12 



TIMBER RESOURCES FOR AMERICA'S FUTURE 



DEMAND FOR WOOD IS INCREASING 



Before reviewing present and prospective timber 

 supplies in the United States, it is important to 

 outline prospective demand in order that the 

 reader may have before him a clear picture ot the 

 Nation's need for wood against which may be 

 appraised the present and prospective timber 

 situation and growth. 



Consumption of timber products and prospec- 

 tive timber demand are very nearly the same 

 thing except with respect to time. Consumption 

 is what has happened, whereas prospective de- 

 mand is a projection of what may happen in the 

 future under assumed conditions. Timber con- 

 sumption is of value not only as an indicator and 

 guide to the future, but also as a matter of his- 

 torical interest. 



Timber Products Consumption 



Consumption by principal individual timber 

 products for the few years that such estimates 

 have been assembled are summarized in table 2. 

 The volume of timber products consumed in 1952, 

 expressed in terms of the cubic foot volume of 

 logs and bolts (roundwood), amounted to 12.3 

 billion cubic feet or 78 cubic feet per capita. 

 Products other than fuelwood accoimted for 84 

 percent ot that total: Saw logs 52 percent, pulp- 

 wood 22 percent, veneer logs and bolts 4 percent, 

 and all other nonfuel products 6 percent. Fuel- 

 wood accounted for 16 percent (fig. 5). 



Consumption of industrial wood (timber prod- 

 ucts other than fuelwood) increased moderately 

 from 1900 to 1907, then declined rather steadily 

 through 1921. There was a sharp upturn then 

 for 2 years, followed bj^ a moderate decline through 

 1929, and a drastic reduction during the depression 

 that continued through 1932 to a low point in that 

 year of 3.9 billion cubic feet. Gradually, from 

 1933 through 1942, consumption increased to a 

 point just under the 1907 peak. There was a 

 drop in consumption during the production diffi- 

 culties through the war years, but this was followed 

 by an upswing since 1949 in which consumption 

 in each of the year? 1950-52 was higher than the 

 previous peak in 1907. This is indicated in the 

 following tabulation : 



Industrial wood ' 



Total Per capita 

 Year: (.billion cu. ft.) (cubic feet) 



1900 8.8 116 



1905 9.1 109 



1910 9.5 103 



1915 8.5 85 



1920 8.2 77 



1925 8.8 76 



1930 7.0 57 



1935 5.9 46 



1940 8.0 61 



1945 7.8 56 



1950 10.1 67 



1951 10.1 65 



1952 10.3 66 



' This same long-term trend, including the intervening 

 years, is shown in figure 111 and table 206 of the section 

 on Future Demand for Timber. 



Table 2. — Estimated consumption of timber products in the United States 



Product 



Standard unit of measure 



Volume in standard units 



1944 



1950 



1952 



Volume in 

 roundwood ' 



1952 



Saw logs (lumber, sawn ties, etc.) ^. 



Veneer logs and bolts 



Pulp wood 3 



Cooperage logs and bolts 



Piling 



Poles 



Posts (round and split) 



Hewn ties 



Mine timbers (round) 



Other industrial wood * 



All industrial wood 



Fuelwood 



All timber products 



Bd.-ft. lumber tally 



Bd.-ft. log scale 



Standard cords 



Bd.-ft. log scale 



Linear feet 



Pieces 



do 



do 



Cubic feet 



do 



Cubic feet roundwood '_ 



Standard cords 



Cubic feet roundwood '. 



Million 



34, 600 



1, 533 



21 



737 



45 



4 



275 



25 



150 



250 



8, 257 



70 



11, 632 



Aim ion 



40, 850 



2, 730 



34 



690 



32 



7 



230 



12 



100 



250 



10, 145 



62 



12, 272 



Million 



41, 462 



2, 647 



35 



355 



41 



6 



306 



10 



81 



227 



10, 266 



59 



12, 274 



Million 



cu 



.ft. 



6, 



419 





451 



2, 



697 





73 





28 





88 





194 





67 





81 





168 



10, 



266 



2, 



008 



12, 



274 



Percent 



52. 3 



3. 7 



22. 



. 6 



. 2 



. 7 



I. 6 



. 6 



. 7 



1. 4 



83. 6 



16. 4 



100. 



' The roundwood (logs and bolts) volume of pulpwood, 

 of "other industrial wood," and of fuelwood includes only 

 that cut directly from trees. Plant residues utilized for 

 such products are part of the roundwood volume princi- 

 pally of saw logs and veneer logs and bolts. 



2 Fstimates of apparent consumption based on estimated 



production, less e.xports, plus imports, and changes in 

 lumber stocks. 



' Includes net imports of pulpwood, also of woodpulp 

 and finished paper expressed in terms of pulpwood. 



* All other timber products not including fuelwood. 



