122 



TIMBER TRENDS IN THE UNITED STATES 



Table 80. — Timber cut, allowable cut, net growth, and inventory in the Rocky Mountains, 1952-2000 



SAWTIMBER IN BILLION BOARD FEET 











Projections 





Ownership 



1952 



1962 











1970 



1980 



1990 



2000 



National forest: 















Cut 



1.0 



2.2 



2.8 



3.6 



4.1 



4.2 



Allowable cut. 



3.6 

 2.3 



3.6 

 2.5 



3.7 

 2.6 



3.9 

 2.9 



4.1 

 3.1 



4.2 



Growth 



3.3 



Inventory 



283.3 



304.5 



301.0 



297.0 



289.0 



279.0 



Other lands: 















Cut 



1.4 



1.6 



1.7 



1.9 



2.0 



2.1 



Growth 



1.0 



1.1 



1.3 



1.4 



1.5 



1.5 



Inventory 



131.7 



113.9 



115.0 



110.0 



105.0 



100.0 



Total: 















Cut 



2.4 



3.8 



4.5 



5.5 



6.1 



6.3 



Growth 



3.3 



3.6 



3.9 



4.3 



4.6 



4.8 



Inventory 



415.0 



418.4 



416.0 



407.0 



394.0 



379.0 





GROWING STOCK 



IN BILLION CUBIC FEET 







National forest: 



















Cut 





0.2 





0.3 



0.5 



0.7 



0.8 



0.8 



Allowable cut 





.7 

 .6 





.7 



.7 



.7 

 .6 



.8 

 .7 



.8 



.7 



.9 



Growth 





.8 



Inventory 





65.0 





72.0 



72.0 



73.0 



73.0 



72.0 



Other lands: 



















Cut 





.2 





.3 



.3 



.4 



.4 



.4 



Growth 





.2 





.2 



.3 



.3 



.3 



.3 



Inventory 





29.9 





26.7 



28.0 



27.0 



27.0 



26.0 



Total: 



















Cut 





.4 





.6 



.8 



1.1 



1.2 



1.2 



Growth- 





.8 

 94.9 





.9 



98.7 



.9 



100.0 



1.0 

 100.0 



1.0 

 100.0 



1.1 



Inventory 



98.0 



Size of Trees Cut 

 Expected To Decline 



About 62 percent of the total timber cut in the 

 Rockies in 1962 came from trees above 19.0 inches 

 in diameter (table 81). This is projected to drop 

 to about 42 percent of the total cut on national 

 forests by 2000, and to 31 percent on private 

 lands. As in other sections, continued adjust- 

 ments of the forest industries to smaller sizes of 

 timber, as well as to a changing mix of species, 

 will be required. 



Intensified Management 

 Necessary To Sustain Cut 



With present levels of management in the 

 Rockies, the projected timber cut probably could 

 not be continued beyond the time when excess 

 sawtimber inventories have been liquidated. The 



efforts going into stand regeneration, thinning, 

 and control of insects and diseases are not creating 

 an adequate succession of young, vigorous, prop- 

 erly stocked stands necessary for a sustained high 

 level of output over the next century. 



Table 81. — Distribution of timber cut in the Rocky 

 Mountains, by diameter classes, and by owner- 

 ships, 1962 and 2000 





All owner- 



National 



Other lands 



Diameter at 



ships 



forest 





breast height 











(inches) 

















1962 



2000 



1962 



2000 



1962 



2000 





Per- 



Per- 



Per- 



Per- 



Per- 



Per- 





cent 



cent 



cent 



cent 



cent 



cent 



5.0-9.0 



4 



7 



4 



7 



2 



6 



9.0-15.0 



18 



32 



20 



30 



16 



38 



15.0-19.0 



16 



22 



16 



21 



17 



25 



19.0 + 



62 



39 



60 



42 



65 



31 



Total. __. 



100 



100 



100 



100 



100 



100 



