The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1914-05-09
FOREST AREA
OFFERS GREAT
POSSIBILITIES

SO much has been said Of
Alaska as gold and fish producing
part OF the world that the fact that
the country has timber resources
OF no small magnitude has not
been recognized.
Here are some rather startling
facts for persons who had Imagined
Alaska country composed chief
W OF mountains and glaciers;
to0.ooo,ooo Acres.
The total area OF the forests and
Woodlands In the territory Is estt
mated ut about l00.O00.000 acres.
or i56,250 square miles, or 81 per
cent OF the total OF this about
10000. 600 acres, or 81 $50 square
miles. are estimated as con-
tanning timber suitable FOR manu-
facturing purposes. which Is more
than the area OF South Carolina and
nearly that, OF Maine or Indiana.
OF the remaining so per cent, or
isS,00o square miles. one-half Is
classed as woodland. carrying some
saw timber. but on which the for.
est trees are OF small size. more
fuel. the tree growth on the re-
mainder being stunted. scrubby and
valueless for any purpose except
the camp fires OF the prospcctor.
The region north Of the Endi-
colt mountains. all OF the shores
OF Bering sea, and the Alaska Pen.
insula south OF IlliamnA lake, are
practically destitute OF timber, pro-
ducing nothing larger than willows
OF very small growth and those
only In a few localities.
Forest Reserves.
The Tongass National Forest
covers the entire Southeastern
Archipelago. and the Chugach re-
serve with a width OF about 100
miles extends along the shores Of
the Pacific from the Malaspina
glacier to the Renal peninsula.
These two reserves contain &C..
76f,6e6 acres. or 4t.Si5 square
miles and include the great bulk
OF the merchantable lumber trees.
Character OF Trees.
The trees suitable for lumber on
the coast region are. In point OF
hemlock. the Sitka spruce. west
ern red cedar and yellow or Alaska
cedar. The forests are dense and
as much as $4,000 feet per acre
has been estimated for consid.
cradle tracts. OF which 20 per cent
r. spruce. IS per cent hsmlcck and
the remainder cedar and other
timber trees.
Large Spruce Trees
The spruce reaches a large size.
MP to sir feet In diameter and 4
height OF $50. Diameters OF three
or four feet are attained by the
cedars. The growth Is fairly rapid.
Spruce logs averaging % Inches In
diameter averaged 262 annual
rings; two others 81 inches In
diameter showed SIS and 800 rings.
The forests of the interior are
specifically all included In the drain
age basins OF the Yukon and kusk-
okwim rivers and are of a more de-
ciduous type. saw timber being
secured from the white spruce and
cordwood from the white birch.
poplar. baisam poplar. black cot
XUu WV&fu anu &rVrH. AH1 eAAhRtt -
small: white spruce and balsam
sometimes attain a diameter OF IS
TO - inches. while birch and aspen
average about eight incnes. run
ming up to is in favorable local
tiles. Other trees are smaller.
The white spruce and balsam pop
lar grow to rs feet: birch. aspen
and poplar TO so: black spruce
from 20 TO 40. and tamarack sell
dom over 30. Twenty-Five spruce
logs 80 feet long and slightly over
II inches in diameter showed an
average of f04 annual rings. in
dicating growth OF one inch in
nearly nine years. thus comparing
; favorabIy with the growth OF red
spruce n New York and New Eng.
land.
Small Amount Used.
The amount of lumber at pres