932 A NATIONAL PLAN FOR AMERICAN FORESTRY 



in private ownership a large part, undoubtedly, is held for other pur- 

 poses than utilization of the commercial timber. This is an impor- 

 tant grazing region, and most of the forest types yield considerable 

 crops of forage. 



The Rocky Mountain region as a whole has an interior continental 

 climate with low precipitation. For this reason the forest growth is 

 too slow, in the opinion of many authorities, to make permanent 

 management attractive to private owners. This depends to a con- 

 siderable extent on how successfully private owners coordinate the 

 use of range and other resources. In a few localities, such as northern 

 Idaho and portions of western Montana, topographic conditions cause 

 precipitation adequate for rapid forest growth. Unfortunately the 

 very valuable western white pine, which is the chief source of value in 

 this section of adequate rainf all is threatened by the white pine blister 

 rust. It is estimated that an immediate investment of about $2.50 

 per acre is necessary to protect the pine from injury from this source. 

 Many private owners are unable to make this expenditure. Fire 



Erotection, also, is a source of heavy expense. If these expenses can 

 e met permanent private management for commercial forest produc- 

 tion is feasible in these localities. The returns forest owners will 

 realize from these and other areas can in most cases be greatly in- 

 creased by prolonging the cut of the existing stands, as will be 

 discussed later. 



Because of the climatic and other conditions just mentioned, main- 

 tenance of forest cover and continued forest production in the Rocky 

 Mountain region depend very largely upon public ownership and 

 management of the bulk of the forest resource. In most localities 

 there is a marked tendency toward returning to public ownership of 

 one form or another the scant area now in private ownership. Never- 

 theless it is desirable that private ownership continue, where it is 

 feasible. 



EXTENT TO WHICH PRIVATE OPERATORS ARE PRACTICING FORESTRY 



The measure of effectiveness in fire protection necessary to con- 

 tinued forest productivity has been reached on very few private 

 forest properties in this region. Until the period of severe curtail- 

 ment of lumber production, starting in 1930, fire-protective efforts 

 were constantly increasing. Ten large companies and a much greater 

 number of small owners in the region are reported to the United 

 States Forest Service as having 5,618,489 acres under organized pro- 

 tection in 1931. The reports, it is believed, do not cover the entire 

 private protective effort. The methods used include cooperation 

 with Federal and State forestry organizations, cooperative action 

 among owners through associations, and, to a lesser extent, organiza- 

 tion for protection of individual properties. 



Reports received show that six operators, owning 890,334 acres, 

 are practicing selective cutting, planting, and other measures (in 

 addition to fire protection) calculated to prolong forest productivity. 

 The practice of selective cutting is based generally on the knowledge 

 that cutting the smaller trees leads to current losses. It is probable 

 that owners of a considerable area not included in these reports, 

 largely in small holdings, are cutting selectively. No cases of definite 



