104 



TIMBER RESOURCES FOR AMERICA'S FUTURE 



softwood forest area and timber volume belongs 

 to the Soviet Bloc of nations. 



Although the United States relies chiefly on its 

 domestic timber resources, it is nevertheless a net 

 importer of timber products. About 10 percent 

 of United States consumption is imported from 

 Canada chiefly in the form of pulpwood, wood- 

 pulp, and paper, and this comprises 90 to 95 

 percent of all United States imports. The extent 

 of the Canadian timber resource, the Canadian 

 potential for increased forest growth, the outlook 

 for expansion of the domestic economy of Canada, 

 and the other demands upon Canada for export 

 of her forest products, all point to some increase 

 in exports to the United States, but in amounts 

 insufficient to contribute materially toward satis- 

 fying increased demands in the United States. 



4. The Nation has no surplus oj commercial joresi 



land. 

 Earlier appraisals of the timber situation have 

 concluded that there is ample forest land to grow 

 needed timber crops in the United States, if the 

 land is effectively used. This is no longer clearly 

 apparent. The long-time trend in the Nation's 

 forest land has been distinctly downward as land 

 has been cleared for agriculture, as highways have 

 been built, and as towns have sprung up and urban 

 areas expanded. There has been no great net 

 change in the area of commercial forest land in 

 recent decades. Despite a small net increase 

 since 1945, in all probability the long-term down- 

 ward trend will continue because of expected in- 

 creases in population, further urbanization, con- 

 tinued highway, power, and reservoir develop- 

 ments, priority use for recreation and water 

 yield, and expansion of agriculture. Considering 

 this tiend in land use in the light of projected 

 timber demands, and the impracticability of every 

 acre of forest land producing to capacity, it is no 

 longer a clear-cut conclusion that there is ample 

 forest land. On the contrary, further significant 

 reductions in the acreage of land devoted to grow- 

 ing trees should be avoided in general or should be 

 made with fuU realization that such withdrawals 

 may adversely affect futvire timber supplies. 



5. One-jour th of the forest land is poorly stocked or 



nonstocked. 

 There are 114 million acres of commercial forest 

 land in the United States that are less than 40 

 percent stocked with trees. This is about one- 

 fourth of the total commercial forest area, and it 

 includes nearly 42 million acres that are less than 

 10 percent stocked. Thus, one-fourth of the 

 forest land is not now growing, and will not grow, 

 timber to anywhere near the productive capacity 

 of the land unless stocking is greatly improved. 

 Moreover, there is an additional 125 million acres 

 which are 40 to 70 percent stocked. These facts 

 mean that the Nation is not making effective use 

 of the land now devoted to forest production. 



6. Three-fourths of the forest land is in the East, 



hut two-thirds of the sawtimber volume is in 



the West. 

 The great bulk of the commercial forest land 

 and timber growing capacity is in the more heavily 

 populated and industriahzed eastern half of the 

 country, with three regions — the Southeast, Lake 

 States, and West Giolf — ha\T.ng 40 percent of the 

 national total. On the other hand, the West, 

 including Coastal Alaska, with onlj^ one-fourth of 

 the commercial forest area, has 70 percent of the 

 sawtimber volume. This is due mainly to heavy 

 stands on the 50 million acres of remaining western 

 old-growth sawtimber. Three States — Oregon, 

 California, and Washington — have about half of 

 the Nation's sawtimber. 



This great difference in the geographical dis- 

 tribution of commercial forest land and productive 

 capacity in contrast to that of standing sawtimber 

 means that in time there will be a significant shift 

 fiom West to East in relative timber cut and in- 

 dustrial capacity. Projected timber demand and 

 growth capacity are such, however, that despite a 

 relative decline, the West can and should ulti- 

 matety grow and harvest more than its 1952 

 timber cut. 



7. Total timber volumes are about the same as in 



1945. 



Direct comparisons of timber volumes between 

 those reported by the Timber Resource Review 

 and by the appraisal of the timber situation 

 conducted bj^ the Forest Service in 1945 are not 

 possible. In order to be compared, standing 

 timber volumes need to be adjusted to the same 

 standards. 



The 1953 sawtimber volume of 1,968 billion 

 board-feet (excluding Coastal Alaska) is not signi- 

 ficantly different from the adjusted 1945 volume. 

 Sawtimber comparisons show little change in east- 

 ern softwoods; but eastern hardwoods apparently 

 increased 9 percent, and western species declined 

 5 percent. The 1953 volimie of growing stock of 

 498 bUlion cubic feet likewise is about the same as 

 adjusted 1945 volume. The most significant fea- 

 tures of these comparisons are the increase in east- 

 ern hardwoods and the status quo in eastern 

 softwoods. The latter should be substantially 

 increasing if projected timber demands are to be 

 met. 



8. Heavy reliance is placed on a small group of 



species. 

 Douglas-fir and ponderosa pine account for 37 

 percent of the live sawtimber volume; southern 

 yellow pines and the oaks for 45 percent of the 

 sawtimber growth; and Douglas-fir and southern 

 yellow pines for 48 percent of the cut. Thus, it is 

 evident that heavy reliance is placed on a small 

 group of species although they vary in importance 

 depending upon whether volume, growth, or cut 

 is the criterion. 



