CAREERS IN FORESTRY JO, 



Opportunities in Private Forestry 



Though Federal and State agencies, educational institutions, and 

 semipublic associations will doubtless continue to lead in research and 

 extension, the largest field for professional foresters in the long run 

 will be in private work. Three-fourths of all the commercial forest 

 land in the 48 contiguous States, or 359 million acres, is in private 

 ownership. This fact alone clearly indicates a large and fruitful field 

 in private work for the trained forester. 



Private owners may be classified in a general way as industrial, in- 

 cluding lumber, pulp and paper manufacturing companies, and other 

 large manufacturers of wood products; public service corporations, 

 such as railroads and water companies; recreation and hunting clubs; 

 mining companies; owners of large private estates; and farmers and 

 other small woodland owners. 



Private owners provided some of the earliest examples of profes- 

 sional forest management in the United States, and some have han- 

 dled their timberlands carefully for many years. In recent years, 

 many more, especially among the larger industrial owners, have been 

 adopting measures for continuous timber production. The Forest 

 Service has set up as a permanent activity a project to work with the 

 States, lumbermen's associations, and timberland owners to the end 

 that improved woods practices may be extended. Lumbermen's and 

 pulp and paper manufacturer's associations are also encouraging good 

 forestry practice on industrial forest lands. In the past few years, sev- 

 eral million acres of industrial holdings have been included in a "tree 

 farm" program sponsored by industry associations. Recent State reg- 

 ulatory laws in several States look to increased attention to good for- 

 estry practice on private timberlands. All of these movements point 

 to new opportunities for employment in private industrial forestry. 



Foresf Products Industries 



Until recently, most of the industrial concerns employing graduates 

 of forestry schools have used them mainly in logging engineering and 

 allied work. Before World War II only about 1,000 foresters were 

 employed by the forest products industries in forest-land management. 

 Since forestry practice has expanded and intensified on industrial 

 holdings, private industry now employs more than 8,000 foresters. 



The forester who enters the lumber, pulp and paper, or other forest 

 products industries may be required to estimate standing timber, ap- 

 praise stumpage, determine the best methods of cutting, estimate fu- 

 ture growth, lay out logging roads or railroads, reduce waste, increase 

 utilization, or participate in actual logging and milling operations. 

 Experience for such work often must be gained by entering the busi- 

 ness at the bottom and learning its practical and administrative de- 

 tails in a long and exacting apprenticeship. Many foresters find 

 opportunities in this field, with possibilities of advancement to impor- 

 tant managerial positions. 



There is a growing field for specialization in industrial forestry. 

 Some of the large operators conduct reforestation activities and other 

 silvicultural work on their cutover lands. Many operators or associa- 

 tions maintain their own fire control organizations. Industrial forest 

 research is increasing, particularly in wood utilization. The growing 



