WmHOmMN FOREST & RAHE EXPERIMENT STATION 



OCDEN UTAH 



No. 24 December 1955 



f NORTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN POLE PRODUCTION IN 1954 > 



Roscoe B. Herrington 

 Division of Forest Economics 



Pole production in the northern Rocky Mountain areai/ slumped to a 

 record low during 1954. The annual survey^' of pole production in this 

 area shows a decline in the pole output of all species as production 

 dropped over 30 percent from last year. 



Western redcedar continued to be the most popular species, followed 

 by lodgepole pine, western larch, and Douglas-fir, in that order (table 1). 

 Western redcedar and lodgepole pine composed over 85 percent of the total 

 production. 



Substantially fewer poles were produced in the Washington area in 

 1954 than during any other period since 1947, the year the survey was 

 originated. 



Table 1. — Number of poles produced in 1954 





: Northern Rocky 



Mountain area 



:Percent 



Species 



: Montana 



: North 



: Northeast : 



Total 



: of 







: Idaho 



:Washington: 





: total 



Western redcedar 



3,092 



126,035 



9,497 



138,624 



49.83 



Lodgepole pine 



101,842 











101,842 



36.61 



Western larch 



31,829 



5,075 



34 



36,938 



13.28 



Douglas-fir 



768 











768 



0.28 



Total 



137,531 



131,110 



9,531 



278,172 





Percent 



49.44 



47.13 



3.43 





100.00 



1/ The area embraces Montana, that portion of Idaho north of the 

 Salmon River, and the following counties of northeastern Washington: 

 Ferry, Lincoln, Pend Oreille, Spokane, Stevens, and Whitman. 



2/ Sponsored by the Rocky Mountain Pole and Treating Association. 

 All known pole-producing companies were contacted by mail. The excel- 

 lent cooperation of these companies is greatly appreciated. 



