Timber Stand Improvement 



Although 31 percent of the inventoried commercial timber lands 

 are adequately treated, they need continued good management to keep 

 them productive and to protect the soil and water resource. Timber 

 stand improvement that is biologically feasible is needed on 3,612,744 

 acres (59 percent) of the conmercial forest. Mechanical measures such 

 as thinning, pruning and harvesting will increase the quality and 

 rapid growth of the remaining stand, even though the mechanical methods 

 are not judged to be practical or feasible due to high labor costs and 

 lack of available markets. Timber stand improvement on noncommercial 

 forest is not justified because of its low productive potential for 

 wood products. 



>1^ 



Establishment and Reinforcement of Timber Stands 



The inventory acreage shows there are 617,944 acres of commercial 

 forest and 25,790 acres of non-commercial forest lands producing below 

 their potential because of inadequate stocking. This acreage can be 

 satisfactorily stocked either naturally or by artificial means with or 

 without site preparation. Table 8 on page 147 shows the estimated 

 acreage of treatment needs by counties of the inventoried acreage of 

 forest lands in Montana. 



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