the forests to a fully productive condition. The 
most valuable species will not grow from seedling 
to mature trees in shorter time. Some areas, 
where soil humus is being depleted by forest fires, 
will be able to produce only inferior timber for 
several tree generations. 
Situation Not Beyond Repair 
In spite of somewhat depleted resources and the 
undesirable the opportunity to 
maintain the forests in a permanently productive 
condition is still present in the Upper Peninsula. 
The Upper Peninsula has a larger acreage of 
mature saw timber than any other unit of com- 
parable size in the Lake States.. One-fourth of 
the forest land bears timber of sawlog size. The 
Upper Peninsula has 40 percent of all the Lake 
States saw timber and this includes 64 percent of 
the sugar maple, 69 percent of the hemlock, and 71 
percent of the yellow birch. It has about 27 
percent of the region’s high-grade pulpwood, and 
50 percent of the ‘“‘cedar’” poles. Properly man- 
aged, this merchantable timber, together with the 
growth appearing on the cut-over land, will 
trends noted, 
support a large group of industries on a permanent 
basis. 
Under good management, which means proper 
cutting methods, close utilization of low-grade 
timber, and careful protection of young growth, 
the Upper Peninsula forests, as a whole, will yield 
589 million board feet annually. This yield can 
be increased to 650 million board feet in 40 years, 
and 1,000 million feet eventually. 
Ultimate Goal Should Be Sustained-yield Units 
The most urgent need in the Upper Peninsula is 
to stop those practices which destroy existing 
young growth and prevent natural reforestation. 
Young growth, which normally should supply the 
requirements of the region 20 or 30 years hence, is 
destroyed whenever forests of mixed ages are clear 
cut. Future yields are impaired whenever thrifty 
young forests are logged prematurely. Reproduc- 
tion and young growth is menaced whenever large 
contiguous blocks of logging slash are allowed to 
accumulate. Therefore, the first step in any pro- 
gram aimed at permanent forest yields should be 
to halt these undesirable cutting methods. 
2) 
Maximum timber yields will be obtained during 
the next 50 years if a system of light partial cutting 
is followed in the all-aged northern hardwoods 
and some of the other forest types. In such 
cutting, as many as possible of the cull and inferior 
trees should be removed in the first operation to 
stimulate the growth of the thrifty trees which are 
left. Selective logging is not an absolute require- 
ment for good forest management, but it offers the 
best means of stabilizing timber production without 
waiting long periods for new growth to mature. 
It creates lower fire hazards and is less destructive 
to young growth than clear-cutting. 
The aim in forest management should be to 
create a set of self-sustained management units, 
covering the principal forest areas of the Peninsula. 
In these the wood-using industries should be cor- 
related with the growing capacity of the surround- 
ing forest. If completely integrated, no products 
will be overcut and few will be wasted. ‘This 
arrangement will not preclude export of logs and 
bolts, but will eliminate inefficient cross hauls and 
uncorrelated operations for different products. 
What Is Needed 
Creation of sustained-yield units will involve 
some important readjustments in mill production 
and land ownership. Creation of favorable con- 
ditions for such readjustments should be a part of 
the forestry program for the area. 
To bring manufacturing plants into balance with 
tributary resources, it will be necessary to reduce 
the output of products made from high-grade 
maple, basswood, pine, and spruce, particularly in 
those districts where timber supplies are already 
badly depleted. ‘This reduction should logically be 
made by elimination of the least efficient plants 
rather than pro rata. 
At the same time, most localities have a sufficient 
supply of low-grade wood, including red maple, 
black ash, cull hardwoods, defective ‘‘cedar,” 
shaky hemlock, and undersized aspen, to offer an 
opportunity for new industries if economic condi- 
tions can be made favorable. 
From every standpoint, it is desirable to remove 
more of the cull and weed trees from the forest. 
Standing, such trees retard growth of other timber 
and invite spread of insects and disease. Among 
the possible means of stimulating greater use are (1) 
