are being harvested at a rate 85 percent below the allowable 

 annual cut. 



The timber cut from private lands in farm or other 

 ownership was estimated in 1967 to be 113 million board 

 feet. This means that 2h percent of Montana's commercial 

 forest land is contributing 11 percent of the State's total 

 annual cut. 



The age distribution of Montana timber is poor, due in 

 part to many severe fires that occurred in the early part 

 of this century. A high percentage of the trees are over 

 120 years or under UO years in age. 



Montana needs an intensified program of management 

 and utilization to get better use of the timber resource. 

 Many good timber growing sites are occupied with cull or 

 dense, stagnated stands that will not be used in today's 

 industry. These areas should be encouraged to contribute 

 what they should in other forest uses— water, forage, wild- 

 life, or recreation. Unfortunately after many years, 

 industries are still using only part of the timber available 

 to them. Trees that took 100 years or more to grow are still 

 dying and falling to the ground, unused. 



Action to improve development of the timber industry 

 falls into three general categories: (1) improving growth 

 rate, (2) reducing mortality, and (3) improving utilization 



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