Background of Forest Situation 



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THE Lake States region— Minnesota, Wiscon- 

 sin, and Michigan— alter a centtuy and a halt 

 ot settlement, land clearing, Itimbering, and 

 forest fires, is essentially a cut-over region. It con- 

 tributed first its large pine, then its hardwoods, more 

 recently its pulp timber to the upbuilding of the 

 Middle West. The nontimbered character of much 

 of the stuToiuiding territory— the Great Plains to 

 the west, and intensively farmed and industrial areas 

 to the south— created demands for Lake States tim- 

 ber and was a factor in causing early liquidation ot 

 the original pine forests. LikeAvise it is a feature 

 deserving some attention in connection with future 

 timber growth goals. 



Today the region faces the problem of supplying 

 as much as possible of its own timber needs without 

 paying excessive cross-country freight, ot supporting 

 a very valuable pidp and paper industry and other 

 wood-using plants, of giving employment to settlers 

 in the poorer agricultural districts, and of stimu- 

 lating an active toinist and recreation industry, all 

 on a foundation of young second-growth timber. 



This problem, which has been partially recog- 

 nized for a nimiber of years, has been brought into 

 sharp focus by the special demands tor timber that 

 developed during and since World War IL It has 

 led to a desire on the part of the Lake States public 

 to do somethinp constructive, to rebuild the forests, 

 and insure an adequate timber supply for the fu- 

 ture. They want to take stock of the situation and 

 then act. 



The situation in its broader aspects is very well 

 known (18, 20, 21, 22, 45, 46),^ but a brief review 

 may lead to a clearer imderstanding of the facts 

 shown by the Forest Survey. 



PJiysical Conditions 

 Drainage 



The region contains head^vaters of three major 

 drainage basins, one part draining north into Hud- 



^ Italic numbers in parentheses refer to Literature Cited, 

 p. 53. 



son Bay via the Red River, another draining south 

 into the Gulf of Mexico via the Mississippi, and a 

 third draining east to the Atlantic through the 

 Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River. In o;eneral, 

 watershed boundaries are inconspictiotis and have 

 relatively little effect either upon forest conditions 

 or ordinary economic activity. 



Climate 



The drop in mean temperattue from south to 

 north and in anntial rainfall hom east to west 

 accoiuits in part for the distribution of forest types. 

 Likewise, it has a major influence tqaon agrictdture 

 in the region. 



The average frost-free growing season is about 

 180 days at the sotuhern end of Lake Michigan, 

 whereas it is less than 100 days on high ground in 

 the northern part of the region. Average January 

 temperattue in northern Wisconsin is 8° F. com- 

 pared with 21° in the south. Average July temper- 

 ature is 64° in the north, 73° in the south. Ex- 

 tremes range from 50° below to more than 105° 

 above zero {22). 



Mean anntial precipitation ranges from 36 inches 

 near the soutliern border ot Michigan to about 20 

 inches in north\vestern Minnesota. The northern 

 part of the region ordinarily is covered with snow 

 tor 90 to 120 days. 



The cool moist climate in the north tavors the 

 development of coniferous forests. It places limita- 

 tions on certain types of agricultine. The warmer 

 temperatures and more generous summer rainfall in 

 the south have favored agricultural development at 

 the expense of the forests wherever soil conditions 

 permit. 



Prairie conditions in the western j^'irt of the 

 region reflect smaller summer rainfall. 



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Soil and Topography 



The region as a Avhole is level Avithout prominent 

 peaks or valleys. The highest land is about 2,200 

 feet above sea level in northeastern Minnesota; the 

 lowest about 600 feet adjacent to the Great Lakes. 



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