44 Forest Club Annual 



LUMBERING IN COLORADO 



H. H. GREENAMYRE 



The characteristic species of the forests of western Colorado 

 are lodgepole pine and Engelmann spruce. On the Holy Cross 

 National Forest in the west central part of the state the two are 

 of almost equal importance. To be sure, many other species 

 are found but they are of almost no commercial importance. 

 The most important of these are balsam fir, blue spruce and 

 Douglas fir. The first comes in under lodgepole pine and 

 Engelmann spruce as a temporary type; the second, blue 

 spruce, is confined entirely to wet valleys and along stream 

 courses, while Douglas fir is occasionally found in mixture with 

 the leading species, but in this locality it is at best a scrubby 

 tree. 



Lodgepole pine is found throughout the region from the 

 lowest elevation up to timber line and may be said to consti- 

 tute one of the two types. It occupies the steeper slopes, very 

 rarely the flats, and occurs in pure stands. As this particular 

 region marks almost the southern limit of the range of lodgepole 

 it does not develop into as valuable a timber tree as in Idaho 

 or Montana. In Colorado the tree reaches its best development 

 at an elevation of 10,000 feet and often attains a height of 90 

 feet and a diameter of 26 inches. More commonly it is not over 

 70 feet tall with a diameter of 16 to 18 inches. The bole tapers 

 considerably and is seldom free from branches for more than 30 

 feet above the ground. Stands of pure lodgepole vary in density 

 from 5,000 to 20,000 B. M. per acre. However, the average 

 stand is about 8,000 feet. 



Engelman spruce constitutes another type and usually 

 forms pure stands on the gradual slopes and on moist flats. It 

 marks the true timber line and at the head waters of streams 

 may be found as high as 12,500 feet. This tree reaches its best 

 development on wet flats and attains a maximum height of 120 

 feet and a diameter of 36 inches. The average size is probably 

 80 feet tall and 18 to 20 inches in diameter. The bole is straight 

 but tapers a great deal, and in all but the thickest stands is 

 covered with branches almost to the ground. Stands of Engel- 

 mann spruce vary in density from 4,000 B. M. on the poorest 

 sites to as high as 50,000 B. M. on the best sites, where the soil 

 is good and moisture is plentiful. 



On account of the topography of the region lumbering is 

 confined almost entirely to portable mills which, of necessity, 

 are small. The best timber throughout the mountains, espe- 



