but there neither logging nor 
the manufacture of wood prod- 
ucts has been of any conse- 
quence up to the present, owing 
in part to somewhat lower 
quality of timber but chiefly 
to lack of water-shipping facil- 
ities. In this district asa whole 
there are relatively few saw- 
mills, and the typical mill and 
the typical logging operation 
are small. The one large saw- 
mill is a pine mill with a box 
factory in connection, located 
at Medford. 
Future Depletion and 
Inventory 
On the basis of 1933 inven- 
tory data and depletion and 
growth estimates presented pre- 
viously, forest depletion and 
erowth in the Douglas-fir re- 
gion have been estimated for 
each decade of the 30-year 
period beginning with 1933 and 
regional forest inventories have 
been calculated as of 1943, 
1953, and 1963 (table 37 and 
figure 34). The depletion fig- 
ures are log scale and do not 
include the results of any wind 
or fire catastrophe. Assump- 
tion of a specified cut in a given 
forest-survey unit does not 
necessarily imply that that 
quantity of logs will be manu- 
factured into lumber, pulp, or other products in 
that unit. How the assumed future depletion by 
cutting, fire, etc., would alter type areas is shown 
in figure 35. 
The key element in these estimates and calcula- 
tions was the assumptions of future cutting. ‘These 
were based on a continuation of past practices, 1. e., 
that liquidation would take its normal course. 
This would mean a continuation of past destructive 
processes. ‘The depletion data as set up, both as to 
amount and location, are based on conditions which 
are contrary to conservation principles and which 
BILLIONS OF BOARD FEET, LOG SCALE, SCRIBNER RULE 
DECADE 1933-42 
DECADE 1943-52 
DECADE 1953-62 
250 
| WASHINGTON 
CLASSES IT AND IZ 
150 
x? 
me 
5 
i“ 
~ RS 
rg Bs ; 
RS O08, 
Nore 
See, 
x 
50-G ——+— FIRE 
SS CUTTING ICE 
EES —- 
x 7/j~ CUTTING] | 
oS | 
300 | 
ra 
= 
250 
=| 
rg 
Q 
200;-x 
~ 
Es 
150 it 
y Shs j 
Sho 
100 LORS 
> Bas 
LE bso 2 
Se 
so S st oe 
a ectee legeee 
) eten FIRE ene 
=RY Gln 
r Sp Y <CUTTING] KXxY 
ska ZA | 
1933 DEPLE- GROWTH 1943 DEPLE- GROWTH 1953 DEPLE- GROWTH 
INVEN- TION INVEN- TION INVEN- TION 
TORY TORY TORY 
Douglas-fir region 
it is to be hoped will change. 
thought desirable to show what might result if past 
practices continued.” A constructive program of 
Ficure 34.—Estimates of forest depletion and growth and periodic timber inventories for the 
Nevertheless, it was 
forestry would alleviate the situation created by 
101 
this destructive process. 
Timber in availability class I alone was con- 
sidered, on the theory that cutting will shift to class 
I timber in unexploited localities before any ma- 
terial quantity of class II or class III timber is 
cut in localities where the class I timber has been 
17 See pp. 52 to 53, inclusive, for further details on as- 
sumptions or on estimates of future depletion. 
