MANAGEMENT PLANS — THE NATIONAL FORESTS 27 



Woods and mill labor is generally obtained locally in sufficient quantities to 

 supply the demand under the present methods and location of lumbering. 

 However, imported labor will undoubtedly be necessary in the case of large 

 operations in the western part of the circle. 



COMMUNITY AND LOCAL NEEDS 



At present the largest single local need is fuel wood. Tlie per capita wealth 

 of the circle is rather low at the present time. When this situation changes for 

 the better there will be a need for building lumber of all kinds. 



Fuel wootl is obtained under free-use permit or commercial sale. Building 

 material is obtained under regulation S-22, or by purchase from commercial 

 operators. 



TBANSPOBTATION 



The Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad, Black Hills branch, offers the 

 only shipiting facilities to markets outside the Black Hills, except that opera- 

 tors in the extreme westera part of the circle may find it cheaper to transport 

 their products by truck to the Burlington main line, which roughly parallels 

 the west side of the Harney forest between Edgemont, S. Dak., and Newcastle, 

 Wyo. Ties and lumber are transported from mill to siding by motor or 

 animal haul. 



MILLS 



At present (1923) there are 15 small sawmills operating more or less steadily 

 within the circle, cutting principally national forest timber. One or two other 

 mills cut intermittently in private timber and will eventually make application 

 for national forest timber. All of those mills are in the portable class, witii 

 capacity varying from 5.000 to 25,000 board feet per day, log scale. All but 

 one of these mills are located within a radius of less than 10 miles of Custer 

 or Pringle. Many of them are within a 5-miIe radius of these towns. 



All of these mills can be permanently supplied with logs if thoy do not 

 increase their present rate of cutting. They must, however, go further from 

 the shipping centers for their source of supply in the future, until such time 

 as the entire circle has been cut over for the first time. 



There is an urgent need in the circle for a woodworking industry that can 

 utilize the odd lengths, tops, and cull logs that are now largely wasted. A good 

 box factory at Custer, built to utilize such materials, should be a paying 

 proposition and will no doubt be erected at some future date. 



SILVICULTURAL POLICY 



1. Every effort will be made to place the forest-producing area in the best 

 possible silvicultural condition. 



2. Marking will be done according to the revised Black Hills marking rules. 

 (In the original, reference was made here to the Appendix, from which the 

 marking rubs are omitted in this pid)lication.) 



3. All trees infested with the Black Hills beetle or similar Insects will be 

 marke<l fur cutting, regardless of age or class, and wlierever such trees are 

 found an effort will be made to disiM)so of them immediately. 



4. Young stands whicli ne«'d thinning will bo given that treatment wherever 

 market and ntlu'r conditions make it possible. Forest officers ninking such 

 thimdngs must be thoroughly com pi lent and must have writteii authorizations 

 from the forest sufHTvisor. 



MANAGEMENT POLICY 



OBJECTIVES 



1. (a) To mainlnin n sustained yiehl of forest products for the use of th<' 

 local pooido and. where a surplus is produced, for the general market. 



(b) To furnisli steady employment for the local jioopb' in woods work and In 

 the manufacture of forest products. 



(c) To maintain a iMMinanent industry which will ofTtr a market for timber 

 as it becomes rii)o for cutting. 



