212 GRAVEL AND PLACER MINING IN ALASKA. [bull. 263. 
LUMBER AND FUEXu 
TIMBER. 
The areal distribution of timber in Alaska does not by any means 
coincide with that of the placer gold. The South Coast region, in 
which there are extensive forests/ does not contain the most extensive 
alluvial gold deposits. The Juneau, Porcupine, and Sunrise districts 
are the only placer-gold fields developed within the area of heavy tim- 
ber. In these three districts the large timber may be taken advantage 
of for local use. Under present conditions of transportation, however, 
this coastal timber forms no more of an asset in the consideration of 
the interior and the Seward Peninsula placer fields than as if it did 
not exist. 
Spruce is commonly the timber on which the gold miner of the 
interior has to rely. It is very poor, both for fuel and for lumber, 
and in steam-producing quality a cord is the equivalent of not more 
than 700 pounds of Pennsylvania bituminous coal. The diameter of 
the spruce of the interior Yukon Valley rarely exceeds 18 inches, and. 
averages 10 inches. The timber line varies from 2,000 to 3,000 feetj 
above the sea, and many of the low- lying river valle} 7 s are fairly well 
forested.- In the Tanana Valley and its tributaries near Fairbanks is 
found an exceptionally good growth of spruce timber, up to 18 inches 
in diameter, while birch, aspen, and cottonwood occur in less amount. 
In the Fortymile district spruce trees up to 18 inches in diameter 
occur, but in general the growth does not differ from that found along 
the Yukon and Tanana bottoms. 
At the head of the Tanana and White rivers the timber line reaches 
3,000 feet, and there is a fairly good growth of spruce, birch, aspen, 
and cottonwood. The Kuskokwim and Koyukuk River valleys are 
also timbered with spruce. 
The Sunrise and Chisna districts, which are nearer to the coastal 
strip than the regions mentioned above are better supplied with tim- 
ber, spruce from 18 to 24 inches being common. 
Those portions of Seward Peninsula which have attained importance 
from a placer-mining standpoint possess no timber except stunted 
willows. All mining operations must therefore depend on a foreign 
supply. 
The prices for lumber in table 15 are for native or imported lumber, 
according to the timber resources of the district. In general all the 
interior camps make use of the native lumber. One of the difficulties 
experienced is to get good clear bottom boards for sluice boxes. 
Sawmills are in operation at all the principal centers, Atlin, Dawson, 
White Horse, and Fairbanks. At Central House in the Birch Creek 
a Brooks, A. H., The geography and geology of Alaska: Prof. Paper U. S. Geol. Survey No. — (in 
preparation), forestry map, PI. — . 
