FOREST LAND AND TIMBER RESOURCES 



103 



owners. The distinction between pulp and paper 

 ownerships and holdings of other forest industries 

 has become less and less meaningful, however, as 

 production of pulp, lumber, veneer, and other 

 wood products has become more closely integrated 

 within large companies. 



The area of commercial forest land in industrial 

 ownership increased about 10 percent, or 6 million 

 acres, between 1953 and 1963. Practically all of 

 the buildup of industrial properties was due to 

 expansion of pulp and paper industry holdings, 

 particularly in the South, where forest land acqui- 

 sition has gone hand in hand with major invest- 

 ments in pulping facilities. Some acquisitions of 

 commercial forest land by the forest industries 

 were by purchase of large timber-holding com- 

 panies. Others were obtained through purchase 

 of farm or other small private holdings or local 

 disposition of public holdings. There have also 

 been many transfers from lumber to pulp and 

 paper company ownerships. 



A number of problems, such as rising land prices 

 and increasing difficulties in acquiring timber 

 tracts of substantial size, may tend to limit further 

 expansion of industrial holdings. Many com- 

 panies have attempted to improve their wood 

 supply situation not only by major investments in 

 timber management on their own lands but also 

 by maintaining a market for wood produced by 

 farmers and other small owners, by exchanging 



logs, and by providing technical forestry assistance 

 to nonindustrial landowners and wood producers. 

 The leasing of forest land by wood-using firms 

 has also become of increasing importance in the 

 East. It is estimated that some 20 pulp com- 

 panies in the South presently hold long-term leases 

 or cutting rights on more than a million acres of 

 forest land. Leasing of surface rights permits 

 owners to retain title and the benefits resulting 

 from the presence of oil or other subsurface 

 resources while the lessees assume responsibilities 

 for management of the timber. 



Farmers and Miscellaneous Private 

 Owners of Major Importance 



About 30 percent of the commercial forest land 

 is in farm ownerships and another 29 percent 

 belongs to other nonindustrial private owners 

 (table 69). These other owners include a great 

 variety of business and professional people, house- 

 wives, wage earners, mining and landholding 

 companies, and other owner groups. Most of 

 them are engaged in occupations or enterprises not 

 directly connected with timber growing. 



Some of these lands, particularly in the South 

 and Pacific coast sections, are in large holdings of 



Table 70. — Ownership of growing stock and sawtimber on commercial forest land, by type and section, 



January 1, 1963 



GROWING STOCK 



Type of ownership 



Total U.S. 



North 



South 



Rocky 

 Mountains 



Pacific 





Volume 



Proportion 



coast 



Natonal forest 



Million 



cu. ft. 



234,284 

 62 , 506 

 93,606 



237,486 



Percent 

 37 

 10 

 15 

 38 



Million 



cu. ft. 



8,696 



14,683 



14,577 



98,513 



Million 



cu. ft. 



10,212 



4,046 



30,034 



89,794 



Million 



cu. ft. 



72-, 007 



9,347 



4,217 



13,153 



Million 

 cu. ft. 

 143,369 



Other public 



Forest industry 



34,430 

 44,778 



Farm and miscellaneous private 



36,026 



All ownerships 



627,882 



100 



186,469 



134,086 



98,724 



258,603 



SAWTIMBER 



National forest 



Other public 



Forest industry 



Farm and miscellaneous private 



All ownerships 



Million 

 bd. ft. 

 1,155,108 

 266,182 

 398,935 

 716,574 



2,536,799 



Percent 



46 

 10 

 16 



28 



100 



Million 



bd. ft. 



16,475 



26,796 



28,925 



237 , 578 



309,774 



Million 



bd. ft. 



36,172 



12,958 



102,994 



259,946 



412,070 



Million 



bd. ft. 



304,531 



41,355 



19,555 



52,951 



418,392 



Million 

 bd. ft. 

 797,930 

 185,073 

 247,461 

 166,099 



1,396,563 



