The evening herald. (Klamath Falls, Or.) 1906-1942, 1922-09-15
TIMBER GROWING
HELD ESSENTIAL
Dwindling Forests Decrease
Per Capita Use Of Lumber,
u. S. Report Shows

/ ''' '"' p'''' W '''"Tr' ''"''
soon be felt and the cry Of famin,
would undoubtedly be raised.
Yet substitute the word wood
for food" and you have Just what
has happened In the use OF lumber;
for the per capita consumption has
! dropped from 500 board fleet in
1906 to 3lG board feet In 1920, says
the forest ervice. United States de-
partmcnt Of agriculture.
This decreasing use OF q fundn.
mental commodity. according TO for
est experts. is not n result OF de-
crcasing needs but a result OF fores,
exhaustion. II In not being accom-
plIshcd without economic hardship or
without curtaiiment of Industrial ex-
pansion. II Is not temporary con.
dition that will automatically adjust
itself. for even at this reduced rate
of consumption wo are still cutting
our forests more than times as
fast as they grow. The situation pro.
claims. according 10 the forest ser.
vice. that II we are TO remain ma
tlon OF timber growers. We must be-
come n nation OF timber growers.
In 1906. when American lumber
production reached It's highest point.
the average per capita consumption
OF lumber In the United States was
approximately 500 board feet. Since
that time the per capita consumption
has rapidly and consistently dccrcas.
ed until In 1890 the average citizen
used approximately 3i6 board feet.
This Is a reduction OF % per cent In
~ years. or nearly 3 per cent a year.
Should this decrease continue at IL.
present rate. by 1910 the downward
sweep OF consumption would ap-
proach zero. This. OF course. will
not happen. The average consump-
tion will ultimately reach a fairly
stable level. which will depend main.
iy upon the extent 10 which our de-
vastatcd forests arc made again pro.
ductiyc.
The consumption Of lumber Is not
evenly distributed over tho various
regions OF the United States. Pre-
vious studies have indicated that the
states OF the Pacific northwest. now
tho last great stronghold OF big .nm-
bcring operations. had a much high
or per capia consumption thal those
Of other regions. but the present III.
ures are the first which give info--
nation for all states upon the same
basis. Naturally the grea,oot pc-
capita consumption occurs where
wood Is plentiful and the population
Is relatively small. In Washington
ana Oregon the consumption appears
to be between 800 and 1000 board
feet annually per person.
Next come California. Montana. Id
aho and Wyoming. where the rat, OF
consumption is from 500 to SEQ feet
per person annually. In these states
timber is relatively plentiful rs COM
pared with the density OF the popu-
lation. and a very considerable cx-
pansion has been taking place In
tho development OF farms and other
natural resources.
Tho group next lower In per cap.
ita consumption includes the lake
states. and sweeps southwcsteriy
across the prairie states through
Colorado. Now Mexico, and Arizona.
In this group the annual consumption
Is between 500 and 500 feet board
measure per year,
Practically all tho remaining
states fall Into class In which the
annual consumption Is 900 to 500
foct per year. This group extends In
a broad belt from Texas along the
and eastern Atlantic coast
TO Cape Cod, Mass. II also includes
North Dakota. Iowa. Utah and New
ada.
Tho lowest consumption Of all Is In
lthode Island. the District Of Coluin.
bia. South Carolina and Georgia, in
which tho average consumption is
rated between 100 and 900 feet per
yoar. In tho District OF Columbia
there Is an extreme situation In
density OF population, No lumber
Is produced. there Is little farming
Or manufacturing. and tho entiro
population consists OF urban dweliors
in tho city OF Washington who live
mainly In houses Of brick and stone
and require relatively little lum-
bcr, All tho lumber used In the Dis.
lrict OF Columbia is imported from
other states. Just as It Is In zone Of
The non-timbered prairie states.
In 1eneral the nldor anl mara