Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-05
Photo By o. 8. Forest Service

Sitka spruce which is generally conceded to
be the best pulping wood on the Pacific Coast,
compares very favorably with white spruce the
standard pupwood of Eastern North America.
The average of pulp per cord OF 100 cubic feet
Of solid wood as determined by the Forest Prod
ucts Laboratory, Is 2,1O0 pounds, bone-dry, by
the mechanical process, and 800 pounds, bone
dry, by the sulphite process.
The Sitka spruce Of the TongasS Forest oc-
ours from tidewater to elevation Of 500 feet.
The average mature tree Is about feet In
diameter and 160 feet in height, but trees with
. diameter of feet and height of 200 feet
are common.
Estimating the total stand of virgin timber
at 10000 900 board feet, and allowing 80 years
as the rotation period during which this timber
will be entirely cut, approximately 100000
cords Of wood of 900 board feet each can be
removed from the forest yearly in this period.
AS the new crop Of timber in which cutting will
begin after 80 years will have at least twice
the volume per acre Of the virgin stand ac-
cording to conservation studies Of the Forest
Service plan Of forest management based on
the sustained yield Of 100000 cords Of pulp
wood is considered conservative.
This policy of the Forest Service preventing
the overdevelopment and subsequent collapse
through timber exhaustion that has character
lied timber industries in many sections of the
United States, is an important factor IN the
investment by the paper companies of heavy
assurance Of long operating life.
Where pulpwood was formerly cut and log
RATED to be noated downstream and ocean,
towed to American mills, the mills now will
operate at the source Of supply. The value Of
paper leaving the Alaskan mill Is estimated at
six times the value Of the logs that supply 1t,
including all labor and handling charges.
IMPORTANT among the factors influencing
the establishment Of paper mills in the Alas
kan territory is the ready source Of water power
Over 100000 horsepower had been covered by
reconnaissance surveys UP to December. 1928,
and since then further power explorations in-
GLIDING the recent Alaska aero-survey expedi-
ton of the Navy Department, has led 10 the
hitherto unexpected lakes among the high peaks
Of the Pacific Coast Range. These mountains
5000 to 5000 feet In height, with an occasional
peak reaching 1000 to 1900 feet, are extremely
rugged and presented great difhculty IN ex-
ploFation.
The discovery Of one Of these lakes consti-
tuting an ideal water-power site within IS miles
Of Ketchikan was deciding factor to the Eel
lerbach interests In choosing . plant location
near that city. Surveys revealed that power
from three other lakes in the same locality
could be economically concentrated at this one
point and the four will produce 10000 horse
power at the Ketchikan plant.
Another instance Of this concentration Of
power is found near Juneau, where the interests
representing the San Francisco Chronicle and
the Los Angeles Times are planning to locate.
At this point Sc, 600 horsepower can be developed
in one power house from two sites adjacent to
the head Of Speel River, and the development
q two additional sites in the same locality