In 1972, fieldwork was completed for the regular forest inventory of the Bitterroot 

 National Forest. This inventory provides estimates of areas of various forest types and 

 land classes, timber volumes, growth and mortality, silvicultural needs, and related 

 data needed for forest management planning. The following year, supplemental fieldwork 

 was done by the Intermountain Station in mature lodgepole pine stands to provide more 

 detailed inventories and information on the utilization potential, particularly for the 

 dead, down, and small-size material that frequently remains as residue after logging. 



This report summarizes the utilization potential of mature lodgepole pine stands, 

 including this "residue material." Comprehensive data on the timber resource for other 

 forest types are contained in the various summaries and reports compiled by the Bitter- 

 root National Forest and the Regional Office Timber Management Staffs. 



V 



AREA AND VOLUME 

 OF MATURE LODGEPOLE PINE 



The Montana portion of the Bitterroot National Forest outside of classified Wilder- 

 ness has a total area of 829,771 acres. Of this, 749,969 acres is productive forest 

 land--land capable of growing at least 20 cubic feet per acre per year of wood fiber. 

 A portion of this productive forest land base is not available for logging under present 

 land use plans. The status of National Forest Lands outside Wilderness areas is as 

 follows : 



Aores 



Reserved (Lost Horse Scenic Area) 5,225 



Deferred (New Wilderness Study Areas) 28,861 

 Unregulated (Commercial use is not programed 



at this time) 184,685 



Unproductive, nonforest, and water 79,802 



Productive forest base (wood fiber production) 551 , 198 



Total, land and water base 829,771 



Lodgepole pine is the second most extensive forest type, accounting for about 19 percent 

 of the area (table 1) . 



About 80,000 acres of lodgepole pine is mature sawtimber and pole-timber (table 2). 

 About 32,000 acres of this mature lodgepole is in the standard or special forest land 

 category available for timber management purposes, and will be programed for harvest. 



The remaining mature stands--about 49,000 acres--are in the unregulated-forest 

 category. This includes high unproductive areas, remote areas, and administrative areas. 

 Occasional harvest may be permitted in a small portion of this compontrt , but the land 

 use plan does not include scheduled harvesting. 



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