Nearly half of the economic opportunities to increase net 

 annual timber growth are in stands of the upland hardwood 

 types. Most of the remainder is in natural pine and mixed 

 pine-hardwood stands. Nearly half of the opportunities for 

 increasing growth involve regenerating (with site preparation) 

 nonstocked or cutover sites. Most of the rest involve either 

 regeneration of mature stands or stocking control, cleaning, 

 or release of stocked stands. 



The total investment that would be required to utilize the 

 economic opportunities to increase timber supplies is $6.9 

 billion. The largest part of this, about three-fifths, would 

 fund regeneration with site preparation. Although treatment 

 costs are large, the rate of return on the investments would 

 equal or exceed 4 percent, which approximates the longrun 

 opportunity cost of capital in the private sector of the U.S. 

 economy. 



There are additional opportunities to increase net annual 

 timber growth in the South. There are currently 22 million 

 acres of cropland and pasture that would yield higher rates 

 of return to the owners if planted to pine. This includes 



In the South, there are about 22 million 

 acres of marginal cropland and pasture, 

 including highly erodible land, that would 

 yield higher rates of return to the owners 

 if planted to pine. If planted, these lands 

 would produce about 2.1 billion cubic feet 

 of timber each year. If these lands were 

 planted and the economic opportunities on 

 today's timberland were utilized, net annual 

 timber growth could be increased by 5.3 

 billion cubic feet. This would nearly double 

 current net annual softwood growth and 

 would be enough timber to sustain 

 employment and wages and salaries in the 

 forest industries. 



nearly 8 million acres of highly erodible cropland that is 

 suitable for growing trees. In a sense, all of these 22 

 million acres are marginal for crop and pasture use. If 

 planted to pine, they would produce about 2.1 billion cubic 

 feet of net annual timber growth. 



About three-fifths of the opportunities on marginal and 

 highly erodible cropland and pasture are in the South Central 

 region. There are substantial opportunities in all Southern 

 States. In most States, the potential for new net annual 

 growth is above 100 million cubic feet a year. 



In total, net annual timber growth in the South could be 

 increased by 5.3 billion cubic feet if all the economic 

 opportunities on timberland were utilized and the marginal 

 and highly erodible cropland and pasture were planted to 

 pine (fig. 11). This would nearly double current net annual 

 softwood growth and increase the projected softwood 

 growth shown in figure 7 by about 50 percent. 



In making the base projections, it was assumed that a little 

 over a third of the opportunities to increase net annual 

 growth would be implemented over the projection period. 

 However, the investments have not been made, and the 

 opportunities as described do exist at this time. 



Achieving the total potential increase in timber growth would 

 have very positive benefits for the South. The additional 

 growth would sustain employment and wages and salaries 

 in the forest industry. It would also help the general 

 economy of the South. The effect of forestry sector 

 employment is multiplied in the trade, service, and 

 transportation sectors, and in other parts of the economy. 

 Currently it is estimated that total employment is increased 

 by about 2.3 jobs for each job in the lumber and wood 

 products industry and by 2.6 jobs for each job in the pulp 

 and paper products industry. 



Achieving the full potential for greater timber growth would 

 also have important national impacts. Consumers would pay 

 less for timber products. Because everyone consumes forest 

 products, everyone would benefit. Export sales of forest 

 products would be stimulated and imports reduced, thereby 

 favorably influencing the national balance of trade. The use 

 of substitute materials such as steel, aluminum, and plastics 

 would also be constrained. There would be related 

 environmental benefits, particularly from reduced emissions 

 of air and water pollutants from the mining, industrial 

 processing, and power generation associated with the use of 

 substitute materials and from reduced erosion and 

 sedimentation as cropland and pasture were converted to 

 forest. 



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