1470 A NATIONAL PLAN FOR AMERICAN FORESTRY 



much in the manner indicated by the Wisconsin report. But there 

 are certain criteria which may serve to guide the selection of areas in 

 local and national programs : 



(a) Volume production. There is a tremendous range in the po- 

 tential growth in different regions and on different sites within a 

 region. On one piece of ground the mean annual increment may be 

 100 cubic feet per acre; on another, a tenth of that. Obviously, other 

 things being equal, it will pay to put intensive forestry effort where the 

 forest increment will be larger. 



(6) Value production. A thousand cubic feet of one species of wood 

 may be worth much more than the same quantity of another species. 

 An economic prognosis may indicate the kinds of woods most likely 

 to be in demand in the future, nationally or locally, whether hard- 

 woods or conifers, structural or finish lumber, or specialty woods. 

 Quality of product as well as species must be considered, for where 

 there is a definite prospect of attractive special markets for products 

 of certain sizes or grades an effort should be made to produce material 

 suitable for such markets. As an illustration, it has been estimated 

 that in New England favorably situated northern white pine stands if 

 carefully treated may yield stumpage valued at $400 or more per acre, 

 while in untreated stands of the same sort stumpage might not be 

 worth more than $150. In general, conditions will be especially 

 favorable for intensive forestry on those areas where it is possible to 

 grow the most valuable species and the most valuable types of prod- 

 ucts. 



(c) Accessibility to market. This bears directly upon the stumpage 

 value of any forest property. A forest close to a large population of" 

 users or near centers of wood-using industries will produce a greater 

 revenue and justify more intensive practice, other things being equal, 

 than one remote from such centers. Likewise a forest on easily 

 logged ground is more remunerative than one on difficult ground or 

 one that has a high transportation charge to reach. In regions of 

 scanty timber, the existence of a substantial local demand may make 

 possible the most intensive practice in the nearest forests even though 

 these be as much as 50 or 100 miles distant and of relatively low qual- 

 ity and productive capacity. For example, possibly the greatest 

 intensity of management and the closest approach to full utilization 

 of the growth of the land anywhere on the national forests may be 

 found in the artificial forests of the sand hills of Nebraska or in the 

 stands of small-size lodgepole pine on the Minidoka National Forest 

 in Idaho. 



(d) Risk. Because of differences in climatic conditions and to a 

 lesser extent hi the effectiveness of protection organization, forests of 

 various regions and of various types differ widely as to likelihood of 

 destruction by fire. Certain forest types and species are less subject 

 than others to attack by kuown insect enemies and diseases. This 

 will be an important consideration in making any investment for 

 intensive forestry. From this standpoint natural conditions such as 

 those which exist throughout most of Vermont and other portions of 

 northern New England are perhaps ideal. 



These four factors volume production, value production, acces- 

 sibility to market, and risk all affect returns. On the other side of 

 the ledger must be set down the cost of intensive forestry measures. 

 Some forest types are easier and cheaper to regenerate than others. 



