MANAGEMENT PLANS THE NATIONAL FORESTS 43 



SILVICULTURAL POLICY 



OBJECTIVES 



1. To produce saw timber suitable for tbe general market. 



2. To remove the mature and decadent timber in as sbort a time as possible 

 and at the same time to provide for a second cut of sufficient size to make a 

 profitable operation. 



3. To leave the area in the best condition for ultimately putting the forest 

 on a sustained yield basis. 



KOTATION 



A rotation of 100 years has been accepted as the basis for management until 

 such time as yield studies can be made to determine the proper rotation. A 

 growth study made on cut-over lands indicates that the established reproduction 

 will reach saw-timber size within this period. 



CUTTING CYCLES 



There will be two cutting cycles of 50 years each. For the first cutting cycle 

 this will provide for an average cut, both Government and private, of about 

 23,000 board feet per acre. For the second cutting cycle the cut on Government 

 land will be reduced to about 16,000 board feet per acre. The yield from private 

 lands will be small during the second cutting cycle because of the fact that no 

 provision can be made for a second cut. 



MASKING 



On Site II use the group selection and selection systems. The following rules 

 are elf ective : 



1. Leave all thrifty trees and the most promising of the thrifty-mature trees ; that is, 

 those which from appearances will continue to grow until the next cutting cycle. 



2. Mark all mature and decadent trees. 



3. Mark all dead, diseased, and green insect-infested trees. 



4. Mark unusually tall trees and trees with very large crowns in situations exposed to 

 severe winds. 



5. Mark all trees which seriously interfere with the accepted logging plan. 



6. The maximum opening should not exceed 2 acres. 



7. Where possible, leave relatively large thrifty-mature sugar pine for quality increment. 



On Site III leave only thrifty trees, except when these are insufficient for 

 seeding pui^poses. The result will approach clear cutting with seed trees. 



RESTJILTS OBTAINED ON PRESENT SALE 



On the 1,305 acres of Government land cut over to date, the application of the 

 above marking rules has resulted as follows: 



Per cent 



Average cut per acre, 26,570 board feet 84. 3 



Average left per acre, 4,940 board feet 15. 7 



Future marking practice will follow the above rules, but in order to insure 

 a satisfactory second cut will aim at leaving more of the thrifty mature trees. 

 The result will be to cut about 80 per cent of the board-feet volume of the 

 timber and to leave about 20 per cent. For the Government area the totals 

 will be as follows : 



Per cent 



Average cut per acre, 24,600 board feet 80 



Average left per acre, 6,150 board feet 20 



MANAGEMENT POLICY 



OBJECTIVES 



1. As is indicated in the policy statement for this area, this working circle 

 is to be managed to supply a single manufacturing plant. 



2. Alienated cut-over land available for exchange is to be acquired. 



