COmPPRfiTIVE RCREflGEJ 



TOTAL LAND AREA 

 12 5 MILLION ACRES 



FOREST LAND AREA 

 10 3 MILLION ACRES 



COMMERCIAL FOREST 



LAND AREA 



6 9 MILLION ACRES 



COMMERCIAL WHITE PINE AREA 

 2 4 MILLION ACRES 



COMMERCIAL WHITE PINE SAW-TIMBER AREA 

 I MILLION ACRES 



Figure 9. — While 55 percent of northern Idaho is commercial forest land, 

 only one-third of this commercial area, or 2.4 miltioyi acres, contains 

 western white pine stands. 



country. Extension of the rail system proceeded at a 

 rapid pace until 1910, when the Milwaukee line began 

 operation. The railroads have 1,270 miles ot track in 

 northern Idaho, ot which 930 miles is in the systems ot 

 these 2 roads and the Great Northern. As shown in 

 figure 5, about 1,000 persons received their principal em- 

 ployment from this source in 1940. 



Population 



The population of the 10 counties in northern Idaho was 

 120,000 in 1930. Although the number of persons declined 

 in certain localities, the total increased to 136,000 in 1940. 



Most of the inhabitants, numbering about 7 per square 

 mile, are located in the principal agricultural areas or in the 

 vicinity of lumbering or mining towns (fig. 8). Three- 

 tenths of the population (1940 census) resides in the six 

 larger incorporated towns, which in order of size are 

 Lewiston (10,548), Coeur d'Alene, Moscow, Sandpoint, 

 Kellogg, and Wallace (3,839). These six are the onlv 

 towns having populations exceeding 2,500 persons. 



Forest- Land Values 



Every acre of the 10.3 million acres of forest in northern 

 Idaho plays a part in watershed protection, and many have 

 a real recreation value. A great portion, however, must 

 be discounted in measuring commercial significance for 

 timber products (fig. 9). One-third has no commercial 

 value whatsoever. An additional four-tenths is of only 

 limited present importance from a commercial timber 

 standpoint, and will continue so unless economic conditions 

 change considerablv. Thus, for proper appraisal of the 

 forest-inventory situation in northern Idaho one must 

 carefully consider these factors, recognizing that species 

 and location ot timber are as important as quantity. 



li/nher Values 



Area Classification 



The two broad classifications of forest land have already 

 been indicated in table 1 — the 3.4 million acres that are of 

 no commercial value, and the 6.9 million acres having 

 some present or potential value. 



Forests classified as noncommercial tor timber production 

 are of three general kinds — scrubby subalpine stands, timber 

 of commercial quality so remote as to be now and always 

 commercially inaccessible, and timber of commercial 

 quality which is economically accessible but more valuable 

 for other use and therefore reserved from cutting, as 

 follows: 



Million 

 Noncommercial forest land; acres 



Subalpine and rocky noncommercial 1.5 



Commercial quality but inaccessible 1.7 



Commercial quality and accessible but reserved .2 



Total 3.4 



The commercial forest land represents a broad scale of 

 values. This variation arises from correspondingly wide 

 differences in the value of individual species. This is a 

 factor in the discussion to toUow that must be properly 

 evaluated. 



Northern Idaho is far removed from the principal 

 markets, \^'estern white pine lumber, cedar poles, and to 

 a less extent ponderosa pine lumber are in good demand, 

 and draw prices sufficiently high to leave a margin for 

 profit above stumpage, production costs, and transporta- 

 tion charges. The lower selling prices of other species 

 restrict their sale to local markets and a limited out-ot-state 



10 



