FOREST POLICY. 



Tideland spruce is used mainly for car linings and interior 

 finish; cedar mainly far shingles; hemlock is only beginning to 

 be used at all. Douglas fir is used for all building purposes, 

 trestle bridges and ship building. 



The growing stock of timber in Washington consists of 



Red fir 90,000,000,000 feet b. m. 



Spruce 8,000,000,000 feet b. m. 



Cedar 23,000,000,000 feet b. m. 



Hemlock 42,000,000,000 feet b. m. 



Yellow pine 13,000,000,000 feet b. m. 



Miscellaneous 20,000,000,000 feet b. m. 



Total 196,000,000,000 feet b. m. 



As we are cutting 2.3 billion feet b. m., we are cutting 1.17% 

 of thfi growing stock per annum. 



6. Forestry movement: State association in i8g8, composed 

 of lumbermen, securing more stringent fire laws. 



7. Laws: Fire laws of 1877 comprehensive and stringent, 

 but uninforced. Law of 1903 makes the land commissioner ex 

 officio "forest firewarden," the county commissioners "deputy fire- 

 wardens," road supervisors and State land cruisers "forest pa- 

 trolmen." The firewardens may appoint the cruisers and foremen 

 of lumber firms as "patrolmen at large." Fire laws to be posted; 

 firing of slashings forbidden during dry months. Carelessness 

 in camp fires punishable only if it results in damage to private 

 interests. 



8. Reservations: Total area reserved 7,036,000 acres, equal 

 to 15.5% of State. In 1898 there were employed one superintend- 

 ent, three supervisors and twenty-three rangers. 



(a) Olympic forest reserve, 1,466,880 acres. Douglas fir 

 prevails, with hemlock and cedar. Very deep humus. No lum- 

 bering, owing to difficulty of transportation. Little chance for 

 farming, grazing, mining. 



(b) Washington forest reserve, 3,426,400 acres. Two-thirds 

 of the growing stock (20 billion feet) is formed by hemlock. Lit- 

 tle grazing. Timber still inaccessible. Mines beginning to be de- 

 veloped. Reserve is said to include 150,000 acres of agricultural 

 land. 



(c) Mt. Rainier forest reserve, 2,027,520 acres, embracing 



lOI 



