PROGRESS IN SALES OF FIRE-KILLED TIMBER IN 

 IDAHO AND MONTANA. 



By W. B. GreeIvKy. 



The fires of 1910 left on the hands of District No. i of the 

 Forest Service approximately 6,000,000,000 feet of timber on 

 burned areas, the greater part of which was dead and in danger of 

 rapid deterioration. Aluch of this timber is so inaccessible as to 

 be beyond the possibility of salvage. From one to two billion 

 feet, however, are so located as to be within the range of prac- 

 ticable logging operations. The sale of this material within the 

 duration of its merchantability immediately became the most 

 urgent administrative question of the District. 



Hardly had the smoke cleared when reconnaissance parties be- 

 gan estimating the burned timber by logging units and compiling 

 data on logging conditions required for the preparation of con- 

 tracts and the information of purchasers. A systematized cam- 

 paign of advertisement was conducted in order to place the op- 

 portunities for the purchase of this material before the lumber 

 trade. 



In spite of depreciation in the lumber markets which has seri- 

 ously affected the demand in this locality, substantial results in 

 the disposal of this timber have been already accomplished. Near- 

 ly 300 million feet has been contracted for sale. Advertisements 

 and personal canvas have stimulated a large number of inquiries 

 and applications are pending for several additional blocks. It is 

 probable that within two or three months the total amount sold 

 will reach the half billion mark. 



The preparation of contracts for such sales and their adminis- 

 tration present a number of new and important qiiestions. Many 

 of the stands contain mixtures of Western White Pine with other 

 species relatively inferior under present market conditions. Chief 

 among these are Western Larch, Douglas Fir, and White Fir. In 

 the administration of ordinary sales of green timber the removal 

 of all of the inferior species is required both in the interests of 

 close utilization and the restocking of the ground with the most 

 valuable timber. 



