FOREST POLICY. 



creases in proportion until it forms the prevailing species at lower 

 altitudes. Near the Gulf, tideland spruce occurs. 



On the east slope, below the timber line fringed by white 

 bark pine and alpine hemlock, we strike Engelmann's spruce and 

 Douglas fir. Lower down, we enter upon forests of yellow pine 

 (Pinus ponderosa) and groves of lodge pole pine. 



The Blue Mountains in the southeast contain yellow pine, 

 Douglas spruce, Engelmann's spruce and lodge pole pine. 



The irregular mountain chains in the northeast are said to 

 show timber in the valleys only (?). Yellow pine predominates; 

 in addition, lodge pole pine, Douglas fir and tamarack larch are 

 found; further, Engelmann's spruce, lowland fir, western white 

 pine and red cedar. A tree alder (Alnus Oregona) is remarkable 

 for its size. 



The Columbia River and its tributaries are fringed by gigan- 

 tic broad-leaved species, notably cottonwoods, maples, ashes and 

 willows. 



4. Forest ownership: The United States reservations ag- 

 gregate 7.0 million acres; 0.4 million acres are owned by farmers; 

 lumbermen control the Coast Range and own one-tenth of entire 

 stumpage. 



5. Use of timber: Lumber industry is modern. Invest- 

 ment in a saw mill averages $23,500. 24 million staves of cotton- 

 wood were manufactured in 1898. In the coniferous forests a 

 yield of 200,000 feet b. m. per acre is not exceptional. 20,000 

 square miles in one plot are said to average 25,000 feet b. m. per 

 acre. Mining is undeveloped and requires little timber. Clear- 

 ing of heavy timbered land costs $100 to $200 per acre. Timber 

 claims in 1898 were sold at $10 per acre. The stumpage price 

 after I2th census is 80 cents per i.ooo board feet; logs at the mill 

 are worth $5.14 making logging expenses $4.34. 



Washington employs three-fourths of all steam power used 

 in logging in the United States (railroads and donkey engines). 

 The waste in logging is from two-thirds to three-quarters of 

 entire tree. Fires destroy enormous amounts of timber and in- 

 variably the hemlock left after lumbering. 



During the census year (1900) Washington produced 2.3 bil- 

 lion feet b. m., worth $30,000,000. holding 5th rank among States. 

 There is no paper, pulp and leather industry. (The latter industry 

 consumes only 400 cords of bark, though red fir bark and hem- 

 lock bark are rich in tannin.) 



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