Figure 6.3 



Current and Potential Net Annual Growth Per Acre 



Cubic Feet 



Current 1976 



North ^" 



Potential 



South 



Rocky 

 Mountains 



Pacific 

 Coast 



reflects in part partial stocking of trees on much of 

 the commercial timberland area, mortality and 

 growth losses from destructive agents, and the pres- 

 ence of brush and cull trees that limit regeneration 

 and increment of growing stock trees. These and 

 other factors, such as restocking problems, often 

 make it difficult and costly to achieve "full" stocking. 

 The gap between current average net annual growth 

 per acre and potential growth per acre in fylly 

 stocked natural stands is substantial on all owner- 

 ships and in all regions. Thus, it appears that there is 

 a lot of room for improvement. From the standpoint 

 of increasing total timber supplies, the potential is 

 largest on the farmer and other private ownerships 

 that include 58 percent of the commercial timberland. 



Timber Removals 



Timber removals^'* in 1976 totaled more than 14 

 biUion cubic feet of growing stock, including 65 bil- 

 lion board feet of sawtimber (tables 6.19 and 6.20). 

 These volumes were substantially above levels in the 

 1950's and early 1960's, when removals averaged 



about 12 billion cubic, feet of growing stock, including 

 more than 50 billion board feet of sawtimber. Re- 

 movals in 1976, however, are only slightly above 1970 

 levels. This reflects, in part, a relatively low level of 

 demand for industrial timber products in 1976 result- 

 ing from the depressed situation in housing and non- 

 residential construction during that year. 



Softwoods made up some 71 percent of all growing 

 stock removals, and 78 percent of all sawtimber re- 

 movals in 1976. These removals were concentrated in 

 the Pacific Coast and South. 



Nearly 36 percent of all softwood removals in 1976 

 came from farmer and other private ownerships. 

 Another 36 percent came from forest industry owner- 

 ships, and about 28 percent from public lands. 



By far the largest portion of timber removals is 

 used for timber products. In 1976, 88 percent of all 



"Timber removals from growing stock include: (a) Harvests of 

 roundwood products such as sawlogs, veneer logs, and pulpwood; 

 (b) logging residues; and (c) other removals resulting from non- 

 commercial thinning and changes in land use such as clearing for 

 cropland, highways, or housing development, and withdrawal of 

 forest lands for parks or other nontimber uses. 



235 



