SUSTAINED ANNUAL YIELD 833 



2. It is mandatory of application only on those properties where bet- 

 ter or more feasible methods of cutting are not established. 



The plan suggested essentially is this : 



Any forest property handled under working plans approved by the 

 Federal authorities is permitted to operate under those plans. 



Regulation to a certain extent, is mandatory but the form which is 

 used is left to the discretion of the owner except that it must be ap- 

 proved by the authority. Unless noted, the following regulations do 

 not apply to properties managed under approved plans. The regulations 

 are imposed, however, upon those forest owners who do not prepare 

 feasible plans. 



It is understood that if any forest owner does not wish to carry on a 

 forest business, and if no private enterprise or State wishes to purchase 

 the property, that the Government will buy it. 



Farmers' woodlots are exempt, at least tacitly; but no others, State, 

 National, or private forests. 



These features of the plan should not be lost from sight. 



All forests not under regular plan are cut over on the selection system 

 with a period of return of 30 years. One-third and no more of the 

 basal area of the stand on any 40-acre tract may be cut at any one time. 

 In some forests this means that since the larger and taller trees will be 

 cut first ordinarily, that the voktme actually removed will be about 40 

 per cent of the total volume of the stand. In even-aged stands where 

 the trees are all very nearly the same size, removing one-third of the 

 basal area means removing about one-third of the volume of the stand. 



The basal area referred to is that of the actual live timber standing 

 on the area at the time of cutting. 



No restrictions as to what kind of trees or size shall be cut are im- 

 P9sed, excepting that for all purposes including building of improve- 

 ments necessary in the woods work, not more than the prescribed 

 amount shall be cut. No dead or down trees are to be figured. 



The plan, it is apparent, is not so much a scheme of regulation as it is 

 a plan for inhibiting forest destruction. It leads to sustained annual 

 yield, and thus is much superior to national plans for prevention of 

 forest destruction through means of silviculture alone. 



Under the plan the amount of timber that a man cuts off from his 

 property is not under all conditions materially lessened. The entire 

 property can be logged over in one year if desired; but if it is thus 

 logged over in one year it cannot be logged off again for 20 years. 



