The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1909-05-17
FOREST RESOURCES
OF WASHINGTON
Professor Frank G. Miller of Univer-
s,ty of Washington Tells conser-
walton Association of States
Timber Production.

one that contains much information OF
interest to the people of Washington
was that delivered by Frank G. Miller
of the University of Washington before
the conservation association which
met n Walla Walla last week. The
address in part follows:
THE national conservation commis-
sion estimates the present forest area
of the state of Washington to be 25,-
100000 acres. From incomplete data
furnished by the federal government,
the state, county assessors and cruis-
ers of private holdings. this forest area
carries at the present time probably
100000 100000 feet of merchantable
timber. Indeed. one authority states
that if everything were measured UP
he believes the state could show 400,-
900 100000 feet of standing timber.
This immense natural asset. the heri-
tage of centuries. is the chief source
Of the states material greatness.
income From Forests.
The income from our forests for
1907 (the last year for which data are
avaiiable) was approximately as fol-
lows:
Lumber. includes sawed ties),
board feet, 3,777606,o00; value, $54,-
S49,114. Lath. number, 430,791, 900;
value, SS62,393 Shingles, number, o.
wood, cords, 100000; value, $3,000,-
coo. Miscellaneous (hewed crossties,
posts, POLES. piles, mine props, etc.,
value. s1.00O.00O. Total value, $780,
650,132.
THE value of the lumber, shingles
and lath production is taken from the
government reports. The other items
are estimated since they are not seq
regated by states in the government
census. It is estimated, however, that
the consumption of firewood per cap
ita annually is rot less than one cord
for the United States as whole. On
this basis the state of Washington
uses 100000 cords annually worth
to the consumers at least 100000.
Such minor products as hewed cross
ties, poles, piles, mine timbers posts,
pulp wood. tanbark, ETC., would easily
reach a value Of another million. Ow-
ing to car shortage in the early part
of 1907. and later on account of the
panic and the attempt of the trans
continental roads to increase freight
rates, the lumber output of Washing
ton for that year was about IL per
cent less than that of 1906. Had the
trade been normal, therefore, the value
of the forest products for the state in
1907 would have been upwards of $780,
100000 instead of $76,500,000, the fig
ure given.
Resources Are Enormous.
Hon. John p Hartman, Seattle, in
an address before the Board of Trade
at Spokane in January 1907, on the
Resources of Washington for the two
years of 1907 and 1908, estimated the
value of all products at 1928, 900, 900,
or $264,000.000 annually. This esti-
mate includes an item of $120, 1000 900
for railway constructor in the state
and another of $50.G0O,O00 for the
Alaska gold output for these two
years. The latter. he argues, is prop
erly an asset of the state, since MAJ
jority of the mines there are con-
From this deduction it will be seen
that at the present time our forest
output constitutes approximately one
third of the states annual resources.
Not including those engaged in the 4
transportation of the product 100000
men are engaged in the lumber indus
try in this state under normal condi-
tons. The annual wage of these men
is $75.000000 Exclusive of the value.
of the standing timber s290,O00,O00 are
invested in mill and logging plants, in
Guiding logging railroads.
Forest Cutting Must Stop.
AT the present rate of cutting, if
future growth is disregarded, Wash
ington's forests would be exhausted in
ou yGdIS. II is eSlluldleO lIldl lOT lUS |
forest area of the United States as a !
whole, good bad and Indifferent, the
annual growth per acre is so board
feet. 1t seems very probable that our |
forests are capable of producing twice
this amount. or 120 board feet per acre
annually. This, for our $4,000, 900 |
acres of forest land. gives an annual
growth of 5000. O00,O 900 board feet If !
this increment is taken into account, /
then our forests at the present rate of
cutting will supply US 100 years.
Among the more important consid- I
erations in laying plans for the ra-
tional management of the rest of our
forest wealth are the following: Cd |
Control of forest fires; (2) the setting
aside of the non agricultural state
lands as a permanent state forest; (3)
e-adjustment of faxes SO as to make
1t possible to hold CUT over lands for l.
successive crops: (4) regulation of /
cutting to insure continuous crops; co
reforestation OF denuded non-agricul
tural lands.
THE state Of Washington has made
a commendable start in the matter or
fire protection. Our forest fire law
has many excellent features. The last
legislature made an appropriation of
$4,000 for the current biennium for
fire patrol, an increase of $4,000 over
that Of the preceding biennium.
1.-THE state land commissioner has
recently estimated that there are on
the common school and granted lands
of the state $4,000, 100000 feet Of mer-
charitable timber. worth at least $685.
100000. This means that the state
owns probably one-eighth of our
standing timber. The land carrying
this timber should be classified into
agricultural and agricultural land.
That which is found to be adapted to
agriculture should eventually be
cleared and put to agricultural use.
The agricultural land should be
set aside as state forest, to be man. /
aged and controlled by the state for all
time. To this end proper laws should
be enacted, and when the timber is
sold the contract should stipulate that
it shall be cut under regulations such
as will insure successive crops If L
rightly handled these timber lands Il
would yie'd the state handsome reve-1
nues continuously.
Taxation.
Next to fire the most serious hand i
ican fo tho pr0graSS of forestry &c our.