28 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



include several million acres scattered throughout the 

 Forest whose timber cannot at the present time be con- 

 sidered of merchantable character. A total of from (>0 

 to TO billion feet of timber of useful sizes and quality 

 is a conservative estimate. 



The timber constitutes one of the greatest natural 

 resources of southeast Alaska. There is not only an 

 abundant supply for local use, but there are exceptional 

 opportunities for the development of wood using indus- 

 tries for export from Alaska. The timber is of good 

 quality and of heavy yield, and it is very accessible, easily 

 logged, and close to water transportation. On the 

 Tongass National Forest there are over 12,000 miles of 

 shore line. The timber is close to the water and can 

 be easily logged, with a small amount of investment re- 

 quired for improvements. There are many undeveloped 

 water powers close at hand and available for use in run- 

 ning a sawmill or pulp mill. Under right handling, that 

 provides for the perpetuation of the forest, not less than 

 five or six hundred million feet could be taken each year 

 from the Tongass Forest without reducing the total stock, 

 as the new growth would equal the amount cut. 



The heavy rainfall which occurs on the greater portion 

 of the Tongass National Forest prevents, during normal 

 seasons, serious danger from fire. This heavy rainfall, 

 however, occurs chiefly on the islands ; it falls off on the 

 deep indentations and inlets and up the rivers of the 



main land. Conspicuous examples of this are the Stikine 

 River and Lynn Canal. In these sections forest fires have 

 already done a large amount of damage, and seasons of 

 great hazard are frequent. Dry seasons, however, also 

 occur on the other portions of the Tongass National 

 Forest, and there are many places which show damage 

 from former forest fires. The season of 1915 was one 

 of the driest known for many years. The drought was so 

 great as to embarrass many communities and industrial 

 tJants, whose sources of water was dried up or greatly 

 i educed. The ground cover became dry and inflamma- 

 ble, not only in openings and on cut-over lands, but in a 

 great many places in the deep forest, where ordinarily 

 there is enough moisture in the moss and humus to pre- 

 vent fires from running. Extensive areas in the Tongass 

 National Forest were during the past season in an inflam- 

 mable condition. 



THE CHUGACH FOREST 



The coast forests to the westward of Cape St. Elias are 

 comprised in the Chugach National Forest. There are 

 included the timbered areas on a strip of irregular and 

 deeply indented coast line skirting the Chugach mountain 

 range and its southern spurs, the islands in Prince Wil- 

 liam Sound, Afognak Island, and a portion of Kenai 

 Peninsula. The Chugach Forest comprises a total land 

 area of 5,368,044 acres. 



A TYPICAL LAKE VIEW ON THE TONGASS NATIONAL FOREST 



One of the characteristics of the Tongass National Forest is that a great deal of the timber is very accessible, close to water transportation, and easily 



logged. I here are many undeveloped water powers close at hand and available for use in operating a sawmill or a pulp mill. 



