OPPORTUNITIES FOR PURCHASING NATIONAL FOREST TIMBER. 



The National Forests contain nearly 590 billion feet of merchantable stumpage. The 

 mature timber, which constitutes a large part of the total stand, is for sale. The more 

 accessible bodies may be purchased in blocks of practically any desired size up to 100 

 million feet. Less accessible stumpage which requires a large investment for the con- 

 struction of transportation facilities may be purchased in larger quantities of sufficient 

 size to justify the investment in improvements. Applications up to 1 billion feet 

 will be approved if the investment required necessitates the purchase of a body of 

 that size under one contract. 



The procedure for purchasing National Forest timber is extremely simple. Appli- 

 cations specifying the amount, species, and general location desired may be sent to the 

 offices of the Forest Service at Washington, D. C.; Chicago, 111.; Missoula, Mont.; 

 Denver, Colo.; Albuquerque, N. Mex.; Ogden, Utah; San Francisco, Cal.; and Port- 

 land, Oreg. Advertisement at a fixed minimum price is required by law for at least 

 30 days. The timber is then awarded to the highest bidder and the sale completed 

 by execution of the contract stating the amount and location of the stumpage, the 

 stumpage rates, and the conditions under which the timber shall be removed. 



The contract requirements have been prepared by practical lumbermen and per- 

 fected by the experience gained in the administration of several thousand sales. They 

 are adapted to the local conditions as to topography, size of the timber, and logging 

 methods. That they are eminently practical is demonstrated by the fact that some 

 375 million feet are cut each year under these requirements by lumbermen all over 

 the West. 



Sufficient time is permitted for the removal of the amount purchased under local 

 conditions of logging and manufacture. The time is gauged, however, to require 

 continuous operation at a reasonable rate and does not permit the holding of stumpage 

 for speculative increases in value. The timber to be cut is designated by the forest 

 officers. Either clean cutting, or partial cutting taking 70 to 80 per cent of the stump- 

 age, is employed, depending upon the character of the timber and the best methods 

 of securing new forest growth. Simple precautions are required to protect the uncut 

 timber and young growth, and the disposal of slash by burning, either with or without 

 piling, is necessary. 



These requirements may increase the cost of logging from 50 to 75 cents a thousand 

 feet over the usual cost on private holdings. The difference is always considered in 

 appraising the value of the stumpage. Furthermore, an operator who buys National 

 Forest timber has to make practically no investment at the outset for his stumpage, 

 has no carrying charges for interest or taxes, and incurs practically no fire risk. He is 

 required simply to pay for the timber as it is removed in advance deposits, which 

 represent usually but the value of a month and a half's cut. 



These are obvious advantages, particularly when extended over an operation of 10 

 or 15 years. As private stumpage is cut out in many of the old lumbering centers, 

 operators will find, in the timber on the National Forests, new opportunities for manu- 

 facture under advantageous conditions. 

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