Until more is known about a burning index in Southeast Alaska, v;c cannot 

 say v:hat this indicates, except that more adequate studies are needed to 

 determine inflammability, rate of spread, etc. 



Pole timber volume table 



A pole timber vol-um.e table sho;>ring the gross cubic foot volumes of trees 

 from 5*0 to 10.9 inches diajTister to a /4.-inch top was prepared, principally 

 for Forest Survey us Go Mo significant difference between the volimes of 

 hemlock and spruce of this size v^as foundo 



Ghemacal brush control 



Continued examination of 1954 chemical brush control tests indicate that 

 there has been considerable resprouting of salmonberry and black currant. 

 It view of this, and the high cost of treating brush areas in this region, 

 it appears that other means of brush control should be explored. During 

 logging, special measures designed to uproot or retard brush follov;ed by 

 direct seeding to obtain prompt regeneration of desirable tree species may 

 offer the m.ost feasible solution in this region to the brush problem. 



Studies will be carried out in 1956 to test the results of direct seeding 

 on potential br\:ish areas. 



Effect of Logging on Salm.on Streams 



It is estimated that the anniial value of the fisheries resoin-ce of the 

 Tongass and Chugach national Forests is approximately ■;53,000,000, repre- 

 senting over 50 percent of the Alaska salm.on pack. The Tongass National 

 Forest 1/ in Southeast Alaska accounts for about v'/4-5,000,000 2/ based on 

 the annual wholesale value of the pack. 



The salmon fishery is not, however, the only important natural resource 

 of this region. Dense stands of commercial timber - spruce, hemlock, and 

 cedar - cover approximately 3 million of the 16 million acres of the 

 Tongass National Forest with a total volume of approximately 72 billion 

 board feet. Future development of Southeast Alaska will depend on an 

 increasing utilization of this forest resource* It has been estim^ated 

 that the forest products indijstry in this region will take its place with 

 the fishing and mining activities as a steady contributor to a solid 

 economy for the Territory. 



The fisheries resource and the timber resource are intimately relatedo 

 The availability of suitable spawning grounds, probably more than any 

 other factor, controls the distribution and abundance of salmono Concern 

 is sometimes expressed that logging may adversely disturb the spawning 

 facilities of the salmon streams. 



i/ This study is limited to salmon streams on the Tongass I\!ational Forest, 

 2/ Average for period 1926 to 1953, inclusive. 



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