162 



TIMBER RESOURCES FOR AMERICA'S FUTURE 



HARDWOOD 



SOFTWOOD 



NORTH 





1 



SOUTH 



WEST AND 

 COASTAL ALASKA 



U.S. AND 

 COASTAL ALASKA 



growth 

 ■ cut 



20 10 10 20 



billion board- feet 



30 



40 



Figure 65 



The final criterion is a balancing of annual 

 timber growth of appropriate species and tree size 

 with timber cut needed to meet future demands. 

 Nevertheless, analysis of current growth-cut rela- 

 tions is of value since it contributes to an appraisal 

 of whether future growth and needs will balance. 



Softwood Growth Exceeds Timber 

 Cut in the East 



In the East, annual growth of softwoods, as 

 well as that of hardwoods, exceeds the correspond- 

 ing timber cut for both growing stock and saw- 

 timber. In the North, the margin for softwood 

 sawtimber is 4 percent, in the South 24 percent. 



This favorable balance for softwood sawtimber in 

 the South is one of the most significant findings of 

 this report. It augurs well for the future. Never- 

 theless, this favorable growth situation is some- 

 what impaired by the fact that it has been 

 achieved as much by reducing cut as by increasing 

 annual growth. Both growth and cut are far 

 below the productive capacity of the land. 



In contrast, growth in the West, almost entirely 

 softwood, is only 50 percent of cut. However, in 

 the present transition from virgin to young timber, 

 annual growth should not be expected to equal 

 cut. Comparison of growth and cut does not 

 provide a helpful criterion of the situation in the 

 West. 



