62 



FOREST STATISTICAL DATA 



(d) Ninety per cent fir, 10 per cent spruce, 100 years old from natural 

 regeneration on a compartment in the forest of St. Point (third Jura 

 Plateau); altitude 3,280 feet. 



These four compartments average almost 71,000 board feet per acre 

 and indicate what can be attained in 100 years as a maximum with 

 thrifty, vigorous stands of silver fir under proper forest management. 



Statistics for Levier. The Federal forest of Levier 6 perhaps contains, 

 next to La Joux, the best large body of silver fir in the Jura and is one of 

 the richest and most productive in France. It is situated near Pontarlier 

 and rests on three plateaus cut by more or less deep valleys. With inter- 

 spersed private and communal forests it makes a stand of about 24,000 

 acres of almost pure fir. It runs up to 800 cubic meters to the hec- 

 tare (80,000 to 85,000 board feet to the acre). There is an excellent 

 road system. The forest was formerly the property of the Prince de 

 Chalon, afterwards Philip II, of Spain. It was added to the Federal 

 domain in 1674, with the exception of the forest of Vignory which was 

 sold to the king in 1782, and the forest of Gonailles which was not joined 

 to the royal domain until 1725. The forests of Aro and Maublin were 

 despoiled by the neighboring communes. One canton has the right "for 

 timbers in case of fire or in other cases resulting in the destruction of in- 

 habited places." The same communes have the right to remove stumps 

 and debris, and some grazing. The grazing right, however, is not ex- 

 ercised. The total area of this Federal forest is 6,713 acres, of which 

 6,702 acres are productive. There are eight working circles with an 

 average area of 838 acres, and 193 compartments with an average area of 



6 La Forest Domaniale de Levier, par G. Mongenot, 1912, pp. 1-23, Lucienn Laveur, 

 Editeur. 



Since this forest was a notable American center during the war, considerable detail 

 is given. 



The forest of La Joux is the richest in the Jura, the yield amounting to 15.8 cubic 

 meters per hectare (about 1,900 feet board measure per acre) per year. The gross 

 revenue has averaged for a period as high as $15.12 per acre per year. The net revenue 

 is approximately $14.81 per acre per year. 



