Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-10-14
JdNs Iist Undertakes By
Conservation Commission.
.vlnags ESTIMATES Oh SUBJECT


WASHINGTON, d. c.. Oct. "a
The National Conservation Com
mission has caused the hrst
comprehensive attempt at the
census OF the standing timber
in the United States ever undertaken.
The Forest Sery ice has for several
years been eager TO take such cen
sus. and tine Bureau Of the Census
has expressed its willingness to CO.
operate; but funds have never been
available. The Conservation Commas
sion, however, needs the information
10 help complete its inventory OF the
country's natural resources, which II
will include in its report to the Presi-
dent, and since that report Is 10 De
submitted on the first OF next year, IL
needs the information at once. In con-
sequence the work on the Census mas
been started with rush and Is now
under fill Roadway.
It may t.s a slight exaggeratlon 10
speak of q census Of timber, for OF
course 1t Is impossible to count the
individual trees In the forests, even
the most ambitious plans OF the For
est Service and the Bureau OF the
Census did not contemplate that. but
trained man can with great accura'
cy "cruise" tract OF forest and es-
innate the number of broad feet 1t
contains Large portions Of the for
ests of the country, including practl-
cally all the National Forests. have
been estimated at various times. but
these figures have nevlr been brought
together and no organized effort mas
ever been made to gather them one
total, nor to supply the DEFICIENCIES
where hitherto no estimates have
been made.
As a result. the guesses as to the
amount of standing timber in the
United States, range all the way from
S22,6S2 million to 1000 billion board
feet q difference Of more than q tril-
lion feet in the estimates Of the best
qualified authorities in the country.
In the opinion Of the Forest Service.
the most carefully perpared estimates
yet made are those by Henry Gannett.
published by the Twelfth Census In
1900. These placed the total stump
age at 1880 billion board feet. Mr..
Gannstt, 1t SO happen. has been chos-
en- BY the President to compile all the
information gathered for the Com
mission. and with his previous &C.
Quaintance with the subject OF fores-
try, he is at work now enlarging the
knowledge Of forests areas at present
available.
The importance Of tbs census lies
largely in the fact that it will give
an accurate basis for computing how
long our timber supplies will last.
Through the cooperation Of the For
est Service and the Census Bureau
the country's annual consumption OF
2 who'd Is known with tolerable accura-
cy, although even here there are more
discrepancies, because a large amount
OF wood is used for posts, fuel, and
domestic purposes, for which no SAT-.
isfactory data have yv; been collected.
But the consensus or opinion among
those equipped to judge Is that the
present annual consumption Is about
100 billion board feet, or something
more than that. One leading authOri-
~ has placed il as high as $50 billion
board feet
Assuming o stumpage Of LOO bill,
uOu ISNt, OH dbhuot uSS VI hVV
Hon feet, and neglecting growth In
the calculation. the exhaustion OF our
timber supply Is indicated in IA years.
Assuming the same use and stand,
with an annual growth Of 20 billion
feet. ne have a supply for Is years.
Assuming an annual use of $50 billion
feet. the first opposition becomes
3 years. and the second IL years.
Assuming a stand Of :.o00 billion feet.
q use OF 100 billion feet. and neglect
ing growth We have 20 years supply.
Assuming the same conditions, with
m annual growth of 10 billion feet.
We have 30 years supply. With an
annual use Of $50 billion feet, these
estimates become. respectively. IL and
IS years.
II IL apparent from these computa.
tions shy the National Conservation
Commission Considers the census OF
timber so essential to the preparation
OF Its inventory:
The chief difference between tie
methods nov being employed by the
Conservation Commission and those OF
the Bareau Of Census would use
arc. that while the Bureau would send
ouf enmerafors 10 make personal Wis
rs 10 al parts OF the country, the