Forest 



Land 



and 



Timber 



Resources 



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This section describes the Nation's forest land 

 and timber resources as of the beginning of 1963, 

 and indicates recent trends in forest areas, timber 

 volumes, growth, and growth-cut relationships. 



These data provide a measure of recent progress 

 in forestry, some indication of current forestry 

 problems, and a base from which to appraise 

 prospective trends in future timber supplies. In 

 addition, information on the volume, quality, and 

 availability of timber supplies is considered of 

 particular significance for appraising industrial 

 opportunities and problems in the wood-using 

 industries. 



This analysis is concerned primarily with the 

 national situation. Because of the geographic 

 importance of timber supplies to wood-using 

 plants and to forestry programs, however, con- 

 siderable information on resources is presented by 

 major sections of the country, including the North, 

 South, Rocky Mountains, and Pacific coast 

 (figure 33). Since more local statistics also are of 

 particular importance as a guide to many of the 

 Nation's public and private forestry programs, 

 detailed basic statistics by States have been 

 included in appendix 1. 



FOREST LAND 



The area and location of forest land along with 

 its productive capacity, stocking, and ownership 

 are significant factors in appraising opportunities 

 for improving future timber growth and inven- 

 tories. 



Nation One-Third Forested 



After more than three centuries of settlement 

 and development, forests still occupy 759 million 

 acres, or one-third of the 2.3 billion acres of land 

 in the 50 States (table 52 and fig. 34). Two- 

 thirds of this forest area — or 509 million acres — is 

 defined as "commercial" forest land, i.e., suitable 

 and available for the growing of continuous crops 

 of saw logs or other industrial timber products. 



These commercial forests include areas that vary 

 from highly productive timberlands to poor sites 

 that are marginal for timber growing. Some of 

 the areas classed as commercial are at present 

 economically inaccessible for logging operations 



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