timber operations are carried on; and the game 

 supply in these areas is sufficient to attract many 

 hunters during the hunting season. Through west- 

 ern Monroe, eastern Luzerne, and southern Lacka- 

 wanna Counties, however, there is little settlement; 

 and a large proportion of the forest land is too 

 depleted at present for anything but blueberry and 

 game production. There are, however, some recre- 

 ational developments in this section. 



The number of people in the extensive forests is 

 so small that their employment is no serious problem. 

 On the contrary, development of the forest resources 

 here may be of considerable importance in providing 

 employment for people from the coal fields. 



Subdivisions 



The extensive forest consists of four subdivisions: 

 the eastern Poconos, the western Poconos, North 

 Mountain, and Peters Mountain. The eastern Poco- 

 nos lie on the eastern extremity of the Allegheny 

 Plateau, about 2,000 feet above sea level; it is an 

 uneven, wooded tableland pocketed with small glacier- 

 formed lakes and spruce swamps. Parts of the area 

 are served by an excellent system of roads; other parts, 

 particularly in the southwest, are almost inaccessible. 

 Considerable lumbering is carried on in this area; 

 and the altitude, the lakes, and the forests make the 

 area a popular vacation resort. 



The western Poconos arc slightly higher in elevation, 

 and in some places mountains rise above the plateau. 

 Much of this area has at one time or another been 

 burned over, and in western Monroe County is a 



large area devoted to the production of blueberries 

 where forest growth is deliberately kept down by fire. 



The North Mountain subdivision, also on the Alle- 

 gheny Plateau, is more mountainous than any part of 

 the Pocono area; it rises in places to over 2,500 feet. 

 A considerable amount of lumbering is carried on in 

 this area, much of itfor the sawmill market in Williams- 

 port. The forested mountains and lakes of this area 

 also attract visitors in the summer. 



The Peters Mountain subdivision is located on a 

 part of the Appalachian chain and is considerably 

 lower in elevation than the other subdivisions. It 

 consists of a series of ridges and valleys lying northeast- 

 southwest, much of it inaccessible by road. At present 

 little lumbering is being done; but its comparative 

 nearness to Harrisburg and other industrial centers 

 makes it a popular hunting ground. 



Forest- Products Industries 



The forest-products industries of the extensive forest 

 area are principally mine-timber production and 

 lumbering. About 65 sawmills operate in this area, 

 and there are several planing mills either within the 

 area or on its outskirts. In addition about 4<> persons 

 arc engaged in operating the State and Federal lands 

 or otherwise occupied with forest management. 



Land Ownei ship 



The proportion of publicly owned forest land is 

 approximately four times as great in the extensive 



forests as it is in the rest of the Anthracite Forest 

 Region (table IS). These public forests are very un- 



Table 18. — Forest-land ownership in the extensive forests, by subdivisions 



Ownership 



Eastern 

 Poconos 



Western 



I'm nuns 



North 

 Mountain 



Peters 



Mountain 



Total 



Private: 



Coal companies 



Acres 



Acres 



1. 500 



i v 200 



in. 700 



104,800 



Acres 



ii in 

 n io 



160,800 



1 



200 



9, mm 



1 . 500 



49, [00 



:. inn 



inn 



4:. 100 



804, "00 



nt 



Water companies 



500 



23, 400 



290. 200 



4 



Farmers 





Others 



(.4 







All private 



314, 100 



n.ll. .MH 



I 68. MMI 





90: 



"1 







Public: 





14, H 'i' 

 i 900 



1 v -Dll 



• - ,.,.,i 







126, 500 



. 600 





Game commission 



66, 200 

 8,000 

 1,000 



11. .Mil 



75, ""ii 

 9,000 



1 V 

 40 

 4. 700 





Counties 





Communities 





All public 



77, 200 



ins. inn 



126, 100 



>8 inn 



1 









Total 



191, 500 



•)(.S. 600 



294, 100 



1 1 . 



1.2-2.: 





i Negligible. 

 The Anthracite Forest Region A Problem Area 





