The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1948-05-06
THE FOREST SERVICE DISCUSSES
WORKING OF SUSTAINED YIELD

The auditorium of the New Cen
traI School Building was well filled
friday evening when a representa-
tive group of Libby citizens met to
listen to and take part in a discus
sion Of the proposed Sustained
Yield Agreement The meeting was
called by the Forest Service, and
was preceded Thursday evening bv
a similar meeting at Troy.
The gathering was called to order
by Forest Supervisor w. C. Guern-
Sey, who after a few remarks intro
duced Regional Forester P. D Han
son, MiSSoula Mr. Hanson called at
tention to the growing scarcity of
commercial timber in the United
States. He stated that 900 of the
virgin timber in the nation is gone.
and that most of the remaining
virgin forests are found in the
Pacific Northwest. During the SO
years following 1909, the timber
capital dropped 4496, and at the
present rate of consumption, is due
to make alarming drops during the
next two decades.
Congress for many years has |
been alarmed over the situation.
and document 80 gives a report of
the Joint Congressional Committees
of Forest Lands of the United
States on the forest situation. This
document, stated Mr.. Hanson should
be IN the hands of all who are in
terested IN the welfare of the lum-
Der industry
The speaker added that for full
utlIlZatlon OF the forest it is neces-
Sary to have the waste timber pro-
ducts used, and to do this consider
able capital is needed. The fact
that the ]. Neils Lumber Company
IS now operating in Lincoln County.
and has both the needed capital and i
the desire to utilize the timber pro- f
ducts so often wasted causes the s
Forest Service to favor a sustained y
Yield cooperative agreement with f
them h
If the agreement goes through, e
he Neils Company has agreed to h
out in mill at Troy, which will 9
handle 10 million board feet an +
lually, and will run the same ap- 81
oroximate number Of working days u
n the year that the Libby mill B
uns Mr.. Hanson also stated that d
Dads built into the national forest
~ the company will be used by the ir
public; and added that timber lands fc
privately owned by the Neils will ef
lso be placed under government in
management as to what is cut and
5hen. til
Assistant Regional Forester Axel tn
.indh, Missoula, was next introduce of
d to the gathering and gave dis
llptlon of the amount of forest land di
in the proposed agree tt
lent which he stated extends south Fl
ON the Canadian border on the 48
est side of the Kootenai River to pI
oxford and from there on south Sc
long the divide between the Koot- ca
lai River and the Tobacco River of
alleys; thence south along the sts
vide between the Kootenai and is
lathead drainage to Loon Lake Lii
ear Happy's Inn; and from there
most due south to the summit of n
e Cabinet Range, and all forest fo,
ndS west in Lincoln County ex- w
lding the Cabinet Primitive Area MI
I'd several other small areas in tor
e county. 1t also includes a small
ca lying in Bonner County and Nj
1undary County, Idaho. ~
Iindh added that sustained e,
ED" is the use of forest timber III
t to exceed its growth In order
harvest the timber when it is
ady for harvest, roads back into
)untain areas difficult to reach OF
Ist be built. OF the million and on
e-half acres of national forest PIN
Id in the Kootenai Forest, one anc
I'd of a million acres are back in ian IA
S high altitude, difficult to reach Pul
lntry. This is country into which ioCI
ordinary operator cannot afford l
build roads. Another third of was
lion acres is Lodgepole of "jack- I0 Sr
e" timber. A half million acres slaS
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