I. INTRODUCTION 



Among the tools used by the Montana Division of Forestry in the manage- 

 ment of State-owned commercial forest land is the sale and harvest of timber 

 and other forest products. Such operations allow the composition and condition 

 of existing forest stands to be improved by removing mature, overmature, 

 diseased and/or damaged trees. In addition to reallocating growing space to 

 the more desirable trees in a stand, harvesting of timber and other forest prod- 

 ucts leads to the establishment of new forest stands in those areas where an 

 inadequate understory stand exists. 



Forest management practices on State forest land utilize a wide variety of 

 silvicultural systems and involve the clearcutting, seed tree, shelterwood and 

 selection methods. The choice of silvicultural system is based on the planned 

 management program for the area, the particular conditions which exist within 

 that area and the ability of a given silvicultural system to achieve the desired 

 future stand composition. 



Timber and other forest products are a major benefit derived from State 

 forest lands. Over the last five years, a yearly average of 30.329 million board 

 feet of timber has been harvested from the 421,309 acres of State-owned commer- 

 cial forest land. This average yearly harvest is currently below the average 

 annual allowable cut estimated for State forest land, which is based on the present 

 intensity of management and currently set at 35 million board feet. 



Existing State statutes, the State Land Board and the Board of Natural Re- 

 sources and Conservation provide direction for the management of the various 

 resources on State-owned lands so that they are protected and utilized in the 

 combination which best meets the needs of the people and the beneficiaries of the 

 trust. This direction permits a wide variety of alternatives for the management 

 of the specific area considered in this statement. 



