LOGGING PRACTICE IN THE LAKE STATES 5 
THE CRUX OF THE FOREST PROBLEM IN THE LAKE 
STATES 
Two significant facts with regard to forests and forest lands in 
Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota stand out clearly. First, that 
the area ‘of the remaining old merchantable timber in the Lake 
'@ States is small (17.7 per cent of the total forest land), as compared 
with the large area of oncoming second growth (46.4 per cent) and 
the vast area of nonrestocking and unproductive cut-over land 
(35.9 per cent); second, that most of the forest land (95 per cent) 
is owned by private individuals and corporations. (Tables 1 and 2.) 
These facts force the conclusion that if the forest problem in the 
Lake States is to be solved, it must be worked out on the lands now 
in private ownership and must deal largely with second-growth 
timber and nonrestocking cut-over land. 
The large area of low-erade soils of little or no prospective value 
for agriculture; the very slow absorption into agriculture of the 
stump lands of a character undoubtedly suitable for agriculture; 
the accumulating taxes on unproductive stump lands; the increasing 
financial difficulties of the communities located in areas where the 
forest industries are failing for lack of raw material; the rising 
prices for saw timber and. pulpwood—all these combine to force 
a new and sober consideration of the cut-over lands and their future. 
What should be done with them is worrying many a forest-land- 
owner, and he is beginning to inquire more and more into the pos- 
| sibility of timber growing on his land as the best practicable solution. 
TABLE 1.—Character of forest land in the Lake States * 
(In thousand acres—i. e., 000 omitted) 
Second growth 
Old Nomree Total 
State Neeser Mer- | Nonmer-| stocking forest 
chant- | chant- : 
able able 
AWVASCOM SIT seer i reer ehL La Se es 2, 100 3, 800 5, 100 6, 800 17, 800 
IMCLONE OL 2 ey NS Re ee ee ee ee 4, 500 3, 500 3, 300 7, 100 18, 400 
SINTER O Laermer name en tern eo Ae 3, 500 6, 600 4, 200 6, 600 20, 900 
BING Gel ete nn ina ek gd 10, 100 13, 900 12, 600 20, 500 57, 100 
IPCMICeMtnOl Olde meee ee Se 17.7 24.3 2201 35.9 100 
1 7IMBER DEPLETION, LUMBER PRICES, LUMBER EXPORTS, AND CONCENTRATION OF TIMBER OWNERSHIP. 
Forest Service, U. S. Dept. Agr. Report on Senate Resolution 311. 1920. 
TABLE 2.—Ownership of forest land in the Lake States* 
(In thousand acres—i. e., 000 omitted) 
Private 
State Federal?| State Total 
Wood Large 
lots forests 
AVVRIS COIS TITS Sheet ow xxi i eek ee ee Ea ce ee 300 5, 400 12, 100 17, 800 
VENTURE cM a an Tah MS tg See 127 648 3, 897 13, 728 18, 400 
NintinesO tame mmptete he Wie ee ioe! BR 991 736 4, 500 14, 673 20, 900 
QOS ts ee See OS Shee ee 2 1, 118 1, 684 13, 797 40, 501 57, 100 
PCECOMiROMLOtA ete Soo! Uy EA eee 2.0 2.9 24. 2 70.9 100 
1From U.S. Dept. of Agr. Yearbook, 1922. 2 Net areas as of June 30, 1925. 
