FOREST POLICY. 



In addition, twisted pine (Pinus contorta) occurs on high moun- 

 tain pastures. 



Crossing to the east slope of the Sierras, the growth soon 

 gets poorer, for lack of rain. Only pine species are found here, 

 especially lodgepole pine, yellow pine and bull pine. Close to 

 the Nevada line desert growth only occurs, such as mesquit and 

 yucca. 



In southern and southwestern California there are scarcely 

 any commercial forests. Along the Arizona and Nevada line the 

 Mohave desert and Colorado desert cover millions of acres. The 

 plains, close to the sea and rivers, have dense groves of willows 

 and sycamores. Majestic oaks occur scatteringly in the river 

 valleys. In addition there are huge cottonwoods. On the edges 

 of the deserts, in slight depressions, two Prosopis species are 

 found, i. e., mesquit (Prosopis juliflora) and screw bean (Pro- 

 sopis odorata). Pinons or nut pines are also found. The Cal- 

 ifornia palm (Washingtonia filifera) is found in canyons opening 

 toward the deserts. In the deserts themselves are scattering yuc- 

 cas. Ascending the mountain ranges the trail winds through end- 

 less chaparral thickets, dotted with live oaks and scrub pines 

 (pirion). Forests occur at high altitudes on the Sierra Madre, 

 San Bernardino, San Gabriel, Cuyamaca and San Jacinto Moun- 

 tains. Here prevail yellow pine. Coulter's big cone pine, big 

 cone fir (Pseudotsuga macrocarpa), white fir (concolor), in com- 

 pany with sugar pine, incense cedar, lodgepole pine and limber 

 white pine. In the semi-arid zone reaching up to the S,ooo-foot 

 contour line are at home juniper, single leaf pine and gray pine, 

 whilst the moister slopes and canyons, or the water courses, ex- 

 hibit live oak, sycamore, walnut, alder, willow and cottonwood. 

 The bristle cone fir (Abies venusta), a large fir of the canyons, 

 seems unique in the Santa Lucia region. 



4. Ownership: Farmers are said to own 1,673,000 acres 

 of forest land. The United States forest reserves cover 8,800,000 

 acres; the United States parks 1,100,000 acres; both together 

 about one-third of all the forests and 8.6% of the area of the 

 State. According to the last census, 156 lumber firms control 

 1,177,000 acres of forest land, mostly situated in the Coast Range, 

 and containing one-sixth of the timber of the State. 



5. Use: There is scarcely any hardwood fit for cooperage, 

 carriage works and furniture. Firewood is costly in southern 

 California. Large lumber operations are conducted on the Coast 



13 



