234 A NATIONAL PLAN FOR AMERICAN FORESTRY 



It would appear that the present volume of timber in New England, 

 if it should all prove to be economically available and were properly 

 distributed as to age classes, would almost sustain the growth indi- 

 cated in both tables 23 and 24. In the Middle Atlantic region, under 

 the same assumptions, the present stands would have to be increased 

 about 65 percent. In the combined Lake, Central, and Southern 

 regions more than 2.5 times the present growing stock would be 

 needed to achieve the indicated sustained production. 



In reality the stands in the East, generally speaking, are not 

 regularly distributed as to age classes. Few of them are in a satis- 

 factory silvicultural condition, and it is doubtful whether all of them 

 will ever become economically available. For these reasons the defi- 

 ciencies in the growing stocks indicated for the eastern regions prob- 

 ably understate the seriousness of the situation. In short, after 

 allowing for sizable inaccuracies in stand and growth estimates it 

 seems conclusive that the existing growing stocks in the East are much 

 less than adequate to maintain, on a saw-timber rotation, anything 

 approaching the sustained yields set up in table 23. This would be 

 true even if the growing stocks were properly regulated. 



In the West, on the other hand, the present stands appear to exceed 

 by more than 90 percent the volume of regulated growing stock 

 necessary to maintain the sustained yield indicated in table 23. 

 However, the factor of inaccessibility, even though it may prove of 

 diminishing importance, will tend to reduce the apparent surplus. 

 Nevertheless, regulated growing stocks in those regions equal to or 

 somewhat less than the present stands would probably be adequate. 



SUMMARY 



The preceding pages have presented the outstanding aspects of the 

 forest situation in the several regions, both from the standpoint of 

 current growth, and from that of the theoretical sustained-yield pos- 

 sibilities in relation to the existing growing stocks. Without assuming 

 that the calculations involved represent precise accuracy, or that they 

 approximate the rates of drain and growth which will actually take 

 place and which will be governed by circumstances which cannot 

 accurately be foretold, it may yet be concluded that, irrespective of 

 the existing economic depression, a considerable decline in the national 

 cut is inevitable. This decline will be largely, if not entirely, in the 

 eastern regions. The situation in the East is so serious that the 

 severe reduction in the drain on the forest resulting from the economic 

 depression during the past three years may be providential from the 

 standpoint of the welfare of the forest resources. 



The severity and duration of this decline in cut, and its ill effects 

 nationally, regionally, and locally may be minimized in a number of 

 ways. Further restricting abnormal losses by fire and other causes 

 will serve to reduce the rate of depletion of the growing stock and 

 facilitate the restocking of cut-over areas. The area of producing 

 forest land can be increased by an aggressive program for planting the 

 large area of open and nonproductive land now available for forestry. 



Better utilization methods, more efficient marketing, and the 

 accompanying reductions in waste would make it possible to cut a 



e'.ven quantity of usable products from a smaller volume of timber, 

 btaining products other than lumber just as far as practical from 

 improvement or salvage cuttings, using defective trees or portions of 



