Assessing Fire Damages in Southwest. 413 



B. M. for the timber of the region for which this method of 

 valuation has been devised an estimated increase of 100% at the 

 end of 20 years is considered thoroughly conservative.* That 

 this increase will occur uniformly throughout the period is not 

 to be expected. Granted, however, that the increase of 100% 

 does occur at the end of 20 years it can be reasonably assumed 

 for the purpose of valuation that the increase will amount to 25% 

 for each 5-year division of the period. The following figures 

 have accordingly been used. 



Estimated Increase in Stumpage. 



The Classification of Products Destroyed by the fire will fall 

 naturally under four headings : 



1. Merchantable timber (all trees above 12" D. B. H.). 



2. Pole stand (all trees between 6" and 12" D. B. H.). These 

 will form the basis of future cuts for the next 10 years. 



3. Reproduction (both seedlings and saplings, i. e. everything 

 up to 6" D. B. H.). 



4. Forage; the actual amount of grass on the area. 



The Method of Bstimating must, to a certain extent, vary with 

 the topographic conditions ; but the following points should be 

 strictly adhered to: 



1. All four classes of damage can be estimated at once, but a 

 separate tally must be kept for each. 



2. Estimating should be done by strips rather than by sample 

 acres, either circular or square. Single acres may be taken if in 

 strip form not more than two chains wide ; one chain wide is 

 preferable. 



3. The strips should be run through the burn in such a way that 

 their result will give as near the average conditions of the burn 

 as possible. 



*The value of stumpage at the end of 20 years in District III. U. S. 

 F. S. has been estimated at $6 per M. ft. B. M. by T. S. Woolsey, Jr. 



