The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1910-10-25
TWO BILLION FEET KILLED IN
RECENT FOREST FIRES READY
FOR DISPOSAL.
CHANCE FOR LUMBERMEN


washington, ". MI, OCT. 2i.4-Six hi
Hon beard f.rt nf lumber. valued &t
about Sl..noO,OU0, were destroyed III
the recent forest fire in iho national
forests ia Montana and northern
Idaho The tuial acreage bnrneaapyet
acres,
Th" first ruEBh estimate of the loss
IN tile district MAS completed today .bs
officials ~ tile government forest
service.
Biggest Loss in Idaho.
II shows that the heaviest losers
Mere IN two Idaho forests the. Occur
a'Alene. where 3.O00,O00.O .ODD board feet
~ timber was killed On destroyed. and
more than $4,000 acres burned over.
and the Clearwater. where 1000, 900, 900
feet was killed and 100000 acres
burned over.
However, heavy LOSSES were: Helena
national forest. 100000. 900 feet: Cab
met forest, 40O0OOO0O, and Loio for
est 300.00O.O0O feet.
How much Of the G,00o.O0O.O00 feet
which was either killed or burned In
Montana and northern Idaho can
eventually he salvaged. IL II, Of course
impossible to predict II 1t were all q
total loss, and If its stnmpage value
were put ut the average price ut which
forest timber was sold last year. II
would be the equivalent Of n money
loss of about slaDOO,D00.
II Is believed that last summers
fires either burned or killed between
! and per cent of tile total stand ol
forest timber. AT the present rate oi
cutting from the national forests. o.
900, 100000 feet IL equal Ia IL years
supply, but 1t is Legs than one sixth %
Il single years cut In the entire coun.
try or enough to keep all lumber
mills busy for something under two
months.
Some Living Timber.
A statement issued today says
Forester Graves believes that, as nsn
nliy happens In the case of big fires
there viii be found to be considerabl,
areas of living timber within the re
slons now mapped as entirely bune'
over. or necessity. the figures ginel
are tentative. for 1t has been lmpos
sible To examine all the burned area
thoroughly, Az fast as possible, how
ever. the forest officers are locatin
ana estimating the bodies of timbe
killed. bnt capable of being numbered
II taken In time There will be a
enormous quantity of fire killed lnm
brf both on the national and privat
lands 10 BIZ disposed Of az soon as pos
sible, since II not marketed quickly
VIII not be worth cutting.
30 Be Sold on Stump.
..The department of agriculture wi
push vigorously to dispose Of this fire
killed timber. As with all other na
tnnal forest timber. II Will be sold 0
the stump tn millmen, whD will lllmbe
il,a land. paying set price per thou
sand board feet for the timber an
conforming to whatever regulations 4
are stipulated In the Interest Of Il,
forest. Pending the disposal Of tn
fire-killed timber, future sales of gree
timber from the national forests whie
were badly burned last summer wi
probably be greatly restricted II n.
entirely suspended.
Timber to Be Cheaper.
"Since the amount To be disposed
,lnobtless Is greater than can he ma
keied In any event, and since II
better for the country that the timb
he utilized than that 1t go to waste
the woods, the price at which 1t W
he sold will be lower than would
asked for the timber rnder ordina
circumstances, Generally speakin
Secretary Wilson does not regard 1t
wise policy TO sell off the nation
forest timber except when II is in re
sonably good demand, for the count
Is sure To need the supply badly lat
on. But with the killed timber
IL a case of now or never, Gonsequen
Iy there Is an unusual opening for HI
hermen who are ready to buy nation
forest shlmpage at bargain prlces,'