THE ANTHRACITE FOREST REGION — A PROBLEM AREA 



Contents 



Part I.— THE ANTHRACITE FOREST REGION 



Page 



General description 1 



Topography and drainage 1 



Land use 1 



Industrial development 1 



Population and employment 2 



Misuse of the forests 6 



Early exploitation 6 



Effect of mining operations 



Clear-cutting practices 



Unused areas near towns 7 



Mine waste banks 8 



Surface strippings 8 



Fires 9 



Floods and landslides 9 



Attempts at improvement 1(1 



Fire control 11 



Reforestation 11 



Timber management 12 



State agencies 12 



II ]<■ Extension Service 12 



Cooperative Farm Forestry 13 



Forestry by farmers 13 



Coal-company forestry 14 



Other private owner. 14 



Flood control 14 



Recreation 15 



Forest industries 16 



Value of products I (> 



Forest-industry employment 17 



Wood required for mining 1" 



I'he lumbei industry 1"> 



Farm woodlands 19 



The pi <sc in forest situation 20 



( londition of the forests 20 



Unmerchantable stands 'n 



Merchantable pole-timbei stands 21 



Merchantable saw-timber si.mds 21 



Major forest types 22 



Sut;. n maple-beech-yellow bin l> 22 



Vspen-gray birch-pin cherry 22 



While pine-hemlock 23 



White pine-white oak-red oak 



Red oak-black oak-white <>.ik !3 



( Ihestnul o.ik ... 'I 



S< i ub oak 24 



('/- 



Part I.— THE ANTHRACITE FOREST REGION— Con. 



The present forest situation — Continued Page 



Current growth and drain 24 



Growth 24 



Commodity drain 25 



Drain due to fire, insects, and disease 



Inventory change 



Prospects for the next 10 years 



The forest potential 26 



The forests can be built up 27 



Forest area 27 



Timber volume 27 



Forest growth 28 



Future forest-products industries 28 



Ultimate employment and income 28 



A program for immediate action 28 



Intensify fire protection 29 



Plant waste areas 29 



29 



29 



29 



29 



30 



30 



Unused areas near towns 



Mine waste banks 



Surface strippings 



Unused farm land 



Improve timber stands 



Improve watersheds 



Public and private responsibility ; " 



Employment required ; l 



\ long-range program M 



Extending public aid 



Financial assistance 



Forest research 



Extending public ownership )2 



Minimum standards for private management. 

 Expansion required 



Public agencies . , . 



I'i i\ ate agent ies \3 



( i ii ipej ation foi effe< u\ < at tion 



Pari II ECONt >MI< SI BR1 GI< >\ s 



( lenei al des< i iption 34 



Forest-land ow nership . 1 1 



Present forest management 

 The coal Gelds 



Subdi\ isions 



Foi est pi odui is industi ies 



I ,.uul OW nei ship 



VII 



