The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1920-10-07

senate by the forest service of the
United States department of agricul-
ture. The development of the lumber
industry of the region, however, has
already progressed far. Within the
last year shipments to eastern markets
have largely increased, and points for
merly supplied by yellow pine have
been invaded up to the very boun-
daries of the llow-pine-produc-
ing territory. Approximately three
and one-half times as much timber is
being taken from the Pacific coast for
ests as is produced by growth, while
for timber of saw timber size the de-
pletion is nine times the growth.
Large Virgin Stands.
The commercial forest area of the
Pacific coast states, the report says,
has been reduced to approximately
57,5S6000 acres. ga large percentage
of this, about 39,370,O0O acres, is in
virgin stands" Not all of this, how
ever, is accessible high-grade timber,
for there is large percentage of rel
atively inferior and inaccessible areas.
'"This is an important factor which is
usually overlooked in the considera-
ton of the western timber supply"
Second growth of saw timber size COW
ers about $4,000 acres, and smaller
second growth of G, 425O0O acres, while
non-restocking forests cover 100000
acres.
The present stand CT timber is esti-
mated to contain about LA, 100000
board feet. OF this amount, Oregon
has total stand of nearly 494 ,000, 000,-
900 feet, Washington has 334 900 O00,-
600 feet, and California over 313000,-
100000 feet. More than one-half of
the total, or about $4,000, 900, 600
board feet, occurs in the Douglas fir
belt of western Oregon and Washing
ton. /, Douglas fir comprises approx
mately 55S,cOO,O00, 900 feet, and of this
$4,000, 100000 feet, or nearly one
fourth of the remaining saw timber in
the United States, is In Washington
and Oregon.
cut-over Area Large.
Already there is a cut-over area of
approximately 6,125OOO acres. the re-
port states. OF this amount about
two-thirds is in Washington and Ore
gon, and very large percentage is
west of the Cascades in the Douglas
FIR belt. The area burned over annual
ly in the three Pacific coast states Is
found by the forest service to amount
to 100000 acres, and the loss in TIM
Der to about 6OO,O00,OO0 board feet.
The annual drain on the forests Of
the Pacific coast states is estimated to
be about 1880, 100000 feet, accord
ing to the report. The total annual
growth of the forests is equivalent to
about 100000, 900 board feet. Deple-
tion Of the forests, therefore, approx
mates three and one-half times the
growth, while depletion of saw timber
is approximately nine times the
growth of the same class of material.
One reason for the comparatively
small amount of growth is, of course,
the fact that very much of the terri
tory is occupied by virgin stands.
In spite of the tremendous supplies
VI ttluDS1s III NCIld1u 1OCdlillCS large
proportion of local timber has been
cut and logging operations are being
pushed back to the less accessible tim
Der in the rougher mountain regions,
the report points out. 1.-THE exhaus-
ton of local supplies is a vital mat
ter to local prosperity and develop
ment. 1t means fhe cessation of To-
cal industry, the abandonment of i'm