36 



National Resources Committee 



In the ponderosa pine region of eastern Oregon and 

 Washington, Httle exact mformation on growth is yet 

 available. The following figures, while based on the 

 best information which could be found, are no more 

 than rough approxunations. 



Ponderosa pine stands are dissimilar to the fir stands 

 in many ways, of which three are important in the 

 present discussion. Their growth is very much slower. 

 Mature pine stands, in contrast to fir stands which are 

 approximately even-aged, always contain a consider- 

 able proportion of young trees. When such stands are 

 logged, many of the yoimg trees ordmarily are cut 

 along with the old, leaving the cut-over land in a con- 

 dition of very slow growth for many years thereafter. 



Pine stands are relatively resistant to fire, but are 

 very susceptible to attacks of the dendroctonus beetle. 

 This pest is a native of the pine forests and has always 

 been a persistent, though mconspicuous, killer of over- 

 mature trees. About 20 years ago, its attacks suddenly 

 became abnormally severe, and in some recent years it 

 has destroyed more timber than has been cut. This 

 unprecedentedly severe epidemic is apparently near- 

 ing its end, and entomologists are hopeful that the 

 future will see only local outbreaks. It is logical to 



OWNERSHIP OF TIMBER 

 IN COLUMBIA BASIN STATES 



EASTERN 

 WASHINGTON 



WESTERN 

 WASHINGTON 



20 30 40 50 60 70 80 



PERCENTAGE OF SUBDIVISION TIMBER 



STATE LAND 



^^2 NATIONAL FORESTS 



NATIONAL PARKS 



REVESTED LAND 



INDIAN LAND 



COUNTY LAND 



OTHER PUBLIC 

 LAND 



PRIVATE LAND 



AREA OF SQUARE REPRESENTS TIMBER OF REGION 

 935 BILLION FEET 



AREAS OF RECTANGLES REPRESENT TIMBER OWNERSHIP 

 ACCORDING TO ABOVE LEGEND 



NUMERALS ARE BILLIONS OF FEET 



fUilllE lil. 



expect a net growth in vii'gin timber for several decades, 

 since this timber has been heavily thinned of its least 

 vigorous trees, but figures are not available as to the 

 rate of this growth. 



If this possible growth is ignored, the current growth 

 (on the second growth stands) is only about 200 million 

 feet. Tliis growth is being offset by losses caused by 

 beetles and fire, so that the net current growth today is 

 negligible. As time goes on, the entire mature area will 

 be converted into second growth stands and, gradually, 

 the trees m these stands will attain an age at which 

 their growth can be expressed in board feet. 



The net potential growth of the pme territory is esti- 

 mated to be 2.7 billion feet. The current annual 

 growth that will ultimately be attained merely through 

 a continuation of present cutting methods and of fire 

 protection is estimated at 1.8 billion feet. The attain- 

 ment of this ultimate current growth will be long de- 

 layed, both because of the condition in which the cut 

 lands are now being left and because of the slow growth 

 of the species. It is estimated that this growth level 

 will be reached in about 175 years. Figure 14 shows 

 diagrammatically the expected course of events. It 

 will be seen that if the anticipated demand is met com- 

 pletely as long as timber is available, the existing stands 

 will be gone m about 50 years, and that by that time 

 the current growth will amoimt to only about % billion 

 feet, so that a drastic curtailment is inevitable. 



Ponderosa pine is much more nearly uniform in 

 accessibility than is fir, and so these periods need less 

 discount for maccessibility. Still, in many localities 

 the situation with regard to depletion is already acute. 



There is little precise mformation j'et available on 

 growth in the State of Idaho. Favorable factors are 

 that while the southern section of this State is somewhat 

 similar to the pine region of eastern Oregon and Wash- 

 ington, the northern "Panhandle" is a region of fairly 

 heavy ramfall and rapid timber growth. There are 

 also large areas of fast-growing second growth Idaho 

 white pine, but many of these are of merchantable size, 

 and are beuig rapidly cut. Another luifavorable fact 

 is that during dry summers, which are of frequent oc- 

 currence, fire protection is exceptionally difficult. The 

 white pine is, moreover, menaced by a parasitic plant 

 causing the white pine blister rust. This is most deadlj' 

 to the very young trees, and while it is not, perhaps, a 

 serious menace to the existing stand of mature timber 

 (which will probably be cut before the rust damages it 

 very severely) it will, if not checked, almost eliminate 

 the valuable white pine from future forests. 



The present net current growth of the entire State is 

 about 1.6 billion feet. The potential growth is about 

 4.3 billion feet. The level to which the current growth 

 will probably rise without any marked change in present 

 practices is about 3 billion foet, but this figure will not 



