The Record-courier. [volume] (Gardnerville, Nev.) 1904-current, 1912-01-05
TO SELL MUCH
GOOD TIMBER

for bids on large body of timber
on the Tahoe National Forest,
with an offer of terms which in
augurate an important departure
from the policy of the past.
About 73 million board feet Of
saw timber is offered for sale, With
a ten year period for the remova al
of the timber. The National For
ests contain vast supply of mer-
chantable timber, estimated at
equivalent of over 500 billion feet
6oird measure, great part o
which is ripe for tho AK or already
overmature. In many cases, how
ever, the purchaser has to make a
very heavy initial investment in
transportation facilities. To have
this pay, he must be able to figure
on large operation, requiring a
number of years to carry through.
The timber sale policy OF the
Forest Service recognizes that, in
view of the general upward tend
ency OF stpmpage prices, long con
tracts based on present prices
would be strong incentive to
speculation, and might turn out to
be highly disadvantageous to the
public. To protect the pubic, as
consumers, against monopoly prices
aud also against exhaustion o.
local supplies thl ough overcutting,
sales OF timber are carefully pro-
portloned to the existing supply
supply and demand, and sales to
small purchasers, who are vastly
IN the majority, are encouraged.
TO protect the the public, as own
ers, against sales at what may
prove to be too low a price, it has
been the policy in the past to al
low no operations extending over
more than five years. A plan has,
however, now been devised for al
lowing longer operations, with
periodic revision of the stumpaee
rates.
AT the end OF the first five years
OF the Tahoe sale the price 70 be
paid for the timber cut in the fol
lowing five years will be determin-
Ell by the prices OF lumber which
have ruled IN the locality during
the preceding year. Since it is
recognized that present stumpage
prices are rather high in proper
ton to present lumber prices, if
lumber prices do not show an in
crease OF 81 per thousand feet the
stumpage price will not be chang
cd. On any increase above 81 per
Thousand, three-fourths of the 2.
mount OF the increase may be
added to the stumpage price.
The Tahoe sale wall call for the
construction OF of 20 miles OF rail
road, which will be common
carrier and therefore decidedly |
beneficial to the community
another reason for making the sale
which is taken into account. A
minimum price OF $3.50 per thou
sand eeet for yellow pine, the a.
mount of which is estimated al 50
million feet, and also for sugar
pine, and OF 81 per thousand feet
for al other species, is specified in
the advertisement. The interest
which has been shown by lumber
men in this sale leads the Forest
officers to believe that one or more
bids will undoubtedly be received.
The usual conditions of cutting
National Forest timber, to insure
a renewal of the forest and close
utilization of what is cut, will be
incorporated ia the contract of
sale.
That National Forest timber is
In increasing demand is evidenced
by the fact that over $50 million
ieet were sold during the year
which ended on June 30th, 1911,
as against less than 575 million
feet in the previous year. The