the past and others have had the opportunity to purchase 

 lands in recent years?" Numerous contacts with the larg- 

 er sawmills brought out the following reasons : 



1. Lack of capital. 



2. High fire risk. 



3. High taxes on forest land. 



4. Cheaper to buy stumpage than raise it. 



5. Lack of knowledge as to the timber growing possibil- 

 ities. 



A few progressive lumber companies know that if they 

 are to stay in business they must be concerned with the 

 growing of their raw material. One progressive box and 

 lumber company said, "Land purchases are imperative. 

 We have been and are purchasing lands right along." 



Naturally, timber concerns located in counties checker- 

 boarded with farms have little oportunity to acquire for- 

 ests. Probably they will remain small organizations, and 

 their timber requirements can be supplied permanently 

 from the farms. Where farming is on a good permanent 



basis, farmers can be taught and assisted in timber farm- 

 ing. The majority will eventually learn to do a good job 

 just as they have learned and are applying good practices 

 in tobacco, livestock, and other farming activities. 



The most favorable place for acquisition of timber lands 

 by industry in in the big woods sections characterized by 

 scattered or unstable farms and absentee owners. In many 

 cases these woods are not in strong hands. If they have 

 commercial timber growing possibilities, as in the majori- 

 ty of cases, industry can help itself and serve the public 

 interest by acquiring tracts and holding them to grow tim- 

 ber crops. American forestry has made its greatest ad- 

 vances in sections where industry has taken hold and 

 shown the way. North Carolina forestry has suffered be- 

 cause her timbermen have been slow to do this. Many now 

 say they intend to get into the business. Woods areas 

 away from good farms, and lacking the possibilities that 

 would attract industry, would seem to be a field for pub- 

 lic ownership. However, any individual who owns such 



Table 3c 



COUNTY STATISTICS: FOREST LAND OWNERSHIP 



(ACRES) 



PIEDMONT 



Forest Area 



County (Acres) 



Alamance 124,436 



Alexander 79,152 



Anson 184,205 



Cabarrus 86,170 



Caswell 152,842 



Catawba 106,534 



Chatham 278,728 



Cleveland 99,314 



Davidson 162,033 



Davie 53,560 



Durham 118,835 



Forsyth 97,690 



Franklin 147,648 



Gaston 85,233 



Granville 202,257 



Guilford 180,405 



Iredell 135,410 



Lincoln 65,641 



Mecklenburg 150,546 



Montgomery 221,123 



Orange 152,323 



Person 143,360 



Polk 85,663 



Randolph 303,483 



Rockingham 166,200 



Rowan 86,690 



Rutherford 181,844 



Stanly 120,530 



Stokes 144,530 



Surry 179,057 



Union 126,748 



Vance 68,520 



Wake 309,820 



Warren 155,500 



Yadkin 94,122 



Regional Totals 5,050,152 



Public Forest 

 Reserve 



Commercial 

 Forest Area 



National 

 Forest 



Farm 

 Woodland 



Other 



3,000' 



3,000' 



910 2 



3,500 a 



124,436 



79,152 

 184,205 



86,170 

 152,842 

 106,534 

 278,728 



99,314 

 162,033 



53,560 

 118,835 



97,690 

 147,648 



85,233 

 202,257 

 180,405 

 135,410 



65,641 

 150,546 

 221,123 

 152,323 

 143,360 



85,663 

 303,483 

 166,200 



86,690 

 181;844 

 117,530 

 141,530 

 178,147 

 126,748 



68,520 

 306,320 

 155,500 



94,122 



677 



27,241 



8,137 



91,587 



73,687 



125,526 



63,194 



113,779 



81,978 



182,184 



71,827 



94,792 



52,442 



62,277 



88,615 



131,414 



56,591 



170,127 



137,551 



126,057 



55,104 



73,927 



88,450 



91,475 



128,521 



46,287 



219,521 



142,926 



83,472 



111,445 



91,443 



132,062 



142,274 



151,676 



83,540 



203,259 



113,389 



77,533 



32,849 



5,465 

 58,679 

 22,976 

 39,063 

 24,553 

 96,544 

 27,487 

 66,564 



1,118 

 56,558 



9,075 

 16,234 

 28,642 

 32,130 

 42,854 



9,353 

 10,537 

 76,619 

 105,432 

 60,848 

 14,839 

 39,376 

 75,825 

 23,274 



3,218 

 70,399 

 26,087 



9,468 

 35,873 



103,061 

 42,111 

 16,589 



10,410 



5,039,742 



36,055 



3,759,932 



1,283,703 



(11) 



