﻿the 
  species 
  to 
  be 
  grown 
  and 
  the 
  condition 
  of 
  

   the 
  stand 
  to 
  be 
  harvested. 
  Careful 
  consider- 
  

   ation 
  of 
  all 
  feasible 
  systems 
  is 
  important 
  in 
  

   a 
  cost 
  evaluation. 
  

  

  For 
  example, 
  it 
  is 
  known 
  that 
  small 
  clear- 
  

   cuts 
  involve 
  comparatively 
  higher 
  regener- 
  

   ation 
  expenses 
  than 
  larger 
  clearcuts 
  do. 
  The 
  

   cost 
  of 
  site 
  preparation 
  for 
  regeneration 
  estab- 
  

   lishments 
  varies 
  inversely 
  with 
  size 
  of 
  area 
  

   treated, 
  up 
  to 
  a 
  point. 
  Site 
  preparation 
  for 
  

   large 
  blocks 
  (40 
  acres 
  and 
  larger) 
  is 
  less 
  ex- 
  

   pensive 
  per 
  unit 
  area 
  than 
  for 
  smaller 
  blocks. 
  

   However, 
  portions 
  of 
  larger 
  areas 
  may 
  need 
  

   to 
  be 
  planted 
  to 
  achieve 
  adequate 
  stocking. 
  

  

  Seed 
  tree 
  cuts, 
  on 
  the 
  other 
  hand, 
  can 
  be 
  

   expensive 
  even 
  on 
  large 
  areas. 
  Scattered, 
  seed 
  

   trees 
  cost 
  money 
  because 
  they 
  represent 
  capi- 
  

   tal 
  tied 
  up 
  for 
  a 
  period 
  of 
  time. 
  During 
  this 
  

   time 
  they 
  are 
  in 
  the 
  high 
  risk 
  category 
  be- 
  

   cause 
  of 
  increased 
  likelihood 
  of 
  loss. 
  The 
  

   need 
  to 
  protect 
  the 
  selected 
  seed 
  trees 
  also 
  

   raises 
  the 
  costs 
  of 
  logging 
  and 
  site 
  prepar- 
  

   ation. 
  Finally, 
  seed 
  trees 
  may 
  be 
  worth 
  less 
  

   money 
  because 
  many 
  logging 
  operators 
  are 
  

   reluctant 
  to 
  go 
  back 
  and 
  pick 
  up 
  small 
  vol- 
  

   umes 
  per 
  acre, 
  particularly 
  when 
  this 
  must 
  

   be 
  done 
  without 
  damage 
  to 
  the 
  newly 
  estab- 
  

   lished 
  stand. 
  

  

  Regardless 
  of 
  what 
  methods 
  or 
  techniques 
  

   of 
  stand 
  establishment 
  and 
  management 
  are 
  

  

  used, 
  from 
  an 
  investment 
  standpoint 
  there 
  is 
  

   a 
  real 
  economic 
  advantage 
  in 
  delaying 
  major 
  

   management 
  costs. 
  This 
  is 
  due 
  to 
  the 
  effect 
  

   of 
  time 
  on 
  compounding 
  interest 
  rates. 
  

  

  Consider 
  as 
  an 
  illustration 
  a 
  choice 
  be- 
  

   tween 
  planting 
  and 
  natural 
  regeneration 
  with 
  

   thinning. 
  Each 
  plan 
  has 
  advantages. 
  Arti- 
  

   ficial 
  regeneration 
  largely 
  eliminates 
  the 
  guess- 
  

   work 
  in 
  establishing 
  a 
  stand. 
  It 
  also 
  has 
  the 
  

   advantage 
  of 
  establishing 
  a 
  predetermined 
  

   number 
  of 
  trees 
  per 
  acre. 
  However, 
  planting 
  

   is 
  a 
  costly 
  operation 
  that 
  is 
  capitalized 
  over 
  

   the 
  entire 
  rotation. 
  Natural 
  regeneration, 
  if 
  

   it 
  is 
  prompt 
  and 
  adequate 
  to 
  establish 
  the 
  

   desired 
  stand, 
  is 
  the 
  least 
  expensive 
  method 
  

   of 
  growing 
  timber 
  over 
  the 
  long 
  haul, 
  even 
  

   if 
  the 
  stand 
  requires 
  a 
  substantial 
  thinning 
  

   in 
  10 
  to 
  15 
  years. 
  

  

  Consider 
  that 
  one 
  stand 
  is 
  planted 
  at 
  a 
  

   cost 
  of 
  $50 
  per 
  acre 
  and 
  receives 
  no 
  additional 
  

   treatment, 
  whereas 
  another 
  stand 
  is 
  regen- 
  

   erated 
  naturally 
  for 
  $20 
  per 
  acre. 
  On 
  the 
  

   second 
  stand, 
  the 
  $30 
  not 
  needed 
  for 
  regener- 
  

   ation 
  is 
  otherwise 
  invested 
  for 
  15 
  years; 
  then 
  

   it 
  is 
  spent 
  for 
  thinning. 
  Both 
  stands 
  represent 
  

   a 
  total 
  investment 
  of 
  $50 
  per 
  acre. 
  After 
  80 
  

   years, 
  however, 
  the 
  $50 
  invested 
  in 
  the 
  planted 
  

   stand 
  represents 
  $1,152 
  if 
  compounded 
  at 
  a 
  

   nominal 
  4 
  percent 
  per 
  year. 
  The 
  $50 
  spent 
  

   on 
  the 
  natural 
  stand, 
  however, 
  represents 
  only 
  

   $845 
  after 
  80 
  years. 
  This 
  means 
  that 
  to 
  earn 
  

  

  Table 
  2. 
  — 
  Average 
  costs 
  and 
  range 
  in 
  costs 
  1 
  for 
  important 
  

   timber 
  growing 
  activities, 
  Northern 
  Region, 
  fiscal 
  year 
  1 
  966 
  

  

  Activity 
  

  

  Average 
  

   cost 
  

  

  Range 
  in 
  

   cost 
  

  

  

  Dollars 
  

  

  per 
  acre 
  

  

  Site 
  preparation 
  and 
  hazard 
  reduction: 
  

  

  

  

  Prescribed 
  burning 
  

  

  18 
  

  

  3-95 
  

  

  Dozer 
  piling 
  and 
  scarification 
  

  

  43 
  

  

  10-165 
  

  

  Slashing 
  of 
  residual 
  stand 
  

  

  20 
  

  

  4-57 
  

  

  Burning 
  dozer 
  piles 
  

  

  6 
  

  

  2-43 
  

  

  Terracing 
  

  

  47 
  

  

  16-171 
  

  

  Regeneration 
  : 
  

  

  

  

  Seeding 
  

  

  18 
  (est.) 
  

  

  

  Planting 
  

  

  34 
  

  

  1 
  1-80 
  

  

  Stocking 
  control- 
  

  

  30 
  

  

  1 
  1-139 
  

  

  1 
  Project 
  level. 
  

  

  -Thinning 
  only 
  — 
  does 
  not 
  include 
  marking. 
  

  

  7 
  

  

  