XXIV INTRODUCTION 



2. THE AMOUNT OF STANDING TIMBER 



The amount of standing timber in the United States at the 

 time of settlement, based upon our present standards of use, has 

 been placed at not less than 5200 billion board feet. Clearing, 

 fire, grazing, and lumbering have reduced this vast stand much 



Rock; Mountain Forest 

 Pacific Coast Forest 



Central Hardwood F 

 Southern Forest 



FIG. 1. The forest regions of the United States. The unshaded 

 areas are treeless. 



faster than it has been replaced by growth. The present stand 

 has been placed by the U. S. Forest Service at approximately 

 2500 billion board feet. 1 



3. THE OWNERSHIP OF MERCHANTABLE TIMBER 



The publicly owned forests of the United States contain more 

 than 100 million acres of merchantable timber, the greater part of 

 which is in the West. The estimated stand of merchantable 

 timber in the public forests is placed at 484 billion board feet, or 

 less than one-fifth of the total estimated stand for the entire 

 country. Of this amount nearly 400 billion board feet are in the 

 National Forests. 



1 The Department of Commerce and Labor estimates the present stand of 

 timber to be 2800 billion board feet. (The lumber industry: U. S. Dept. 

 of Commerce and Labor, Bur. of Corporations. Washington, 1913.) 



