No. 37 



UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

 ~) h ^ FOREST SERVICE, 



PEL 5 yss/ 



December 1956^^ 



^ NORTHERN ROCKY MOUNTASf P- 



/O DUCTION IN 1955 ^ 



Roscoe B , Qlerrington^ 

 Division of Forest Economics 



Pole production in the northern Rocky Mountain areeui/ recovered 

 slightly during 1955 after a record low in 1954, The annual pole produc- 

 tion survey^ for 1955 shows that pole output increased 6 percent over 

 the previous year. 



As usual, about half the poles produced are western redcedaro Over 

 three-quarters of the annual pole crop comes from two species — western 

 redcedar and lodgepole pine (table l). Western larch and Douglas-fir are 

 the only other species presently used for commercial poles, although 

 small quantities of ponderosa pine poles were reported in earlier years. 



Table 1. — Number of poles produced in 1955 



Species 



: Montana 



: Norih 

 Idaho 



: Northeast : 

 :Washington: 



Total ; 



Percent of 

 total 



Western redcedar 

 Lodgepole pine 

 Western larch 

 Douglas-fir 



79,438 

 95,027 

 33,925 

 5,828 



42,755 

 



15,964 

 97 



9,667 

 



11,799 

 16 



131,860 

 95,027 

 61,688 

 5,941 



44o77 

 32.26 

 20.95 



2„02 



Total 



214,218 



58,816 



21,482 



294,516 





Percent 



72,74 



19,97 



7.29 





100.00 



1/ The area includes Montana, all 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. Their cooper- 

 ation is greatly appreciated„ The production of those missed or who 

 failed to report is believed to be less than 1 percent of the total 

 production. 



