Timber Resource Projection Assumptions 
In the future, as in the past, changes in the timber resource 
will be determined in large measure by growth in popula- 
tion, income, and economic activity; changes in timberland 
area; and the management intensity and associated yields 
on those lands available for timber production. It is recog- 
nized that future changes in these basic determinants may 
be much different from those described below. However, 
these assumptions are consistent with the general societal 
goals of full employment, continued economic growth, ris- 
ing income, and improved management of forest resources. 
In large part, these assumptions also are based on histori- 
cal trends and current expectations that are the result of mas- 
sive social, political, technological, and institutional forces 
> 
’ y. ie vue: . 
Population greatly affects demand for 
timber and the conversion of timberland to 
other uses such as cropland and pasture, 
recreation, and urban development. By 
2030, the U.S. population is expected to be 
319 million, with per capita incomes more 
than twice those of today. 
not easily or quickly changed. Thus they should provide a 
realistic basis for guiding policies and programs in the 
years immediately ahead. 
Population 
Trends in total population and changes in its components 
have important effects on activity in the major timber prod- 
ucts markets and are one of the principal sources of pres- 
sures on forest lands for conversion to alternate uses, such 
as food and fiber production, recreation, and urban develop- 
ment. Over the last 55 years, the number of people in the 
United States has about doubled, to a current level of 
nearly 242 million (table 3.2, fig. 3.1). 
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