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(10, 000 Acres) 



The remaining lodgepole pine stands on St. Regis lands are found in rela- 

 tively small acreages mixed in with other types. This is because an effort has 

 been made to change this type to other timber by planting and seeding over the 

 last 15 years. 



The increase in value of stud size timber and the excellent growth for this 

 species shown on the 1966 re-cruise indicates that a reappraisal of our position 

 on eliminating this species is in order. 



This species must be managed as an even aged stand. Regeneration is 

 generally no problem but overstocking nnust be guarded against. Burning broad- 

 cast without laying down the residual and dozer piling both result in too much 

 reproduction. Laydown and burning lightly or laydown without burning produce 

 the most manageable new stands. These new stands should be thinned at a rela- 

 tively early age (15 years or less* in orcer to keep them from stagnation. Re- 

 lease after stagnation is very difficult, if not impossible, in these lower ele- 

 vation stands of lodgepole pine. 



THIN NI NG AND CLEANING 

 These operations which are designed to open up and improve the compo- 

 sition of stands have proven to be not only economically feasible but most de- 

 sirable in shortening rotations and increasing yielas from timberlands. One 

 pre-cornmercial thinning can couble the growth rate of the crop trees for 20 

 yea-s and shorten the rotation by ten years or more accoraing to preliminary 

 information on our 1955 experimental plots. Over the rotation period, with 

 one pre -commercial thinning and two commercial thinnings, the total yield of 

 the stand can be more than doable: compared to an unthinned stand. 



