A NATIONAL-FOREST CONSERVATION PROGRAM 



The program presented herein is geared to meeting the needs of 

 this short-term period and to preparing the national-forest system 

 to contribute its fair share to the national well-being at the end of 

 the century. 



The program is described in terms of both long-range resource 

 objectives to be accomplished by the year 2000, and the specific work 

 which will need to be done in the short-term period to attain these 

 objectives. The program will be carried out as rapidly as possible 

 within the overall budgetary requirements and financial resources of 

 the Federal Government. 



Resource Development and Management 



The basic renewable natural resources of the national-forest system 

 upon which the Nation will rely to an increasing extent in the years 

 to come are the timber, water, range, and the recreation and wildlife 

 habitat resources. Their intensive development and management is 

 truly a conservation program of great significance to the continued 

 development, prosperity, and welfare of the Nation. 



Timber Resources 



The long-range timber goal for the national- forest system is an 

 annual harvest on a sustained-yield basis of 21.1 billion board feet 

 of sawtimber by the year 2000. This goal is about 3 times the 1957 

 timber cut. Total sawtimber growth estimated to be needed in the 

 year 2000 to meet national demands is 105.4 billion board feet. The 

 national- forest goal is that portion of the national need which the 

 national forests could reasonably be expected to produce under in- 

 tensified management. 



The objective is to reach this goal by : (a) Intensifying the manage- 

 ment of existing stands, including measures to assure stand improve- 

 ment and regeneration; (b) growing more and better trees on the 

 lands that are not producing their full capacity today; (c) reducing 

 losses from disease, insects, and fire; and (d) improving utilization. 

 The short-term program steps to further items (c) and (d) are cov- 

 ered later under the headings Protection and Research. 

 The program proposals for the short-term period are — 



1. Harvesting will be increased toward the goal of full sustained- 

 yield cut on all working circles so that annual cut will reach 11 

 billion board feet. 



