100 



that the faster growing species in unmanaged bottomland stands average 

 twice the vokime growth of the slower growing trees. The protection of 

 forests from fire and grazing, and the regulation, through thinnings, of the 

 kinds of trees which will be left, are simple forms of good management 

 which will nearly double the annual production of cubic feet of wood. A 

 better utilization of this product, which will enlarge the proportion of high 

 grade material to the total production, will increase the returns. Much of 

 the 59 per cent of the wood production of Illinois which is now used as 

 cordwood is suitable for uses having general stumpage values from four 

 to sixteen times that of cordwood. 



That part of the 1,577,663 acres of waste land which is not reverting 

 to productive forest land should be replanted. To the end that the land 

 owners may have access to a supply of suitable planting stock at a reason- 

 able price, the state should establish a forest tree nursery. 



Any plan which contemplates the establishment of state-owned for- 

 ests should give weight not only to the forested area of southwestern 

 Illinois, but also to the practicability of establishing pine forests on the 

 unforested sands of central and northern Illinois. As computed on page 

 37, there are at least 310,000 acres of sand, of which more than 200,000 

 acres is unforested. These sandy areas are often in large units, a single 

 county containing 75,000 acres. 



In outlining state aid in fire control the principle should be that such 

 aid should be given to those regions where the forests are continuous and 

 cover relatively large areas, but that in those regions where the wood-lots 

 are relatively small and isolated the owners can cope with fires. The 

 maps III to VI cover those areas in Illinois where upland forests are the 

 most contonuous. Continuous bodies of forest cover relatively large areas 

 in the following regions : 



(a) As shown on Map III such a forest extends along the bluffs 

 in the western part from central Alexander county to central Monroe 

 county and contains approximately 202,000 acres of forest. 



(b) As shown by Map III a heavily forested area occurs at the 

 eastern extreme of the Ozark uplands in southwestern Gallatin, southeast- 

 ern Saline, eastern Pope and Hardin counties. This upland area con- 

 tains approximately 86,000 acres forested. 



(c) Possibly the region embraced in Calhoun and western Jersey 

 counties has woodlands of such a nature as to require organized fire pro- 

 tection (see Map V). There are approximately 50,000 acres of such 

 upland forest in this region. Elsewhere in the state the forests are less 

 continuous and protection can be given by the land-owner. 



