The advances made in forest conservation both by public 
agencies and by progressive industrial and private operators 
are praiseworthy steps in the right direction. However, we 
must realistically face the facts of continuing and unnecessary 
forest deterioration. Glossing over the unpleasant facts of 
the situation will not help in achieving the necessary correc- 
tive action. 
The following answers to 17 pertinent questions about the 
forests will, it is hoped, help to improve the general under- 
standing of the forest situation. The information is based 
on a national survey and study of the timber resource as to 
quantity, quality, distribution, growth, drain, uses, require- 
ments for timber, and status of forest management and pro- 
tection. This reappraisal of the forest situation, the most 
complete and accurate so far made, was recently completed 
by the Forest Service, United States Department of 
Agriculture. 
PLENTY OF TIMBER? 
1. We have plenty of forest-land. Why not plenty of 
timber? 
The fact that one-third of the area of the United States is 
forest land has been said to indicate that there will always 
be an abundance of timber. But it does not follow that all 
forest land is productive timberland. 
Of some 624 million acres of forest land in the United 
States, approximately 163 million acres is noncommercial. 
This includes alpine, semidesert, chaparral or other forest- 
land types not suited for growing timber of commercial 
quality or quantity, and some better forest land set aside for 
parks and game preserves. Much of the noncommercial 
forest land is valuable for watershed protection, grazing, 
wildlife, or other purposes. Of the 461 million acres of 
commercial forest land, some 75 million acres is virtually 
nonproductive as a result of destructive cutting and fire. 
Of the remaining area all but about 44 million acres has been 
bo 
