FOKEST SERVICE STUMPAGE APPRAISALS 715 



size, quality, and condition of the timber, its location, logs per tree, 

 logs per thousand, necessary improvements, estimated costs of sawing, 

 swamping, skidding and landing, brush disposal, and slashing or gird- 

 ling defective trees. Such factors as per cent of slope, condition of 

 .surface, underbrush, reproduction, windfall, and average skidding dis- 

 tance are recorded. 



The average skidding distance is a very important factor, but is often 

 different from that shown by the map, because the heaviest stand of 

 timber is generally near the bottom of the creeks or sidedraws. The 

 appraiser should pace out distances for all improvements. He decides 

 while on the ground the type of improvement most feasible for each 

 unit and keeps a record of the estimated cost of construction. The 

 location of railroads, flumes, sleigh roads, dray roads, scoot roads, 

 trail chutes, gravity chutes, dams, and all other improvements is shown 

 on the map, together with the estimated cost of construction. 



The cost of construction is usually estimated in terms of rods. This 

 is done because of the wide difference in conditions which is often 

 found within short distances. The cost of chute construction for the 

 first 20 rods in a certain draw might be $8 per rod and only $3 per rod 

 for the rest of the way. The same thing is true, but generally not to 

 such a marked degree, between different draws or small units. 



There is sometimes a wide variation between all of the operating 

 costs on different units. This is the main reason why it is so important 

 to keep the costs of each unit separate. 



It is not considered necessary to give a complete discussion of all 

 the factors considered by the appraiser while on the ground and how 

 the costs are determined. Mention has been made of the most impor- 

 tant features in order to illustrate what is meant by analytical, scientific 

 appraisals. 



This method of collecting logging cost data has proven very satis- 

 factory, and a number of checks with actual costs have unquestionably 

 shown that the reliability of the data secured justifies the cost of the 

 detailed examinations. As a proof of the reliability of the data, there 

 are several operators in this region who are willing to depend abso- 

 lutely on the logging costs as determined by the Forest Service ap- 

 praisers. 



When the field examination is completed, practically all the log- 

 ging cost data are compiled and the office work is thus reduced to a 

 minimum. 



The average logging cost for the entire chance is determined by mul- 

 tiplying the cost for each unit by the percentage of the whole chance 



