TIMBER DEPLETION, PRICES, EXPORTS, AND OWNERSHIP. 



37 



per capita consumption In industrial centers is may be 

 from the fact that in St. Louis (lie per capita consumption is 

 over four times that for the entire country, in Pittsburgh three 

 times, mid in Chicago at least double. 



Even with largo allowances for the substitution of oilier ma- 

 terials for timber, it seems hardly possible that our annual 

 demand for lumber for years to come will fall below .'!."> billion 

 feet. This is 5 billion less than the prewar average of approxi- 

 mately 40 billion board feet. Kven this will require a gradually 

 reduced per capita consumption as population increases. For 

 many years we shall I'md ourselves unable to satisfy our re- 

 quirements with anything approaching the per capita consump- 

 tion of either England or Germany. It follows that any future 

 lumber production falling below approximately 35 billion feet, 



cay. The other 16 billion board feet comes from growing 

 stands, but their growth is only 10 billion feet annually. In 

 other words, besides the very heavy drain on our rapidly 

 diminishing supply of virgin timber, we are cutting even the 

 second growth saw timber more than one and one-half times as 

 fast as it is being replaced. 



Comparison of the rates of depletion and of growth of all 

 timber below saw-timber size discloses that even this material 

 is being used up three and one-half times as fast as it grows, 

 or at the rate of about 14 billion cubic feet, as compared with a 

 growth of only about 4 billion feet. (See fig. 12.) If this 

 serious situation continues it will reduce very materially the 

 volume of the material which can reach saw-timber size in the 

 future. 



Tofa/ 



Soffivoods 



I 56 



\Cuta/7c/ 



\ destruct/'orr 



\<- 



-i Cutar>G/dest/-uct/o/7 

 J //? t//ry/rr sta/7c/S 







/6 



\7o_ 



Softwoods 



(H. 



//? q/~ow//~y sta/7c^s 



i Cut ana? cfestruc/'/o/i 



O 



//7 i///y/f7 



LK 



/-/arc/woo cfe 



O- 



.Growth //7 i//r#//7 stands 



\J- 



3////or7S of doorc/ feet 



PIG. 11. Relation between for>st depletion and growth of saw timber. 



unless we can make up the difference by imports, will result in 

 hardship to many classes of consumers and to many industries, 

 like that experienced within the last year. Any such reduced 

 consumption will unquestionably be the result of economic pres- 

 sure from lumber shortages and high prices rather than of eco- 

 nomic convenience. We have our warning in the present situa- 

 tion. 



DEPLETION AND GROWTH. 



PRESENT DEPLETION AND GROWTH. 



The standing timber in the United States Is being cut and 

 destroyed at the rate of 26 billion cubic feet per year, or more 

 than four times as fast as new timber is growing. (See Tables 

 !i and 10 and fig. 10.) That of saw-timber size Is being cut for 

 lumber and other uses and destroyed by fire, disease, and insects 

 at the rate of 56 billion, board feet per year, more than five and 

 one-half times the growth of such material. (See fig. 11.) 



Such data as are available (see Table 9) indicate that about 

 40 billion board feet is taken each year from our remaining 

 virgin stands, in which there is no net growth in excess of de- 



This depletion of small timber is proceeding at an especially 

 rapid rate in the case of hardwoods, perhaps in part because 

 the supply of larger timber has been practically exhausted in 

 several regions. The cut of cordwood material in hardwoods 

 amounts to 8i billion cubic feet, five times the growth. 



(EH 



I Cordwood Cut and 



Cordwood cut and destroyed 

 Cordwood grown 



I Cordwood cut and destroyed 



Gordwood grown 

 &/LLIOHS Qr-CUBtC r~fT 



FIG. 12. Relation between forest depletion and growth of cordwood. 



