42 



MISC. PUBLICATION 11, U. S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTUKE 



for the various site classes is : Site I, over 175 feet ; Site II, 125 to 175 feet 

 Site III, under 125 feet. 

 The area has been divided into site classes, as follows : 





Site II 



acreage 



Site III 



acreage 





Cut over 



Virgin 



Cut over 



Virgin 



Government - .. . . . ...... 



1,305 1 22,427.25 

 520 j 7,096.91 





3, 360 

 150 



Private. 



53 







Total 



1,825 



29, 524. 16 



53 



3,510 



Rate of groiDth. — In the virgin stand growth is practically at a standstill. 

 The ciniise shows that 2^/2 per cent of the timber is dead. The annual loss 

 would, therefore, probably offset any increase in growth which the stand might 

 make. 



Growth data taken on cut-over areas show that in Site II, with a reserve stand 

 averaging close to 5,000 board feet, the mean annual growth is about 200 board 

 feet per acre. 



On Site III, with a reserve stand of about 1,500 board feet, the rate of 

 growth is about 30 board feet per acre per year. 



ECONOMIC SITUATION 



PRESENT AND FUTURE MARKETS 



Disposal of the lumber from this area is dependent upon the general market. 

 At the present time the upper grades of pine and Douglas fir go to the eastern 

 market. The lower grades, particularly box lumber, are taken by the Cali- 

 fornia market. Markets will probably be much the same in the future as at 

 present, the East taking the better grades, and the steadily growing box 

 industry of California the lower grades. 



LABOR SUPPLY 



Floating labor must be depended upon to furnish the greater part of the labor 

 supply for this area. Because of climatic conditions winter work is imprac- 

 ticable ; so there is no incentive for labor to become established. The present 

 operation employs from 150 to 175 men. Less than 20 per cent of these are 

 local residents. 



POPULATION AND LOCAL NEEDS 



The population adjacent to and within this working circle is very small 

 Agriculture and dairying on a small scale are the principal occupations. The 

 uncut and cut-over timbered land will furnish a plentiful supply of wood for 

 fuel ; so it is not necessary to lay off local-use areas. 



TRANSPORTATION 



An aerial tramway 5.1 miles in length connects this area with the Western 

 Pacific Railroad at Grays Flat. Direct rail connections would have to be made 

 by way of Quincy with the Quincy Railroad. This would necessitate the 

 building of about 8 miles of railroad, partly on a canyon slope where construc- 

 tion would be expensive. 



PRESENT MILLS 



The present mills consist of one single band mill of G5,000 board feet daily 

 capacity, located at Spanish Ranch, and one circular mill of about 30.000 board 

 feet daily capacity, located on Slate Creek. Both mills are owned by the 

 Spanish Peak Lumber Co., but only the band mill is operated at present. 



