The San Francisco call., 1908-10-25
CRUISERS TO MAKE
CENSUS OF TIMBER
Conservation Commission Seeks
information of Resources of
Forests in Country
Inquiry to Determine How Long
Stumpage Will Supply
Needs of People

WASHINGTON, Oct. 24.-The national
conservation commission has under
taken to compile the first census
of the. standing timber in the
United States to include in its inven-
tory of the country's natural re-
sources, which it will embody in its re-
port to the president, January l.
1t may be a slight eXaggeration to
speak of a census of timber for, of
course, it is impossible to count the
individual trees in the forests, but a
trained man can, with great accuracy,
cruise" a tract of forest and estimate
the number of board feet it contains.
Large portions of the forests of the
country, including practically all the
national forests. have been estimated at
various times, but these figures never
have been brought together and no or
ganiZed effort has been made to gather
them into one total, nor to supply the
deficiencies where hitherto no estimates
have been made.
AS a result. the guesses as to the
quantity of standing timber in the
United States range all the way from
S22,6S2 million to 1000 billion board
feet-a difference of more than a tril-
lion feet in the estimates of the best
qualified authorities in the country
In the opinion of the forest service
liit it1SI teICldl1a prepared eSlllndl6S
yet made are those by Henry Gannett,
published by the twelfth census in 1900.
These placed the total stumpage at
1890 billion board feet. Gannett has
been chosen by the president to compile
all the information gathered foY the
commission. and he is now enlarging
the knowledge of forest areas at pres
ent available.
HOW LONG WILL TIMBER LAST.
The Importance of this census lies
largely in the fact that it will give al
accurate basis for computing how long
our timber supplies will last. The
couatrys annual consumption of wood
is knowc with tolerable accuracy, al
though even here there are some dis
crepancies The consensus of opinion
among those equipped to judge is that
the present annual consumption is
about 100 billion board feet. One
leading authority has placed it as hi gh
as 150 billion board feet.
Assuming a stumpage of 1.400 billion
feet, an annual use of 100 billion feet
and neglecting growth in the calcula- :
tion, the exhaustion of our timber sup
ply is indicated in IA years. Assuming
the same use and stand with ansannual
growth of 40 billion feet we. have a
supply for 2S years. Assuming an an
nual use of $50 billion meet, the first
supposition becomes nine years, and
the second 13 years. Assuming a
stand of 1000 billion feet use OF
loo billion feet and negleeting growth
we have 20 years supply Assuming
the same conditions, with an annual
growth of 40 billion feet we have SO
years supply. With an annual use OF
$50 billion feet, these estimates become
respectively. Is and Is years.
1t is apparent from these computa-
tions why the national conservation
commission considers the census of tim
ber so essential to the preparation of
its inventory.
! The chief difference between the
tmethods now being employed by the
conservation commission and those the
bureau of the census would use are.
that while the bureau would send out
enumerators to make personal visits to
all parts of the country, the commits
sion is aiming at the same results
through correspondence.
Letters have gone out to 3,1OO county
clerks, asking for statements of forest
areas in their counties. Seven thou
sand lumbermen and timber land own
ers have been asked TO supply similar
information.
The purpose of the commission is
not merely to learn how much wood
is growing now, but how long it may
be expected to last and how the supply
may be prolonged by economy.