132 



TIMBER TRENDS IN THE UNITED STATES 



Increased tree planting on productive sites could 

 add to future timber supplies in some areas. 

 Improved protection against insects and diseases 

 would also increase volumes of usable wood in the 

 future, and in the case of pests such as the white 

 pine weevil improve timber quality as well. 



Timber supplies in the North must be obtained 

 largely from the 73 percent of the forest area that 

 is in private ownership, mostly in relatively small 

 holdings. National forests and other public 

 holdings make up only 19 percent of the commer- 

 cial forest in this section, and holdings of forest 

 industries 8 percent. 



NATIONAL SUPPLY-DEMAND 

 RELATIONSHIPS 



The projections of timber demands, growth, 

 and inventories developed in this study show 

 changing relationships over the next few decades. 



Continuing problems of timber quality also are in 

 prospect as a result of a gradual shift of a large 

 part of the cut from old-growth stands and larger 

 trees to younger growth. 



Timber Supplies Exceed Projected Demands 

 for Two or Three Decades But Not in 2000 



The cut of softwood sawtimber in 1962, amount- 

 ing to 36.7 billion board feet, was about equal to 

 the growth, but was much less than the estimated 

 "supply" of 48.5 billion board feet. This "supply" 

 was made up of net growth in the East plus the 

 prospective cut of timber in the West (table 87 

 and fig. 59). 



With recent levels of management, projections 

 of "supply" appear sufficient to meet projected 

 demands until about 1990. By 2000, however, 



Table 87. — Timber cut, growth, supply, and inventories in the United States, 1952-2000 

 SAWTIMBER IN BILLION BOARD FEET 











Projections 





Species group 



1952 



1962 











1970 



1980 



1990 



2000 



Softwoods: 















Cut 



36.5 



36.7 



41.0 



45.6 



51.8 



59.5 



Growth 



30.0 



35.9 



39.7 



44.8 



44.0 



43.7 



Supply 1 .. 





48.5 

 2,058.0 



51.5 

 2,053.0 



54.8 

 2,053.8 



52.8 

 2,012.8 



51 -.9 



Inventory . 



2,132.4 



1.882.4 



Hardwoods: 















Cut 



12.3 



11.7 



12.6 



14.8 



17.7 



21.5 



Growth 



17.4 



19.0 



19.9 



19.7 



18.3 



17.5 



Inventory 



428.5 



478.8 



532.9 



590.7 



609.9 



581.2 



All species: 















Cut 



48.8 



48.4 



53.6 



60.4 



69.5 



81.0 



Growth 



47.4 



54.9 



59.6 



64.5 



62.3 



61.2 



Supply 1 . . _ 





67.0 

 2,536.8 



70.9 

 2,585.9 



74.0 

 2,644.5 



70.5 

 2,622.7 



68.8 



Inventory 



2,560.9 



2,463.6 



GROWING STOCK IN BILLION CUBIC FEET 







Softwoods : 



Cut . 



7.5 

 7.7 



7.2 



9.0 



10.2 



434.1 



2.9 



7.3 



193.8 



10.1 



16.3 



17.2 



627.9 



8.0 



10.1 



11.0 



452.3 



3.5 



7.3 



219.6 



11.5 



17.4 



18.2 



671.9 



9.4 



11.2 



11.9 



473.7 



4.3 



7.0 



252.0 



13.7 



18.2 



18.8 



725.7 



11.4 



10.8 



11.6 



487.5 



5.5 



6.4 



270.4 



16.9 



17.2 



17.8 



757.9 



14.4 



Growth 



Supply '. --- 



10.8 

 11.8 



Inventory 



Hardwoods: 



Cut 



Growth 



Inventory 



All species: 

 Cut 



428.4 



3.3 



6.6 



167.4 



10.8 

 14.3 



468.7 



7.2 



6.4 



269.6 



21.6 



Growth-- - -- 



17.2 



Supply 1 



18.0 



Inventory 



595.8 



738.3 



' Supply is defined as the sum of growth in the East, allowable cut on public lands in the West, and prospective cut 

 on private lands in the West. 



