FOREST AND WOODLAND 



The 1967 inventory acreage of woodland for Montana is 7,003,910 

 acres, of which 87 percent is commercial forest. This acreage repre- 

 sents an increase of 207,712 acres over the 1958 study. The Forest 

 Service Experiment Station provided the basic data for the timber 

 resource study on private and State owned lands in Montana. In a 

 few eastern counties where the timber resources are not extensive, 

 some adjustments in acreage were made to account for a known acreage 

 of woodland. Forest lands that are poorly stocked provide a grazing 

 resource on nearly two thirds of the woodland area. This dual use is 

 important to both the timber and livestock industry as well as its 

 influence on the water regime and recreation potential of woodland 

 areas. 



The following chart shows the distribution of inventory commercial 

 and noncommercial forest lands (both grazed and not grazed) by land 

 capability class. The subclass shows the dominant problem associated 

 with each use. 



Commercial Forest 

 Grazed Not Grazed 



Noncommercial Forest 

 Grazed Not Grazed 



Total 



The subclass letters of e, w, s and c relate to the dominant kind 

 of problem in each of the land capability Classes II through VIII. The 

 degree of severity increases with each land class. 



Kind of Problem 

 e - erosion 

 w - wetness 

 s - soil 

 c - climate 

 Total 



Commercial 

 4,786,947 

 85,108 

 1,075,853 

 177.048 

 6,124,956 



Noncommercial 

 443,922 



66,181 

 342,991 



25.860 



878,954 



Total 

 5,230,869 



151,289 

 1,418,844 



202.908 

 7,003,910 



Sloping lands and sandy soils are the dominant factors affecting 

 the erosion potential on 75 percent of the woodland area. Forest lands 

 that are properly managed and protected have little soil loss. 



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