The Morgan County press. (Wartburg, Tenn.) 1916-1926, 1920-10-08

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 yellow-pine-produc-
ing territorS. 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
57,5S6,00O acres. "a large percentage
of this, about 39,370,00O 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 6,425OOO acres, while
non-restocking forests cover $500, 900
acres.
The present stand of timber is esti-
mated to contain about LA, 100000
board fact. OF this amount, Oregon
has total stand of nearly 494, 100000
900 feet Washington has 1874, 00O,000,-
900 feet, and California over 313,O00,-
100000 feet. More than one-half Of
the total, or about 100000, 900
board feet, occurs in the Douglas fir
belt of western Oregon and Washing
ton. Douglas fir comprises approx
mately 558,OOO,OOO feet, and of this
505,O0O000,0O0 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 6,125,00O 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 600,000,OOO board feet.
The annual drain on the forests OF
the Pacific coast states is estimated to
be aboat 11,330,O0O,OOO feet, accord.
Ing to the report. The total annual
growth of the forests is equivalent to
about 2,I00,000,000 board feet. Deple.
ton 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
of timber, in certain localities a 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. "The exhaus
ton of local supplies is a vital mat
ter to local prosperity and develop
ment. 1t means the cessation of 10
cal industry, the abandonment Of i'm