Progress of the U. S. forest Service. 401 



about 350 billion feet is overmature and mature. The annual 

 yield is roughly estimated at slightly over 6 billion feet. With 

 the proper deduction for local requirements near the various 

 National Forests, over 5-^ billion feet are available for timber 

 sales to supply the general market. 



Timber sales are rapidly increasing. Comparison of the fiscal 

 years 1912 and 1913 brings this out clearly: 



The aims of the National Forest Timber policy may be sum- 

 marized as follows : — 



1. Prevent losses by fire. 



2. Utilize ripe timber in such a manner as to insure restocking 

 of the land and continuance of production, 



3. Sell timber at the proper price. 



4. Sell ripe timber so as to prevent speculation. 



5. Prevent monopoly of public timber and maintain competi- 

 tive conditions in the lumber industry by its sale. 



6. Provide for requirements of local communities and settlers. 



7. Make timbered lands of agricultural value available for 

 proper settlement and use. 



8. Make the National Forests self-sustaining, and yield revenue 

 to the various states to offset loss in taxes. 



The most important factors influencing the sale of timber are: 



1. Distance of larger bodies of N. F. timber from markets and 

 transportation facilities. 



2. Condition of the lumber markets. 



3. Difficulties in logging — topography exceedingly rough on 

 many portions of the National Forests. 



4. Presence of privately owned timber tributary to same 

 markets as National Forest timber. 



The relative importance of these four factors vary from year 

 to year, an4 their fluctuation results in corresponding changes 

 in timber sale receipts. 



A brief classification of the timber sales by years will clearly 

 show their rapid growth in total values : — 



