PROJECTED TIMBER SUPPLIES — 1970 LEVEL OF MANAGEMENT 



77 



Table 65. — Net growth and mortality of growing stock and sawtimber per acre in the Rocky Mountains, 

 by owner class, 1952, 1962, and 1970, with projection* to 2020 



GROWING STOCK— CUBIC FEET 



Owner class and item 



1952 



1962 



1970 



Projections 



1980 



1990 2000 2020 



National Forests: 



Net growth 



Mortality 



Other public : 



Net growth 



Mortality 



Forest industry : 



Net growth 



Mortality 



Farm and miscellaneous private: 



Net growth 



Mortality 



All owners: 



Net growth 



Mortality 



17 

 10 



17 

 10 



35 

 10 



18 

 8 



18 

 9 



19 

 10 



20 

 10 



41 

 10 



22 



20 

 10 



23 

 12 



23 



10 



47 

 11 



25 



9 



24 

 11 



21 

 10 



27 

 11 



47 

 10 



31 

 10 



25 

 10 



23 

 10 



28 

 12 



48 

 9 



35 



12 



26 

 11 



24 

 11 



28 

 12 



49 



34 

 12 



27 

 11 



27 

 11 



28 

 12 



49 



34 

 12 



29 



11 



SAWTIMBER— BOARD FEET 



National Forests: 



Net growth 



Mortality 



Other public: 



Net growth 



Mortality 



Forest industry: 



Net growth. _» 



Mortality 



Farm and miscellaneous private: 



Net growth 



Mortality 



All owners: 



Net growth 



Mortality 



62 

 42 



66 

 43 



89 

 55 



87 

 38 



95 

 37 



101 

 37 



64 

 42 



72 

 40 



79 

 39 



100 

 39 



111 

 42 



110 



44 



168 



48 



186 



48 



201 



47 



214 



40 



207 

 35 



209 

 33 



64 

 30 



71 

 29 



77 

 29 



103 



35 



119 

 38 



121 

 40 



67 

 40 



72 

 40 



90 



47 



96 

 38 



105 



38 



110 



38 



112 

 39 



110 



44 



209 

 33 



121 

 40 



117 

 40 



Trends in Timber Inventories 



Average per acre inventories of timber increased 

 about 17 percent on all ownerships combined in 

 the Rocky Mountains between 1952 and 1970 

 (table 66). Under the management, cutting, and 

 area assumptions specified in this section, cubic 

 foot inventories per acre are projected to increase 

 a further 6 percent by 2020. 



Estimated sawtimber inventories per acre have 

 increased slightly in recent years to roughly 6,400 

 board feet per acre. Projected inventories of this 

 class of material drop about 3 percent by 2020. 



PROJECTIONS OF TIMBER SUPPLIES IN THE 

 PACIFIC COAST SECTION 



The Pacific Coast section provided over half the 

 softwood sawtimber products cut in 1970, and 

 one- third of all timber products. Although pro- 

 portions of the national timber harvest are 



expected to decline somewhat, this section repre- 

 sents a major part of the U.S. forest economy. 



Trends in Forest Area 



Recent trends indicate a continuing loss of 

 commercial timberland in the Pacific Coast States 

 of California, Washington, Oregon, and coastal 

 Alaska. Thus between 1952 and 1970, commercial 

 timberland areas decreased 1.2 million acres, or 

 almost 2 percent (table 67). 



Changes in the timber growing base have oc- 

 curred as a result of expanding populations and 

 related development of urban areas, roads and 

 powerlines, and recreational facilities. Trends in 

 land use are especially critical for timber produc- 

 tion in areas such as western Washington where 

 forest lands are highly productive for timber. 

 Communities in this area have been expanding 

 rapidly into areas that were formerly commercial 

 timberland. 



