220 



TIMBER RESOURCES FOR AMERICA'S FUTURE 



and cooperative control efforts among State, Fed- 

 eral, and private timberland owners. 



Animal damage to timber should gradually 

 lessen in the future, as a better understanding of 

 animal problems, including animal management 

 and control, is achieved. Free-ranging hogs in the 

 South are in steady decline, controls for rodents are 

 slowly developing, and livestock management on 

 woodland and forest range is improving. Big- 

 game animals, on the increase for many years, are 

 being managed in some parts of the countrj^ so 

 that herds are kept in balance with available food. 

 However, many factors will continue to influence 

 intensive big-game management, and it will be 

 difficult to reduce timber damage from deer 

 especiall3^ 



Wlien the progress being made in the control of 

 destructive agencies is viewed in the aggregate and 

 the probable results are contemplated, the pattern 

 our forests ^^'ill follow can be visualized. Lessened 

 damage from fire, disease, insects, and other agen- 

 cies will result in better stocking of many forest 

 areas now sparsely stocked or bare. Gradually, 

 the numbers of small trees in cordwood and saw- 

 timber sizes will become more plentiful. Less 

 basal wounding will result in reduced decay, and 

 fewer rotten cull trees wiU be present in om' forests. 

 Fewer dead and d^^ing trees will be in evidence, 

 and salvage will be more complete when losses do 

 occur. Thus, if forest protection is accelerated, a 

 substantial part of the heavy current annual losses, 

 amounting to 44 billion board-feet as a result of 

 damage in 1952, can be saved for future use. 



