In timber alone, it is estimated that for every dollar of national- 

 forest stumpage sold the end products will be worth 20 dollars by the 

 time they reach the ultimate consumer. This means that the annual 

 sale of 11 billion board feet of sawtimber expected to be reached by 

 the end of the short-term period will have a total consumer value 

 of 3.7 billion dollars. 



Furthermore, some 620,000 people will derive their livelihood from 

 the harvesting, processing, hauling, and merchandising of national- 

 forest timber and the products made therefrom. This will be an in- 

 crease of 60 percent over the current level. 



Similarly, the value of meat, hides, wool, and other livestock prod- 

 ucts increases with reprocessing and handling as do the numbers of 

 dependent people. 



It is estimated that recreational use of the national-forest system 

 will reach 130 million visits by 1969, in contrast to the 68.5 million 

 visits in 1958, and a probable 600 million by 2000. The recreationists 

 making these 130 million visits will put into trade channels a total of 

 nearly a billion dollars for sporting equipment, transportation, li- 

 censes, lodging, and other items. 



Most of the truly intangible values of the national forests are ex- 

 perienced by those millions of people who use the national forests for 

 reasons other than commercial utilization of resources. Xo measure 

 of value expresses the worth of the relaxation, pleasure, rest, spiritual 

 satisfaction and improvement in health derived from the national 

 forests. 



Xo realistic dollar value can be placed on water from the national 

 forests. Water is already the most precious commodity in the West 

 and over half of all waterflow in the West originates on the national 

 forests. These lands will continue indefinitely to be indispensable 

 regulators of the kind and amount of fresh water available to western 

 people. The national- forest water conservation program will improve 

 soil stabilization, result in more regular streamflow, and enhance water 

 quality. It will foster infiltration of water in underground storage. 

 These results will lessen the need for construction of surface reservoirs, 

 settling basins, and other water construction works. 



Xor can there be any complete assessment in dollars of the lives 

 saved, damage prevented, and resources preserved by improved accessi- 

 bility, suppression of insect and disease epidemics, fires prevented 

 or controlled when small, and reduction and prevention of floods. All 

 of these are benefits of the conservation program proposed for the 

 national forests. 



Substantial progress has been made. The foundation for progress 

 is in place. This program builds on that foundation. The result will 

 be full development of these extensive and valuable public properties. 



26 



U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 1959 O — 502100 



