Forests and Forestry 



Lumbering is an Important Industry of the State With 



Millions of Feet of Forest Products Turned Out of the 



Sawmills Annually and a Tremendous Wealth 



in Standing Timber* 



HE LUMBER industry has long been one of the most important 



enterprises of the state. For many years the great forests, 



fifS:)/ HP Vioqiil covering the mountains, have contributed millions of feet of 



Iljf3fll A !||jll lumber to the supply of the nation. In view of the need of 



the government for forest products in aircraft production and 

 in different cantonments, the products of the Montana forests 



it 



c2Ei£v!Il2x3$ are doubly important for they are helping to meet one of the 

 greatest war needs of the nation. 

 The importance of the industry is shown by the fact that the total money invest- 

 ment in mills, logging equipment, yards and transportation amounts to $78,000,000; 

 between 10,000 and 15,000 men are employed; over 122 large sawmills are in opera- 

 tion and 595,000,000 feet of forest products, 349,771,000 feet of which is commercial 

 lumber, is produced, while 58,000,000,000 feet of timber is standing on the perma- 

 nent productive timber land of the state. 



How Forests Are Owned. 



The merchantable timber of the state is divided by ownership into five classes 

 as follows: 



National Forest Service 58 per cent 



National Parks 1 per cent 



Indian Reservations 5 per cent 



State Forest Service 6 per cent 



Private Ownership 30 per cent 



There are eighteen national forests in the state under the supervision of the 

 United States Forest Service with its great corps of foresters and supervisors. 

 Most of these are located in the western part of the state, in Lincoln, Flathead, 

 Missoula, Sanders, Mineral, Ravalli, Granite and Beaverhead counties. 



The state maintains a forestry service for the care of the state timbered lands. 

 The national government set aside certain grants for the benefit of the public institu- 

 tions of the state and state officials have selected about 252,205 acres of timbered 

 land, containing about 1,256,000,000 board feet worth upwards of $4,000,000. 



The timber stand of the state is composed of the following commercial species: 

 Lodgepole pine, 24 per cent; Douglas fir, 21 per cent; larch, 20 per cent; yellow 

 pine 19 per cent; Englemann spruce, 8 per cent; white pine, 2 per cent; cedar, 

 1 per cent; miscellaneous, 5 per cent. Other species found in smaller quantities are, 

 western hemlock, white fir, Alpine fir, limber pine, white bark pine and white 

 spruce. 



Western pine is the chief lumber producing tree of the state and western 

 larch not far behind. The latter is in much demand for interior finishing, because 

 of its susceptibility to stain and because it takes a high polish. It resembles in 

 appearance Circassian walnut. It is semi-hardwood and is not as susceptible to 

 atmospheric influences as are many other woods. 



