124 



TIMBER TRENDS EN THE UNITED STATES 



(4) Increased protection of timber from fire, 

 insects, and disease and greater salvage of timber 

 lost to destructive agents. 



Rocky Mountain Forests Predominantly 

 in Public Ownership 



The Rocky Mountain States have 43 percent 

 of all the federally owned or managed commercial 

 forest land in the United States. About two- 

 thirds of the 66 million acres of commercial forest 

 in the Rocky Mountains is in national forests, 

 and three-fourths is publicly owned. Utilization 

 of timber on these public lands has been slight; 

 as a result more than 80 percent of the remaining 

 timber inventory in this section is in public 

 ownership. The long-range development of timber 

 resources in the Rocky Mountains is thus pri- 

 marily a problem of public forestry. 



THE TIMBER SUPPLY OUTLOOK IN THE SOUTH 



The South has produced more timber products 

 than any other section of the United States in the 

 past century. It is currently the Nation's chief 

 supplier of pulpwood, poles, and piling. Forests 

 of the West now supply a larger share of the total 

 sawtimber cut, but in the long run when the 

 western old-growth reserves have been cut the 

 Nation must once again rely heavily upon the 

 South. The Southern States have 39 percent 

 of the Nation's commercial forest land and 

 nearly half the timber growth (fig. 55). 



Construction of many pulpmills in the South 

 during the past few decades is but a preview of 

 the industrial expansion possible in this section 

 if the forests are effectively managed. The 201 

 million acres of commercial forests have several 

 factors in their favor, chief of which are the rapid 

 growth rates permitting relatively short rota- 

 tions, accessibility for logging, and nearness to 

 principal markets. On the other hand, the South 

 has a major problem in realizing its growth 

 potential in that a high proportion of the com- 

 mercial forest area belongs to small owners, 

 most of whom have shown little interest in intensi- 

 fying timber management. 



Allocated Cut of Softwoods in 2000 

 Almost 3 Times the 1962 Cut 



More than 15 billion board feet of sawtimber 

 was cut in the South in 1962, including 8.4 billion 

 feet of softwoods and 7.0 billion feet of hard- 



RELATIVE IMPORTANCE OF FOREST 

 RESOURCES IN THE SOUTH 



Area 



Sawtimber Volume 



Growing Stock Volume 





Sawtimber Cut 



Sawtimber Growth 



(In Percent of US. Total) 



Figure 55 



woods (table 82 and fig. 56). With the cutting 

 assumptions adopted, the softwood cut would 

 triple by 2000 to about 26 billion board feet. 

 This projected increase in softwood cut is in 

 marked contrast to a decline of 28 percent in the 

 softwood sawtimber cut between 1952 and 1962. 

 In this period thousands of small southern saw- 

 mills ceased operations in the face of expanding 

 competition from western and Canadian lumber 

 producers. At least part of this reduction in 

 lumber cut must be attributed in turn to the 

 inability of many sawmills to obtain timber of 

 adequate size and quality. Other reasons for the 

 decline in softwood cut included a sharp drop in 

 consumption of fuel wood. 



Projected Softwood Growth Rises 

 Until 1980, Then Declines 



With recent levels of forest management, and 

 a rise in cut as projected, net growth of softwood 



