A NATIONAL PLAN FOR AMERICAN FORESTRY 23 



item in the cut, about one half of the total, is for lumber, while 

 fuel wood is nearly 30 percent. 



The requirements of the future will be influenced by a large number 

 of factors, the resultant of which cannot be predicted with certainty. 

 It seems wise, however, to base plans for the future upon the best 

 judgment that can be formed of probable normal requirements 

 making reasonable allowance for losses that occurred during the 

 predepression period and for factors that might affect future rates of 

 consumption. 



On this basis the conclusion has been reached that our forests 

 should be put in the condition to meet an annual drain of at least 16K 

 billion cubic feet for all purposes, including unpreven table losses 

 from fire, insects, and diseases. A conspicuous part of these nor- 

 mal requirements so determined is 55 billion board feet of saw 

 timber. This, for lumber, the most important product, would pro- 

 vide an annual cut of 32 billion board feet. 



CURRENT AND NECESSARY GROWTH 



Against current drain and probable normal requirements must, 

 among other things, be balanced present and possible growth. 



From the best data now possible to obtain, present growth is esti- 

 mated to be about 9 billion cubic feet annually in timber of all sizes. 

 The ratio of normal drain to growth is therefore nearly 2 to 1 . 



Growth of the all-important saw timber is somewhat less than 12 

 billion board feet. The ration of requirements to growth of this 

 material is therefore about 5 to 1. The ratios for both classes of 

 timber are shown in figure 13. 



Of great importance also is the fact that drain and requirements 

 for saw timber exceed current growth in varying ratios in every 

 important forest region of the country, and with possibly one excep- 

 tion, for timber of all sizes. 



The problem of balancing the timber budget is therefore in part, 

 approximately to double the growth for timber of all sizes for the 

 country as a whole, and in part also to increase that of saw-timber 

 size by five times. 



That this is within the realm of possibilities is shown by the fact 

 that present growth averages per acre only 21 cubic feet, whereas 

 in such a region as the South it ought to be possible to obtain 50 cubic 

 feet by extensive forest management and 75 cubic feet by intensive 

 forest management, both over large areas. Similarly in the Pacific 

 coast region it should be possible to obtain growths of 45 cubic feet 

 by extensive and 75 cubic feet by intensive forestry. 



THE REMAINING TIMBER AND ITS AVAILABILITY 



The virgin timber supply, which has always obscured the need for 

 timber growing, is still a factor to be taken into account in balancing 

 our national timber budget. 



Four fifths of the all-important saw timber, of which we still have 

 1,668 billion board feet, is old growth. ^ Four fifths of the saw timber 

 and over nine tenths of the old growth is, however, in the West, while 

 the large consuming markets are in the East and Middle West. 



168342 33 vol. 1 3 



