-
tically the same proportion, but the
changes which have taken place in the
out put of individual states are very
striking Michigan for instance, cut
% per cent of the total in 1880 and
but SO per cent in 1906; louisiana
cut OF per cent of the total in 1880
and rs per cent in 1906; Washing
ton furnished but 90 per cent of the
lumber production of 1880 and lis
per cent of that Of 1906. The cut
ting out of the virgin timber in the
North and East has been followed by
increased drains upon the forest re-
sources of the South and West.
Despite these conditions the amount
of timber required has increased year
by year. The increase in consump-
ton of timber since 1880 has been
more rapid than the increase of the
population, and greater than in any
similar period in the history of the
country. This shows in striking
manner how much the nation depends
upon forest products, and indicates how
greatly all interests must suffer as lum-
Der becomes scarcer and dener.
Statistics gathered by the Bureau of
the Census and the Forest Service
show that the quantities of timber used
last year for lumber, shingles, ties,
pulp, cooperage stock, mine timbers,
distillation, veneer, poles, tanning, tur-
pentine and rosin, expressed in board
measure, approximate total of SO bill
lion board feet.
While these drains upon the forest
are known with reasonable certainty
there are others of which there is no
record. These are the demand for
posts, fuel and domestic purposes, re-
gading which it is more difficult to
obtain information, because the pro-
ducts often pass through no market
but are consumed on the farm where
they were produced. Careful estimates,
however, place the total of wood used
for fuel alone at an equivalent of so
billion board feet a year.
1t will be seen then that the present
consumption of wood in all forms is
above 100 billion board feet annually.
Estimating the forest area of the United
States at from 500 to 700 million acres,
and the annual growth at 90 board feet
per acre, the yearly increase is from 80
to 40 billion feet. At this rate the an
nual growth barely equals the amount
consumed for lumber alone. Consid-
ering all the drains, the annual con-
sumption of wood is probably three
times the annual growth. Detailed
estimates OF standing timber range
from 14OO to 1000 billion feet. Using
the larger figure, and considering the
annual growth of 40 billion feet it ap-
pears that there is not more than 33
years supply of timber in this country
at the present rate of consumption.
At present only about % per cent of
our total forest area is in state or ma
tional forests, the remainder being un-
reserved public lands or in private
hands. The forest area is amply suffi-
cient, if rightly managed, to produce
eventually enough timber to supply all
our needs. Yet private owners, as
we'll as the state and national govern
ments, must use their forest lands in
right way if we are to maintain our
timber supply.
Circular 1879, just issued by the For
est service, contains discussion of the
drains upon the forests and the sources
and duration of the timber supply.
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