PHOTOSYNTHESIS 



Billion board feet 



Original stand of forests 5,200 on 850 million acres 



Present (1927) stand of forests 2,500 on 550 million acres 



Rate of annual consumption 35 



We are cutting down our forests three times as fast as they 

 grow. Certain species of trees are in danger of extinction. War 

 conditions have aggravated the situation. Figures referring to the 

 years just before the war for the states of Washington, Oregon, Mon- 

 tana, and Idaho, which now supply half of the timber cut in the 

 United States, are as follows (3): 



Billion board feet 



Annual cut and losses in the Northwest 12.5 



Current annual growth 4.2 



Potential annual growth after universal adoption of 



best forest practices 23 





Fig. 2. — Virgin forests in 1945. 



The last figure shows that we should not abandon all hope. 

 There is a well-tested way to prevent the exhaustion of our wood 

 reserves. But it is not enough for the government to administer the 

 national forests i)rovidently. Industrialists and private owners hold 



29 



