74 



TEMBER TRENDS IN THE UNITED STATES 



southern pines 17 percent, oaks 10 percent, and 

 ponderosa and Jeffrey pines 7.5 percent. 



The relative importance of softwoods varied 

 rather widely by products (table 50). Thus 80 

 percent of the saw logs and veneer logs cut from 

 gi'owing stock in 1962 were softwoods, compared 

 with 73 percent for pulpwood, 53 percent for 

 miscellaneous products, and 18 percent for 

 fuelwood. 



Relative Importance of 

 Western Softwoods Increasing 



Marked changes in the geographic location of 

 timber cutting have occurred in recent years. The 

 cut of western softwoods, for example, increased 

 about 4 billion board feet between 1952 and 1962 

 as a result of heavier cutting in both the Pacific 

 coast and the Rocky Mountains (table 51). The 

 cut of eastern softwoods, on the other hand, de- 

 clined by some 3.8 billion board feet between 1952 

 and 1962, mainly as a result of reduced southern 

 pine lumber production. The cut of hardwoods 

 declined about 0.6 billion board feet in this decade 



in spite of an appreciable rise in cutting of western 

 hardwoods. 



In terms of sawtimber cut, the West was of 

 primary importance in 1962 with 56 percent of the 

 total cut of all species combined. In terms of 

 total growing stock cut, however, the South was 

 the leading producing region with 42 percent of 

 the total. 



In the projections of timber cut it was esti- 

 mated that softwoods may drop from 71 percent 

 of the total gi'owing stock cut in 1962 to 67 percent 

 of the adjusted total by 2000 (table 48), mainly 

 as a result of an expected increase in the relative 

 use of hardwood pulpwood. In the case of saw- 

 timber, softwoods are projected to drop from 76 

 percent in 1962 to 73 percent of the adjusted 

 total by 2000. 



The projections of timber cut described in this 

 section thus indicate the likelihood of a very 

 substantial increase in cutting pressures in the 

 Nation's forests. How well these projected de- 

 mands for timber can be met from prospective 

 timber supphes is appraised in the following 

 sections. 



Table 51. — Timber cut from growing 



Stock and sawtimber, by section and species group, 



1962 





All species 



Softwoods 



Hardwoods 



Section 



1962 



Change from 

 1952 



1962 



Change from 

 1952 



1962 



Change from 

 1952 



GROWING STOCK— MILLION CUBIC FEET 



North . 



1,696 

 4,236 



-230 

 -831 



560 

 2,492 



-136 



-558 



1.136 

 1.744 



-94 



South . 



-273 







Total East- 



5,932 



-1,061 



3,052 



-694 



2,880 



-367 







Rocky Mountain .. ._ 



652 

 3,564 



+ 223 

 + 229 



647 

 3,492 



+ 221 



+ 177 



5 



72 



+ 2 



Pacific coast 



+ 52 



Total West_.. . 



4,216 



+ 452 



4,139 



+ 398 



77 



+ 54 







Total U.S 



10,148 



-609 



7.191 



-296 



2,957 



-313 







SAWTIMBER— MILLION BOARD FEET 



North 



6.126 

 15,375 



-530 



-4,274 



1,881 

 8,406 



-479 

 -3,325 



4.245 

 6,969 



-51 



South - _ 



-949 







Total East .. 



21,501 



-4,804 



10,287 



-3,804 



11,214 



-1,000 







Rocky Mountain . 



3,839 

 23,061 



+ 1,385 

 + 2,980 



3.822 

 22,638 



+ 1,376 

 + 2,629 



17 

 423 



+ 9 



Pacific coast . . _ 



+ 351 







Total West 



26.900 



+ 4,365 



26,460 



+ 4,005 



440 



+ 360 







Total U.S 



48,401 



-439 



36,747 



+ 201 



11,654 



-640 







