CHAPTER X 

 THE NATIONAL FORESTS OF ALASKA 



There are two great National Forests in 

 Alaska. They cover 20,579,740 acres or about 5y 2 

 per cent, of the total area of Alaska. The larger 

 of these woodlands, the Tongass National Forest, 

 is estimated to contain 70,000,000,000 board feet 

 of timber ripe for marketing. Stands of 100,000 

 board feet per acre are not infrequent. This is 

 the Alaskan forest that will some day be shipping 

 large amounts of timber to the States. It has 

 over 12,000 miles of shore line and ninety per 

 cent, of the usable timber is within two miles of 

 tidewater. This makes it easy to log the timber 

 and load the lumber directly from the forests to 

 the steamers. This forest is 1500 miles closer to 

 the mainland markets than is the other Alaskan 

 National Forest. 



In most of the National Forests the rangers 

 ride around their beats on horseback. The for- 

 esters in the Tongass use motor boats. They 

 travel in couples ; two men to a 35-foot boat, which 

 is provided with comfortable eating and sleeping 



