FOREST TREE PLANTING 



277 



tion are (1) its later entrance on the planting scene, 

 enabling it to profit from experience accumulated 

 in the North, (2) favorable climate, (3) productive 

 soils, and (4) superior planting species. The West 

 has gained its near average success largely because 

 of the 90-percent success for the Pacific Northwest, 

 the most successful of the regions. 



The Pacific Northwest, Southeast, South At- 

 lantic, West Gulf, and Lake States Regions all 

 exceed the national rating of 76 percent. Cali- 

 fornia and the Southern Rocky Mountain Regions 

 stand out as the chief problem areas with only 31 

 percent and 55 percent planting success, respec- 

 tively. Natural obstacles to planting are very 

 severe in these regions and wUl be difficult to 

 overcome. 



State and local governments appear to have had 

 somewhat more planting success than either the 

 Federal Government or private ownerships. How- 

 ever, the minor differences are probably more 

 apparent than real, when variations in planting 

 difficulty and site are taken into account. 



Plantable Area, 1952 



Plantable area has accumulated from several 

 soiu-ces. Among the more important ones are (1) 

 fire alone, (2) logging followed by fire, and (3) the 



abandonment of agricultural land. Insects, dis- 

 ease, animals, poor cutting practices, overgrazing, 

 and hurricanes and other catastrophes have also 

 contributed extensive areas in need of reforesting. 

 Although widespread and in varying condition, 

 practically all such lands can be put back into 

 production within a reasonable period only by 

 planting. 



Plantable Area Large Nationally 



There are 51.9 million acres of plantable com- 

 mercial forest land in the United States (table 156). 

 It constitutes about 1 1 percent of the total area of 

 commercial forest lands. The significance of this 

 large area of timberland has already been pointed 

 out. It has a high potential for growing timber; 

 it wUl lend itself to planting. Much of this area 

 should be restored to a higher level of productivity 

 with as little delay as possible. 



East Has Greatest Share 

 of Plantable Area 



Nearly 84 percent of the plantable commercial 

 forest land is located in the eastern half of the 

 United States. The acreage is quite evenly 

 divided between North and South; 21.4 million 



Table 158. — Success of past planting on commercial jorest land, by section and region, and by ownership 



class, continental United States, 1952 





Federal 



Other public 



Private 



All 



Section and region 



National 

 forest 



Other 



Total 



State 



County and 

 municipal 



Total 



owner- 

 ships 



North: 



New England 



Middle Atlantic _ . .... 



Percent 

 67 

 84 

 73 

 84 

 53 



Percent 



(') 



74" 

 67 



Percent 

 75 

 84 

 73 

 83 

 53 



Percent 

 69 

 76 

 88 

 73 

 50 



Percent 

 67 



77 

 86 

 58 



Percent 

 68 

 76 

 88 

 70 

 50 



Percent 

 57 

 51 

 78 

 60 

 69 



Percent 



62 

 63 



Lake States ... . ... 



79 



Central . . . _ 



68 



Plains 



63 



Total 



74 



72 



74 



80 



80 



80 



60 



71 



South: 



South Atlantic 



96 

 95 

 76 



73 



82 

 65 



84 

 90 

 75 



81 

 87 

 83 



67 



(') 



79 

 88 

 91 



81 

 86 

 84 



82 



Southeast . . . . 



87 



West Gulf 



81 







Total 



87 



78 



84 



85 



92 



86 



85 



85 







West: 



Pacific Northwest 



California _ . . 



91 

 35 

 70 

 55 



87 

 56 



90 

 35 



70 

 55 



90 



83 



90 



90 

 24 



50' 



90 

 31 



Northern Rocky Mountain 



Southern Rockv Mountain 



(') 





(') 



70 





55 













Total 



71 



79 



72 



91 



83 



90 



76 



75 







All regions 



76 



78 



76 



81 



80 



81 



74 



76 



• Percentages were not computed for areas totaling less than 1,000 acres. 



