FOREST TREE PLANTING 



Walter M. Zillgitt 



INTRODUCTION 



One of the most striking features of the forest 

 situation nationally is the extent of understocked 

 area. More than 114 million acres, or 23 percent 

 of the commercial forest area, is nonstocked or 

 poorly stocked. In view of the estimates of 

 projected demand for timber, one major problem 

 in forestry is to get this vast understocked acreage 

 into production and to keep it productive. Plant- 

 ing offers one of the most effective ways of doing 

 this. 



An attempt is made here to give a more com- 

 plete appraisal of the status of forest planting and 

 planting possibilities than has been presented in 

 past national appraisals. Even so, attention is 

 confined to just one part of the planting problem, 

 i. e., "plantable area" as later defined. It is there- 

 fore recognized that as a consequence the planting 

 estimates are conservative. If all of the planting 

 were included that probably will be necessary to 

 meet the estimates of projected demand, total 

 planting possibilities and needs would be sub- 

 stantially greater. 



Another feature of the planting situation not 

 covered in this discussion is planting that will 

 be done under the Soil Bank program of the 

 Agricultural Act of 1956. Enacted between the 

 assembling of information in 1952 and the final 

 preparation of this report, the act provides, among 

 other things, for converting nonforest land to 

 forest land under a long-range conservation 

 reserve program. 



Planting needs on forest lands in the United 

 States fall logically into three categories: (1) The 

 planting of nonstocked and poorly stocked forest 

 land. For the most part, this represents a huge 

 backlog of plantable area that has accumulated 

 over many years. It is the main source of 

 "plantable area," as later defined and used in this 

 analysis. (2) The planting of medium-stocked 

 land on which stocking should be improved by 

 artificial means, and (3) planting in lieu of natural 

 regeneration after cutting. Categories (2) and 

 (3) are not considered in this report, and plant- 

 ing on noncommercial forest land is discussed on 

 page 284. 



OBJECTIVES AND PROCEDURES OF 

 THE PLANTING APPRAISAL 



The planting phase ** of the Timber Resource 

 Review was designed to determine (1) the ac- 

 complishments in planting up to 1953, including 

 the acreage of plantations in existence in 1952 and 

 the success of past planting effort; (2) the area of 

 nonstocked or poorly stocked forest land that 

 would lend itself readily to planting; and (3) 

 trends in artificial restocking. 



In analyzing and interpreting available data, the 

 national picture was brought into focus, regional 

 differences were noted, and comparisons were made 

 between broad classes of ownership. Possible 

 future developments were suggested in the light 

 of the present situation. They are, of course, 

 speculative. However, reasonable projections 

 based on the past should give some idea of what 

 lies ahead. 



The estimates of past planting accomplishments, 

 area available for planting, and planting trends 

 represent the best information available from 

 numerous sources. Data from the Forest Survey, 

 past reports of State Foresters, existing planting 

 surveys in some States, and material from other 

 agencies were consolidated into State and re- 

 gional estimates. These estimates were in turn 

 checked by the Forest Service with the aid" of 

 forestry personnel from many States. Adjust- 

 ments were made on the basis of knowledge of 

 the local situation. No on-the-ground field 

 sampling of plantations was undertaken. 



Definitions of certain key terms and an ex- 

 planation of concepts basic to this discussion 

 follow : 



Plantable area. — Nonstocked or poorly stocked 

 forest land or nonforest land on which, judged by 

 1952 conditions: (1) the establishment of forest 

 tree cover is desirable and practical, and (2) 

 regeneration will not occur naturally within a 



" Since planting is of only minor consequence in Coastal 

 Alaska, this discussion is confined to the continental 

 United States. 



273 



