conservative estimates the national total of saw- 
timber volume is 1,764 billion board feet lumber 
tally, and the national total volume of all trees, 
both saw timber and smaller, is 519 billion cubic 
feet. This region’s saw-timber volume, converted 
to lumber tally,’ is approximately 628 billion board 
feet, or 36 percent of the national total, and its 
cubic timber volume is 129 billion feet, or 25 per- 
cent of the national total. The way in which this 
enormous particularly old-growth 
component, is cut and marketed will influence 
volume, its 
forest management in every other forest region of 
the United States. Under current economic con- 
ditions, only about half of this volume is available 
for exploitation. 
Saw- Timber Volume 
All but a small volume of material cut is derived 
from trees of sawlog size. All the lumber, shingles, 
and plywood, practically all the pulpwood, and a 
large proportion of the fuel wood, piling, and other 
timber products are cut from trees of sawlog size. 
Nearly half the total volume of the 24 conifer and 
12 hardwood species of the region’s saw timber is 
privately owned (table 7)—including more than 
half the volume of the more valuable species and 
size classes, such as large old-growth Douglas-fir, 
Sitka spruce, and Port Orford white-cedar. The 
next largest portion is on the national forests. Of 
the 546 billion board feet of all timber, only 4 
billion is hardwood. Western Oregon has 55 per- 
cent of the total volume and 70 percent of the 
Douglas-fir volume (table 6). 
DOUGLAS-FIR 
Douglas-fir exceeds in total saw-timber volume 
It attains 
its best development in western Oregon and Wash- 
ington and in British Columbia. 
any other tree species in this country. 
In size of indi- 
vidual trees and density of stands it is exceeded 
only by the sequoias. In its physical and mechan- 
ical properties Douglas-fir wood is well adapted for 
a multitude of uses and is pre-eminent for many 
structural purposes. It is marketed the world over. 
The principal uses are structural timbers, dimen- 
sion and yard lumber, flooring, doors, factory 
lumber, veneer, plywood, piling, and ties. 
7 Saw-timber volume is shown in lumber tally in the 
Appendix, p. 162. 
224146*—40——_3 
Douglas-fir constitutes approximately 61 percent 
of the saw-timber volume of this region. In spite 
of the concentration of logging in the old-growth 
types, nearly 44 percent of the remaining Douglas- 
fir volume (331.4 billion board feet) is in old- 
growth trees more than 40 inches in d. b. h.; and 
of this, nearly half is in the four most southerly 
Oregon survey units, the Willamette River, Ump- 
qua River, south Oregon coast, and Rogue River. 
This size class includes the fine-grained, slow- 
growing “‘yellow fir’? from which is produced by 
far the greater part of the region’s output of clear 
lumber, veneer, and plywood. Approximately 62 
percent of this volume in the region is privately 
owned. Of the 54.6 billion board feet of this class 
STATE 
WASHINGTON 
OREGON 
25 5 
MILLIONS OF BOARD 
GMB eee PUBLIC 
0 
FEET 
Ficure 13.—In both Washington and Oregon nearly two-thirds 
of the valuable “‘yellow fir,” or large old-growth Douglas-fir, is 
in private ownership. 
of timber in western Washington, 65.1 percent is 
privately owned (fig. 13); of the 89.9 billion board 
feet in western Oregon, 60.8 percent is privately 
owned. 
Almost a third of the total Douglas-fir volume is 
in the class of slower-growing, small old-growth 
trees (22 to 40 inches in d. b. h.). Although it 
produces some clear lumber, this class as a rule is 
much inferior in quality to large old growth. Most 
of its volume is in the Cascade Range in Oregon, 
at higher elevations and on poorer sites than the 
larger class. Less than a third of it is privately 
owned, and more than half is on the national forests. 
The small old-growth stumpage, all factors other 
than size being equal, usually sells for a lower price 
than that of the larger class; but much of this which 
is most accessible brings a premium for conversion 
to piling and structural timbers. Small old-growth 
timber seldom produces peeler-grade logs; this is 
