Historic, archived document
Do not assume content reflects current scientific knowledge, policies, or practices.
5
as pe ae 1a | E tees Bulletin INT-1
E 7hy 63
FOREST RESOURCES
OF WESTERN MONTANA
cept. OF AGRICULTURE B= Oo TYRAL LIBRARE
INTERMOUNTAIN FOREST & RANGE EXPERIMENT STATION
FOREST SERVICE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
“& OGDEN, UTAH JOSEPH F. PECHANEC, DIRECTOR
The Authors
HENRY J. PISSOT is supervisor of Forest Survey field- work and compilation at Intermountain Station. He worked on Forest Survey with the Northern Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Sta- tion at Missoula, Montana, and was transferred to Ogden, Utah in 1955 when the two Stations were consolidated.
HAROLD E. HANSON supervised collection of field data for Western Montana. Prior to transferring in 1962 to National Forest Administration with the Northern Region, he spent 11 years on the Forest Survey in Montana and Idaho.
The survey of Western Montana was conducted as part of the continuing nationwide Forest Survey. Work started in 1953 under the Northern Rocky Mountain Forest Experiment Station, Missoula, Montana. Field- work was completed in 1958 under the Intermountain Station after consolidation of the two Stations.
The Northern Region of the U.S. Forest Service as- sisted in fieldwork and compilation.
1963
»’ THE FOREST RESOURCE OF WESTERN MONTANA >
HENRY J.-PISSOT HAROLD E. HANSON
CONTENTS “Ip 58 i NO] 5 et ACen ee 1 SOMBER VOLUME 222A es 2 a WINTERS HEP: Fo Sree 10 THE FOREST INDUSTRIES ........ 12 jf 24 th GS 54 Di}! ©) OSS ae eee Ly
yd Ed Sel 5) i BD, element ae, 19
WESTERN MONTANA IS THAT PORTION OF THE STATE DRAINING TO THE PACIFIC OCEAN: THAT IS, THE AREA WEST OF THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE. IT INCLUDES ALL OR PART OF THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES: DEERLODGE, FLATHEAD, GRANITE, LAKE, LEWIS AND CLARK, LINCOLN, MINERAL, MISSOULA, POWELL, RAVALLI, SANDERS, AND SILVER BOW.
FOREWORD
In 1925 the sawtimber volume in Western Montana was estimated to be about 37.5 billion board feet (2).! Forest Survey compilations in 1949 (4) based on field surveys prior to World War II raised the estimates to 39.7 bil- lion. The most recent estimates, given in this report, show a present saw- timber volume of 73.5 billion board feet.
Startling though this difference is, it will not surprise anyone who has followed the history of timber utilization and inventory practices in this country. Inventories have been geared largely to obtaining estimates of cur- rently merchantable timber, rather than the total stand. Also, timber cruisers through the years have traditionally been cautious souls. They have found it more acceptable practice to underestimate rather than risk an overestimate. These two factors — rapidly changing utilization and conservative estimates — have generally resulted in rapid obsolescence of inventory estimates.
The trend toward more intensive utilization during the period between old and new surveys is exemplified in Western Montana. Since World War II, the stumpage value of all species has risen. As a result, 1.5 million acres are today included as commercial that previously had been classified as non- commercial. This increase has been accompanied by a reduction of 1 million acres in nonstocked and seedling and sapling area and an increase of about 2.6 million acres of sawtimber. A substantial area within the 1910 burn has serena pole size, and about an equal area of the 1942 poletimber has become sawtimber.
Changes in the economic importance of species and closer utilization with respect to tree size have both contributed to higher current estimates. Prior to World War II, timber utilization rested heavily on white pine and ponderosa pine. Other species were far less valuable. As a consequence, even the early estimates of white pine volume were very realistic and those of ponderosa pine were not much in error. In contrast, the inventory of other species was at best very rough. Today there are 61 billion board feet of Douglas-fir, western larch, Engelmann spruce, lodgepole pine, and the minor species. This amounts to more than twice the volume of these species reported earlier.
Improved inventory techniques have been another major development. Estimates from earlier surveys were based largely on the compilation of public and private cruises, which varied greatly in objectives and standards. Although Forest Survey made check cruises to adjust estimates to a common standard, the total result could not be statistically evaluated for reliability. Estimates presented in this report are based on greatly improved sampling procedures that reduce the risk of bias.
Timber inventory procedures are constantly being improved. Although it is now possible with the sampling system used in Western Montana to estimate volumes within prescribed rates of accuracy, the need today is for additional information that describes management needs and opportunities. Currently this Experiment Station is giving much attention to the development of in- ventory systems that will do this.
1Italicized numbers in parentheses indicate numbered references on page 17. International 14-inch log rule is used throughout this report unless otherwise stated
THE FOREST
Western Montana is a green country. Its many mountains are almost completely cov- ered with coniferous timber. In fact, 80 per- cent of the 16.0 million acres west of the Continental Divide is classified as forest. How- ever, the importance of the trees goes beyond the fact that they are almost everywhere. Along with the forest of northern Idaho this is some of the best timberland in the Rocky Mountains — best from the standpoint of volume yields, timber quality, and operability.
The 10.5 million acres of commercial tim- berland in Western Montana grow a dozen important species of trees. Here is the largest single block of western larch in the United States (about 51 percent of the national area). Ponderosa pine, inland Douglas-fir, western white pine, and spruce have also been important sources of industrial wood.
Lumbermen moved into this country late in the last century. Sawmills, plywood, pole, paper, and other wood-using industries today provide the principal employment in this part of the State and the principal manufacturing employment for the whole State.
Despite all the timber cutting that has taken place, most of the commercial forest still contains sawtimber stands. Two out of three acres are in the sawtimber category to- day; that is, they contain more than 1,500 board feet per acre in sawtimber trees.
Ponderosa pine stands attracted eastern lumbermen to Montana in the first place and since then have borne the brunt of the log- ging. However, three other types today exceed the ponderosa pine type in area: Douglas-fir, lodgepole pine, and larch. There is reason to presume that ponderosa pine may at one time have been the principal type. Much of the logged-over ponderosa pine area is now domi- nated by other species, mainly Douglas-fir.
The commercial forest Million acres
Douglas-fir 2.8 Lodgepole pine 2.8 Larch 1.9 Ponderosa pine Le A Other types 1:3
Total 10.5
Western Montana has had a turbulent fire history. The years 1910, 1919, and 1926 stand out because of the extensive areas burned. Nevertheless, only 2 percent of the commercial forest is nonstocked. Natural re- stocking on most areas has been rapid. Larch and lodgepole pine have been particularly ag- gressive in reseeding burned areas.
Actually, the big problem in Western Montana has been too many rather than too few trees in the younger stands. Approxi- mately 52 percent of the seedling-sapling, and pole stands are classed as “well stocked.” Much of this area is really overstocked. The problem is most significant in the lodgepole pine, larch, and Douglas-fir types, which have about 95 percent of the well-stocked seedling- sapling, and pole stands in Western Montana. For these types, well-stocked seedling and sapling stands average about 3,700 trees per acre and pole stands about 1,360 trees. For sawtimber production, a stocking of not more than about 1,000 well-distributed stems per acre is desirable in seedling-sapling stands and fewer than 500 in poletimber stands. Thinning is urgently needed in the large area of over- stocked stands which will still respond to treatment.
Although restocking of cutover areas has usually been prompt, the species, quality, and vigor of the restocking trees in many areas leave something to be desired. Therefore, better stand regeneration also appears to be a high priority management job in Western Montana. Management problems in this lo- cality have been discussed in several recent reports (3, 5, 7).
Missoula
oh
PHOTOS:
U.S.F.S.
Commercial forest of ponderosa pine in Kootenai National Forest. Almost two-thirds of Western Montana is covered by commercial forest. Trees are not confined to the higher mountain slopes as they are in eastern Mon- tana and the Rockies to the south but extend down to and sometimes cover the valley floor.
Million acres Total land 16.0 Total forest 12.7 Commercial forest 10.5
‘
Missoula
Million acres
Reserved-productive 0.9 Reserved-unproductive 8 Unreserved-unproductive 6
Total, noncommercial 23
PHOTOS: U.S.F.S.
Noncommercial forest such as this area on Kootenai National Forest constitutes about 18 percent of the forest area of Western Montana. This area is so classified because it is either nonproductive forest (mostly at the upper elevations) or is reserved from timber cutting, or both. The important reserved areas in Western Montana are Glacier National Park, Bob Marshall Wilderness, Selway Bit- terroot Wilderness, Anaconda Pintlar Wilder- ness, Cabinet Mountain Wild Area, and Mis- sion Mountain Wild Area. Watershed protec- tion and recreation use rather than timber production are paramount in these areas.
be
—_
Four and one-quarter million acres of old growth constitute another management prob- lem. This timber, which occupies about 40 percent of the commercial forest area, is large- ly beyond rotation age — much of it more than 140 years old. Growth rates are low, and in many areas mortality is greater than growth. Some of this old growth is considered “high risk.” That is, it is likely to be seriously decimated if not harvested within the next several decades.
These overage stands are very vulnerable to insects and disease. Large-scale insect in- festations and disease epidemics can rapidly devastate extensive areas. The death of nearly 1.6 billion board feet? of spruce in Western Montana between 1952 and 1957 illustrates this danger. Although roughly half of this volume was salvaged by the end of 1957, this was done only at the expense of efficient sus- tained-yield management of the entire forest.
Dwarfmistletoe, though less dramatic than the spruce bark beetle, may be even more serious in its long-term impact on pro- ductivity. The toll from this insignificant looking parasite is mainly in the form of greatly reduced growth rates rather than out- right mortality. Infected trees take much longer to reach merchantable size and some never get there at all. Extent of this growth loss is indicated by a recent survey? of mistle- toe infection in the Clark Fork River drainage (about two-thirds of Western Montana). Within this drainage, about one-third of the commercial forest area is infected. Incidence
2Estimate does not include losses on reserved lands.
3Graham, Donald P., Dwarfmistletoe surveys in the Clark Fork Timber Development Unit of Western Montana. U.S. Forest Serv., Intermountain Forest and Range Expt. Sta. In process.
A stand of lodgepole pine severely infested with dwarf- mistletoe. Growth has been greatly retarded for many years and trees are finally dying. Photo: R. B. Herrington.
Logging in an area infested by spruce bark beetle on Lolo National Forest. Besides salvaging beetle-killed timber, this operation removed live infested trees as a control meas- ure. Photo: U.S.F.S.
is especially high in the Douglas-fir, lodgepole pine, and western larch types. For the Clark Fork area alone, the annual loss in sawtimber growth is estimated as 70 to 80 million board feet.
Management is severely handicapped by an entirely inadequate road system. Although annual timber production goals are being met, much of the production is coming from the wrong places. Great areas of overmature timber with high mortality rates and conse- quent economic losses cannot be reached at present, and as a result many stands of lower priority are being logged. Similarly, many younger stands having high priority for cul- tural work cannot be reached.
Management problems, like those de- scribed above, can and will be brought under control. Improvement, however, will not be
ey 4 eS “3 =
* a
rapid. Markets must be developed, much more road construction is necessary, more silvicul- tural research is necessary, logging techniques for use on steep and unstable terrain must be developed, and finally a forward-looking pro- gram of thinning, pruning, and stand rehabili- tation must be instituted.
Of the many products of Western Mon- tana’s forests, water may eventually provide the most far-reaching benefits. The water supply will be particularly significant for hydroelectric and irrigation development of downstream areas outside Western Montana. The Clark Fork and Kootenai river systems are principal headwaters of the Columbia River. The area has many full flowing streams such as the Blackfoot, Clark Fork, Flathead, Kootenai, and Thompson Rivers, that are significant both as a water supply and a recre- ational resource. Likewise, Flathead Lake and numerous smaller lakes scattered throughout the commercial and noncommercial forest are valuable from both standpoints. Practically all of this water falls on forest land.
het
Nee ad,
ha
ees
Photos: U.S.F.S.
Photos on this page illustrate some of the attributes of Western Montana as an impor- tant national playground. Here are broad expanses of public land, beautiful and fish- able lakes and streams, outstanding scenery, and fine hunting. Except for seashore, West- ern Montana offers a full range of outdoor environment from the very wild to the more or less domesticated.
The photo of boating and water skiing on Seeley Lake illustrates the rapidly increas- ing importance of recreation among the mul- tiple uses of forests and waterways.
The photo on the right shows deer on winter ranges in the Salmon Lake area. Other big game are also important for hunting and as sightseeing attractions. For example, West- ern Montana provides some of the best elk hunting in the United States — more than 15,000 elk were taken by hunters in 1961. Here, too, is the largest remaining stronghold of the grizzly bear in the continental United States.
TIMBER
Western Montana has a lot of wood, more wood in fact than most states. The recent survey indicates a total merchantable stand of 19.5 billion cubic feet in trees 5 inches and larger. Only five states have more timber than this: Idaho, Washington, Oregon, Cali- fornia, and Alaska.
About two-thirds of the wood is in saw- timber trees that have an aggregate volume of 73.5 billion board feet. This sawtimber, of course, constitutes the main part of the pres- ently utilizable wood supply in Western Mon- tana. However, much of the 7 billion cubic feet of smaller trees is likewise available for harvesting. These harvestable small trees are in sawtimber stands and in pole stands that have virtually ceased to grow and should be cut as soon as possible. In the past, most of the trees cut have been sawtimber. The lack of markets for trees smaller than sawtimber size is one of the big utilization headaches in this region.
Commercial forests of sawtimber size are dominated by four species: Douglas-fir, west- ern larch, Engelmann spruce, and ponderosa pine. One-third of the sawtimber volume is Douglas-fir and the four species combined make up about 80 percent of the total volume.
Western Montana is hardly in the class
HOW PRESENT SAWTIMBER STANDS RANGE IN VOLUME
“Thousand board feet fer aere
o
0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5
millions of acres
VOLUME
with the west coast in producing big trees. Nevertheless, this area compares favorably with much of the rest of the United States so far as capacity to grow trees is concerned. Four-tenths of all the board-foot volume of sawtimber is in trees 21 inches and larger. The table below shows how the more important species compare in size:
Average diameter of sawtimber trees
Inches Douglas-fir 16.2 Engelmann spruce 18.1 Western larch 18.0 Ponderosa pine 17.8 Lodgepole pine 13.1
Lodgepole pine lags far behind other species in size. Characteristically a small tree, its average diameter is reduced further by the usual overcrowding. Approximately four-fifths of the total cubic volume of lodgepole pine timber is in pole trees. Lodgepole pines 21 inches and larger are rare.
The average volume in sawtimber stands in Western Montana today is only 10,860 board feet per acre. This is because some of these stands have been partially cut. Others have produced less volume than they might have because of overcrowding. Still others are very old and have lost some of their original volume because of insects, disease, and other “eroding” factors.
That the commercial forest is potentially more productive is indicated by the following table based on the application of per-acre yield potentials (75 percent of full yields in yield tables) to the area of various site classes and types.
Harvest yield capabilities of commercial forest
Board feet per acre Acres 30,000 and more 4,100,000 20,000 to 30,000 3,800,000 10,000 to 20,000 1,000,000 Less than 10,000 1,600,000
Western Montana has the potential for a sustained annual cut of about 2.1 billion board
feet — nearly twice the current sawtimber cut. However, it can be realized only under fairly intensive management — much more
intensive than is currently practiced.
The photos on this and the opposite page illustrate extremes in the timber situation in Western Montana. The larch and spruce stands are typical of the better sawtimber. They provide an indication of the potential- ities of much of the forest in Western Mon- tana.
The other extreme is illustrated by the lodgepole pine stand. Only 12 percent of the 2.7 million acres of lodgepole pine type is sawtimber. However, much of the 1.8 million acres of pole-size lodgepole pine timber is mature. Small by nature, this tree tends to crowd itself into stagnation. In years to come, some of this type should be converted to other species; much of the remainder will require thinning to keep the growth rate up to what it should be. At present the market for this large volume of small trees is extremely lim- ited. Inability to market the lodgepole pine and small trees in other stands has seriously handicapped management efforts.
Sawtimber quality as measured by log grades also varies greatly among species. About 14 percent of all saw logs are grade 1. Species showing the highest percentage of grade 1 logs are western white pine (38 per- cent), western larch (35 percent), and pon- derosa pine (21 percent). In sharp contrast are lodgepole pine, spruce, and Douglas-fir — all with less than 6 percent top-quality logs. Timber culture can considerably improve both timber quality and size.
rc]
c
°
=
o i] z 5 5 a
~ uv 5 rH 4 z £ ry - Ores coh ao o un ou 5 “ me a Poa) “ Bhs, i> i) “xu EE. s: er] ie ae ou 272 2 a5 1°] o ES. We £* =o - an
< 33 oo o $x 55 5 “a. au or ® .: a e = 2 $ Se ~~ v ao 9.2 wu a=
€
OWNERSHIP
Most timberland in Western Montana is in big holdings. Under present circum- stances, this is conducive to enlightened man- agement. Eighty-three percent of the com- mercial forest land is owned or administered by agencies and companies with sufficiently large holdings to make forestry feasible and with the capacity to practice forestry and multiple use management. Seventy-three percent of the commercial forest is in public holdings, principally the National Forests. One million acres, or 10 percent, is in indus- trial forest ownership. Several of the large private timber owners employ foresters and have an interest in forestry as an enterprise.
Small private owners have 17 percent of the commercial forest land. While these hold- ings include some of the best forest land, this property is divided among a large number of owners and the individual holding is small. For the most part, these small owners do not know how to manage their timberlands nor do they have the interest. As a consequence they pose one of the more serious forestry problems of the area. This situation is not peculiar to Western Montana: the low productivity of small ownerships is a problem over the whole Nation.
Ownership of commercial forest land
Million acres
National Forest 6.7 Other Federal 5 State, county, and municipal 5 Industry 1.0 Other private 1.8
Total 10.5
Because so much of the forest is in public ownership, the future of the wood industries in Western Montana is tied closely to these lands and their management. However, the
10
7.7 million acres of publicly owned commercial forest land must be discounted somewhat in relation to private land. For the most part, public holdings are more remote and less pro- ductive than the privately owned forest.
Of the commercial forest, the public owns a very high proportion of the lower value, less accessible, and less easily operable area. This is indicated in a general way by the type of commercial forest in public and private owner- ship. Only half of the ponderosa pine land, which is readily accessible and has a high value, is in public ownership. By contrast, the public owns virtually all of the high-elevation inaccessible spruce and low-value lodgepole pine.
On the positive side, insofar as public lands are concerned, is the fact that higher elevations generally receive more precipita- tion, thus offsetting somewhat poorer soils and more severe physiographic conditions.
PROPORTION OF WESTERN MONTANA SAWLOG PRODUCTION FROM NATIONAL FORESTS
60 40 = Z Lu UO a Ww a 20 1938 1942 1946 1950 1954 1958 YEAR
Public ownership of commercial forest land by types
Type Percent publicly owned Ponderosa pine 51 Douglas-fir 68 Larch 76 Fir-spruce 93 Lodgepole, whitebark, and
limber pine 83
In 1938, about 14 million board feet of sawtimber were logged on the National For- ests. This was 7 percent of the total cut in this part of the State. Between 1938 and 1959 the total saw log cut increased about 500 per- cent, but the cut on National Forest lands increased 3,000 percent. The more rapid in- crease of cutting on public lands reflects two things:
@ The fact that wood industries have expanded beyond the capacity of private lands to produce wood.
a ‘ \ ™ y e
*
Kalispell ®
-.
\ im co Sh Ae 4
THE PLACE OF PUBLIC FOREST LAND IN WESTERN MONTANA
PUBLIC LANDS INCLUDE
77 percent of the total forest 75 percent of the commercial forest
97 percent of the noncommercial forest 7¢ percent of the sautimber volume SS percent of the sawtimber cat
7/1 percent of the timber growth potential
@ Progress made in opening up these public lands.
Production from the National Forests and other public lands will increase still further as the road system is extended and as the forestry effort is intensified. Between 1951 and 1961 approximately 3,120 miles of road were built on the Western Montana National Forests to make timber accessible. Money available for stand regeneration and cultural work in young stands on National Forests has substantially increased in recent years.
How much wood the public forests of Western Montana will contribute to industry in the future will depend upon how much this land is developed and how intensively it is managed. It will also depend somewhat on the demands made on public forests for other uses. About 71 percent of the timber produc- tion potential in Western Montana is on public lands.
THE FOREST INDUSTRIES
In recent years the timber cut in Western Montana has reached an all time high. For example, the total cut in 1956 (the latest year for which complete data are available) was more than twice the cut in 1925 and about one-third greater than in 1948. Because about 93 percent of the timber cut is processed into lumber, data on lumber production generally indicate timber utilization. The upsurge in utilization is reflected by the chart below.
LUMBER PRODUCTION WESTERN MONTANA 1920 - 1960 10004 # 8004 A q O = 6004 3 6 400 z 200 4 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 YEAR
Accompanying the increase in production has been a 35 percent increase in employment between 1950 and 1960 (1). This increase in employment in wood industries has helped significantly in compensating for a concurrent statewide reduction of employment in agricul- ture and mining. It also contrasts sharply with an increase of only 4 percent in other manufacturing industries within the State during the same period.
The rise in lumber production from the depression low of the 1930’s of less than 110 million board feet annually to the present level of about 900 million board feet has been paralleled by some striking shifts in the struc- ture of the industry. Even within the last 10
12
years, there has been substantial change. Per- haps the most important development has been the swing away from the so-called “small” sawmill. Western Montana’s early lumbering was by large mills because they alone had the efficiency to offset the high freight costs to the Middle West and East. Following World War II, there was an influx of small mills. In 1948, for example, 43 percent of the lumber was cut by sawmills producing less than 5 million board feet each, while 35 percent was cut by mills producing 10 million board feet or more. In 1956, the percentages had changed to 20 and 68, respectively. As profit margins have narrowed, many small mills have either grown into large mills or dropped out. Small mills, especially the 8-foot stud mills, can play an important role in processing small timber — either second growth, or the characteristically small lodge- pole pine. Many of these mills survive mainly because they belong to companies also owning large mills, or are associated with concerns that market the ouput of several small mills. In general, large-scale operation appears to be a prerequisite for continuing competition as markets fluctuate. For example, data collected for the Clark Fork drainage of Western Mon- tana in 1956 showed that sawmills producing 20 million board feet or more in that year all had planers and dry kilns. None of the saw- mills producing less than 5 million board feet annually had dry kilns; only 25 percent had planers. Seventy-one percent of the large mill production was finished lumber; only 17 per- cent of the small mill production was finished lumber. The large mills operated year-round; the small ones less than half the year.
No doubt the increasing dominance of the large sawmills has been the result of their move toward full mechanization. For example, between 1955 and 1960 there is evidence that the cost of producing lumber in larger mills remained fairly constant, although wage rates rose about 16 percent.
Small Sawmill in Granite County. Photo: J. H. Wikstrom.
Headsaw in a large sawmill. Anaconda Forest Products, Inc., Bonner. Photo: Charles R. Lockard.
There has also been a longer time shift in the size and species composition of the lumber produced. For many years production ran heavily to ponderosa pine, which is most commonly sawed into 1-inch boards. In recent years, larch and Douglas-fir, primarily struc- tural species, have made up the bulk of the lumber output.
Percent of lumber production that was ponderosa pine
1940 46 1950 37 1960 VW
Establishment of a pulpmill near Mis- soula has been a big step forward in wood utilization. Raw material for the present plant is sawmill residue. A substantial further ex- pansion of pulpmill capacity would be pos- sible, using timber not suitable for lumber. Western Montana has at least 75 million cords of such roundwood suitable for pulping. Much of this wood is in mature but pole-size lodge- pole pine trees. The rest is in cull and small trees in sawtimber stands. This timber has not been attractive to pulpmills because the cost of utilization is high. The problem has been to reduce these costs. Experiments in field debarking and chipping and pipeline transpor- tation of chips may help open the way to further expansion of the pulp industry.
This part of the State is blessed with an abundance of good quality water as well as a lot of wood. In 1955 the U.S. Public Health Service and the Montana Board of Health (6) surveyed Western Montana streams, rating their capacity to handle pulpmill waste or
Kraft mill capacity
at undeveloped pulpmill sites Tons of pulp per day
Clark Fork River — St. Regis to junction
with Flathead River 300 Clark Fork River below Plains, Montana 1,000 Flathead River — South Fork to
Flathead Lake 200 Flathead River — Flathead Lake to junction
with Clark Fork 400 Kootenai River — above Libby, Montana 300 Kootenai River — below Libby, Montana 400
14
effluent. The survey report recommended six presently unused stretches of river and sug- gested the kraft mill capacity that each river could tolerate.
If per-ton waste is reduced or treated be- yond the standards assumed in the millsite survey, additional pulping capacity would be available; that is, larger mills could be estab- lished at the sites listed above, and certain additional sites would be suitable. For ex- ample, although the plant of the Waldorf- Hoerner Paper Products Company at Mis- soula considerably exceeds the capacity once recommended at that point, the increased ca- pacity was approved by the State because im- proved design reduced the per-ton waste load.
Another bright spot in Western Mon- tana’s timber development has been the con- struction of five plywood plants in the last 10 years. Plywood plants also provide impor- tant diversification as they offer a market for top quality logs. Western Montana has 30,869 million board feet in trees 21 inches and larger. Twenty-seven percent is larch, a proven plywood species. Plywood plants provide an opportunity to get high revenue from this timber. Other species also offer plywood op- portunities.
Utilization of larch is expected to increase further as a result of a recently developed commercial process for extracting industrial gum (arabinogalactan). The gum, which has demonstrated important advantages over gum arabic for lithography and other purposes, is being produced at a prototype plant operated by the J. Neils Lumber Company Division of St. Regis Paper Company at Libby. Here saw- mill and plywood mill residues provide the raw materials for gum extraction. The fact that the chips are still suitable for pulp mak- ing after extraction of gum is a notable event in the trend toward more complete use of the tree.
Some of the 175,000 tons ef chips in storage at Waldorf-Hoerner Paper Prod- ucts Company, Missoula. This plant em- ploys about 220 people. It subsists en- tirely on sawmill residue and provides a market for chips from slabs and edgings of sawmills as far away as 300 miles. Photo: Charles R. Lockard.
Glue spreading, Van-Evan Plywood Com- pany, Missoula. Photo: Charles R. Lockard.
a
CHRISTMAS TREE PRODUCTION WESTERN MONTANA
4.5
rf} w 4.0 PHOTO: Ben M. Huey FE © 3.5 These two photos — a Christmas tree 4 3.0 yard at Missoula and the Montana Pole Com- o's pany yard at Butte — show two other Mon- - 20 tana forest products. 1942 1948 1954 1960
Western Montana, one of the main YEAR
Christmas tree producing areas in the United | States, has an estimated potential of 5 million |
trees a year on a sustained basis. Wide fluctuations in pole production re- POLE PRODUCTION WESTERN MONTANA
flect an erratic market. Between 1950 and
1960 the number of poles produced in Western a 290 Montana ranged between 116,000 and 244,000 5 a year. 5 200 77) PHOTO: Charles R. Lockard S 4 150 2 ce) = 100
1950 1952 1954 1956 1958 1960 YEAR
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
REFERENCES
Blomgren, Paul B. 1962. The Montana economy in per- spective. Mont. Business Quarterly, pp. 19-28.
Cunningham, R. N., S. V. Fullaway, Jr., and C. N. Whitney 1926. Montana for- est and timber handbook. Mont. Univ. Studies 1, 162 pp., illus.
Hutchison, S. Blair, et al. 1959. Forest management objectives in Western Montana. U.S. Forest Serv. (mimeo.), 17 pp. Intermountain Forest and Range Expt. Sta., Ogden, Utah.
Hutchison, S. Blair, and Paul D. Kemp 1952. Forest resources of Montana. U. S. Dept. Agr. Forest Resource Rpt. 5, 76 pp., illus.
Hutchison, S. Blair, and Arthur L. Roe 1962. Management for commercial tim-
17
ber Clark Fork Unit, Montana. U. S. Forest Serv. Intermountain Forest and Range Expt. Sta., Res. Paper 65, 29 pp, illus. Ogden, Utah.
U. S. Public Health Service 1955. Summary report on pulp mill sites in relation to mill effluent effects on water quality in streams in Western Montana and northern Idaho. Dept. of Health, Education, and Welfare (mimeo.), 15 pp.
Wikstrom, John H., and Charles A. Wellner 1961. The opportunity to thin and prune in the Northern Rocky Moun- tain and Intermountain Regions. U. S. Forest Serv., Intermountain Forest and Range Expt. Sta., Res. Paper 61, 14 pp., illus. Ogden, Utah
APPENDIX
TERMINOLOGY
Forest Land
The term forest land includes (a) land which is at least 10 percent stocked by trees of any size and capable of producing timber or other wood products, or of exerting an in- fluence on the climate or on the water regime; (b) land from which the trees described in (a) have been removed to less than 10 percent stocking, and which has not been developed for other use; (c) afforested areas.
At the time the fieldwork for this report was performed, the minimum unit of area for forest land classification was 10 acres with a minimum width of stringer strips of 120 feet.
The principal classes of forest land are:
Commercial forest land. — Forest land which is (a) producing, or is physically cap- able of producing, usable crops of wood (usu- ally sawtimber), (b) economically available now or prospectively, and (c) not withdrawn from timber utilization.
Noncommercial forest land. — Three classes of noncommercial forest land are recog- nized: Productive-reserved, Unproductive- nonreserved, and Unproductive-reserved.
Productive-reserved is public forest land withdrawn from timber utilization through statute, ordinance, or administrative order, but which otherwise qualifies as commercial forest land.
Unproductive indicates forest land incap- able of yielding usable wood products (usually sawtimber) because of adverse site conditions, or forest land so physically inaccessible as to be unavailable economically in the forseeable future.
Forest Types Forest land is classified into types on the basis of tree species; the type name is that of
20
the predominant species. The predominant species is the one which has a plurality of (a) gross cubic volume in the case of sawtimber and poletimber stands, or (b) the number of stems in seedling and sapling stands. Both growing stock and cull trees are considered in the classification. Forest types which occur on both commercial and noncommercial forest land are:
Engelmann spruce Mountain hemlock Western hemlock
Western redcedar
Western larch
Douglas-fir Ponderosa pine Western white pine Lodgepole pine White bark and
limber pine Aspen White fir Cottonwood Grand fir Other western Subalpine fir hardwoods
Two additional forest types which occur only on noncommercial forest land are:
Pinyon-juniper Chaparral
Tree-Size Classes Sawtimber-size tree A tree 11.0 inches d.b.h. or larger. Pole-size tree A tree 5.0 to 10.9 inches d.b.h. Seedling-sapling trees
Trees at least 1 foot high and less than 5.0 inches d.b.h.
Tree-Merchantability Classes Sawtimber tree
Live tree of commercial species, 11.0 inches d.b.h. or larger, that contains at least one 10-foot log to a merchantable top diameter and having the likelihood of
eventually containing at least a 16-foot minimum saw log. Also, at least one-third of the board-foot volume must be free from rot or other defect.
Poletimber tree
Live tree of commercial species, 5.0 to 10.9 inches d.b.h., free of rot and having the likelihood of growing into a sawtim- ber tree.
Sapling and seedling trees
Live trees of commercial species, less than 5.0 inches d.b.h., with form and quality to qualify as potential poletimber trees.
Growing stock trees
Sawtimber trees, poletimber trees, sap- lings and seedlings; i.e., all live trees ex- cept cull trees.
In discussion and tables on volumes, growth, and mortality, the term growing stock refers only to sawtimber trees and poletimber
of serious fire and basal scars, broken tops, severe mistletoe, crooks or girdling by porcupine. No rot may be present.
Rotten cull trees include:
a. Sawtimber-size trees that have more than two-thirds of their gross board-foot volume in cull, with more than half of the cull due to rot.
b. Poletimber-size trees showing any evidence of rot in the main stem.
Mortality tree
A tree 5.0 inches d.b.h. or larger, standing or down, which has died within the past 5 years and was not a cull tree at time of death.
Salvable dead tree
Dead tree 5.0 inches d.b.h. or larger, standing or down (but not lying on the ground) which has 50 percent or more of its cubic-foot volume in sound wood.
trees; i.e., all live trees 5 inches d.b.h. and larger (except cull trees). Saplings and seed-
- lings are not part of growing stock in this Sawtimber stands
Stand-Size Classes
usage of the term. Cull tree
Live tree of sawtimber- or poletimber-size that is unmerchantable for saw logs, now or prospectively, because of rot or other defect, or species.
Sound cull trees include:
a. Sawtimber-size trees that have more than two-thirds of their gross board-foot volume in cull with at least one-half of this cull the result of sweep, crook, or other sound defect. Also included are sound trees which do not contain at least one 10-foot saw log.
b. Poletimber-size trees that are unlike- ly to grow into sawtimber trees because
A stand with a minimum net volume per acre of 1,500 board feet (International \4-inch rule) in sawtimber trees. Two classes of sawtimber stands are recog- nized:
Large sawtimber. A stand in which the majority of the net board-foot volume is in sawtimber trees 21.0 inches d.b.h. and larger.
Small sawtimber. A stand in which the majority of the net board-foot volume is in sawtimber trees from 11.0 to 20.9 inches d.b.h.
Poletimber stand
Stand failing to meet the sawtimber stand specifications, but at least 10 per- cent stocked with poletimber and larger
(5.0 inches d.b.h. and larger) trees and with at least half the minimum stocking in poletimber trees.
Seedling and sapling stand
A stand not qualifying as either a saw- timber or poletimber stand, but having at least 10 percent stocking of trees of com- mercial species and with at least half the stocking in seedling and sapling trees.
Nonstocked area
An area not qualifying as a sawtimber, poletimber, or a seedling-sapling stand; i.e., normally an area less than 10 percent stocked.
Stocking
Stocking is a measure of the degree to which growing space is effectively utilized by trees. In this report it is expressed as the per- centage of the available space that is occupied by tree crowns as viewed on aerial photo- graphs.
Well-stocked stand
A stand that is 70 percent or more cov- ered by tree crowns.
Medium-stocked stand
A stand with 40 to 70 percent coverage by tree crowns.
Poorly stocked stand
A stand with 10 to 40 percent coverage by tree crowns.
Nonstocked area
An area with less than 10 percent cover- age by tree crowns.
Timber Volume All-timber volume
Volume in cubic feet of sound wood in the bole of growing stock, cull and sal-
22
vable dead trees 5.0 inches and larger in diameter at breast height, from stump to a minimum 4.0-inch top inside bark.
Growing stock volume
Net volume in cubic feet of sawtimber trees and poletimber trees from stump to a minimum 4.0-inch top inside bark.
Live sawtimber volume
Net volume in board feet, International Y4-inch rule, of the saw log portion of sawtimber trees.
Saw log portion
That portion of the bole of sawtimber trees between the stump and the mer- chantable top.
Merchantable top
The point at which the upper limit of saw log merchantability is limited either by limbs or by a minimum diameter. The latter varies with diameter class ranging from 5 inches inside bark for trees 11 inches at breast height to 10 inches for trees 26 inches or larger.
Upper-stem portion
That part of the bole of sawtimber trees above the merchantable top to a mini- mum top diameter of 4.0 inches inside bark.
Quality class
A classification of sawtimber volume in terms of log grades. Four grades are rec- ognized and distinguished by the occur- rence and characteristics of knots. The log grades corresponding to the quality classes are:
Grade 1 (select logs) are essentially smooth and surface clear, except that in logs 16 inches and larger in diameter a few visible knots are permitted, pro- vided there are no more than 1 large
knot, or 2 medium or small knots, or 4 pin knots.
Knot sizes for all grades are:
Pin knots 0.5 inch or less
Small knots __0.5 to 0.75 inch Medium knots 0.75 to 1.5 inches Large knots Larger than 1.5 inches
Occasional logs having a_ greater number of knots are admitted provided these knots may be boxed in an area not exceeding one-third the area of one face or an equivalent area of two faces.
Grade 2 (shop logs) display relatively few knots of any size, so spaced that at least 50 percent of the surface of the log is in smooth, clear areas, the size of which must be at least one-fourth the girth of the log in width, by 4 feet or more in length.
| A log with no more than 12 medium or smaller knots, or more than 8 large ones, may immediately be classed as grade 2. If this number of knots is ex- ceeded, the clear area basis governs.
Grade 3 (common logs) display either (a) pin, small, or medium knots of which 80 percent are either live or will cut out red (intergrown) beneath the slab, or (b) 16 dead knots (an average of 4 per face) averaging medium in size.
Grade 4 (low common logs) display medium, large, and very large live and/ or dead knots in excess of the numbers permitted in grades 2 and 3.
Growth
Net annual growth of sawtimber or grow- ing stock
The average annual change, calculated from the total change over a 10-year pe- riod, in net board-foot or cubic-foot vol-
23
ume of live sawtimber or growing stock on commercial forest land.
Mortality
Net annual mortality of sawtimber or growing stock
The average annual net board-foot or cubic-foot volume removed from live saw- timber or growing stock through death, calculated from the total net volume re- moved by such causes over a 10-year period.
Timber Cut
Timber cut from growing stock
The volume of sound wood in live saw- timber and poletimber trees cut for forest products during a specified period, in- cluding both roundwood products and logging residues.
Timber cut from sawtimber
The net board-foot volume of live saw- timber trees cut for forest products dur- ing a specified period, including both roundwood products and logging residues.
Logging residues from growing stock
The net cubic-foot volume of live saw- timber and poletimber trees cut or killed by logging on commercial forest land and not converted to timber products.
Ownership Classes
National Forest lands
Federal lands which have been designated by Executive order or statute as National Forests or purchase units, and other lands under the administration of the Forest Service, including experimental areas and Bankhead-Jones Title III lands.
Other Federal lands Federal lands other than National For-
ests, including lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and miscellaneous Federal agencies.
State, county, and municipal lands
Lands owned by State, counties, and lo- cal public agencies, or lands leased by these governmental units more than 50 years ago.
Forest industry lands
Lands owned by companies or individuals operating wood-using plants.
Farmer-owned lands Lands owned by operators of farms. Miscellaneous private lands
Privately owned lands other than forest- industry or farmer-owned lands.
Principal Tree Species
Softwoods
Douglas-fir Pseudotsuga menziesii
Fir, grand Fir, white Hemlock, mountain Hemlock, western Juniper Larch, alpine Larch, western Pine, limber Pine, lodgepole Pine, ponderosa Pine, western white Pine, whitebark Redcedar, western Spruce, Engel- mann
A. grandis A. concolor Tsuga mertensiana
T. heterophylla
Juniperus spp. Larix lyalli
L. occidentalis Pinus flexilis P. contorta
P. ponderosa P. monticola
P. albicaulis Thuja plicata
Picea engelmannii
Hardwoods
Aspen, quaking Cottonwood, black
Populus tremuloides P. trichocarpa
Fir, subalpine Abies lasiocarpa Birch, paper Betula papyrifera
24
SURVEY METHODS
Area statistics were determined by map- ping. About 20 percent of the survey area was completely mapped; for the remainder, map- ping was done only on sample sections located at 4-mile intervals ina rectangular grid pattern. In both cases mapping was done on aerial photographs and subsequently field checked. Delineations segregated nonforest from forest land, noncommercial from commercial forest, and classified commercial forest by timber type, stand size, and stand density. Areas were classified to a minimum area of 10 acres. Ownership classes were also outlined. Area of the various cover classes by ownerships was determined by dot counts which were then summarized and, in the case of sample areas, multiplied by appropriate factors to give total area.
Volume statistics were derived from field samples taken at 4-mile intervals on the rec- tangular grid mentioned above. Plots were taken in the immediate vicinity of the section corners designated by the grid. In the area which had been mapped on a sampling basis plots fell within the mapped sections.
Samples were taken at 1,172 locations in Western Montana. Each sample consisted of two plots, spaced 5 chains apart. If necessary the predetermined compass bearing from the first to the second plot was altered to insure that both plots fell in the same type-size- density stratum. Each plot consisted of four concentric circular subplots. Seedlings and
25
saplings were tallied an 1/500 acre, poles on 1/50 acre, sawtimber on 1/5 acre, and mor- tality on 1/3 acre.
In addition to making the customary measurements and classifications of trees for volume and quality, increment borings were taken for growth estimates.
Formulas equating field measurements to volume, growth, and mortality were applied as part of the machine data processing to pro- vide average volumes per acre for the various classifications based on type, size, stocking, etc. These averages, applied to area estimates, provided the total volumes used in statistical tables.
Timber-cut estimates in some cases are based on output data for a single year when that year is considered typical of the period during which the survey was conducted. In other instances primary product output and logging residue figures are averages based on periodic surveys of the forest industries. Lum- ber industry surveys, conducted in coopera- tion with the Bureau of the Census, provide lumber production and log receipts data for estimating the predominant part of the cut. Periodic surveys are also conducted to deter- mine the output of pulpwood, commercial poles, fuelwood, mine timbers, posts, and mis- cellaneous timbers of lesser importance. Data for estimating the volume of logging residues are obtained by special studies on active woods operations.
RELIABILITY OF ESTIMATES
Data collected by sampling are not en- tirely reliable; i.e., there is a sampling error. Sufficient samples are taken to insure that the error is not above a specified maximum. Magnitude of the errors associated with area and volume estimates for Western Montana have been determined by statistical analysis of the data.
Estimates of acreage of the various land and forest classes were determined by sampl- ing on about 84 percent of Western Montana and compilation from type maps on the re- mainder. For the sampled portion the sampl- ing error of the estimate of commerical forest
area is +1.83 percent, and of noncommercial forest +11.48 percent. These errors are on the basis of odds of two out of three that values which would result from a 100-percent cruise would lie within the range indicated by the error. There is no sampling error for the area which was completely mapped.
The sampling error for the estimated 19,541 million cubic feet of growing stock in Western Montana is +2.42 percent. The sam- pling error for estimates other than total vol- ume can be roughly approximated by using the following chart:
ro
= non DmwNOWa IE =A {- + 4
{|
Multiplying factor to apply to
percent sampling error of total w
oa
03 0.04 0.05 0.06 0.07 0.080.09 0.1
0.2 0.3 04 05 06 07 080.9 1.0
Proportion of volume in a breakdown
Ratio of sampling error of a volume breakdown to sampling error of total area or volume.
As an example of the use of the chart, assume that the sampling error reported for a total is +5 percent. An estimate is desired of the sampling error for an item which is only
26
0.25 of this total. Reading from the chart, the multiplying factor for a proportion of 0.25 is 2. The estimated sampling error for the item is then 2 times +5 percent, or +10 percent.
APPENDIX TABLES
27
Table 1.—Area by land classes, Western Table 2.—Area of commercial forest land, by
Montana, 1958 ownership classes, Western Montana, 1958 Land class Bees, Ownership class Thousand Commercial forest land 10,453 National Forest 6,680 Noncommercial forest land: Other Federal:
Unproductive-nonreserved 598 Bureau of Land Management 156
Productive-reserved 889 Indian 373
Unproductive-reserved 768 Miscellaneous Federal 3
Total forest land 12,708 Total other Federal 532 Nonforest land 13,266 State 7 439 Total, all land 215,974 Oa ite SMO 2 ae eae Forest industry:
'Includes 95,000 acres of water according to Sur- Pulp and paper — vey standards of area classification but defined by Lumber 1.047 Bureau of Census as land. ’
2From U. S. Bureau of the Census, Land and Other ae Water Areas of the United States, 1950. Total forest industry 1,047
Farmer-owned 471 Miscellaneous private 1,282 All ownerships 10,453
Table 3.—Area of commercial forest land, by stand-size and ownership classes, Western Montana, 1958
; Farmer . All National Other Forest ; Stand-size class ownerships Forest public industry een
Thousand acres Sawtimber stands:
Large sawtimber 1,595 998 102 355 140 Small sawtimber 4,730 2,788 5De 468 921 Total 6,325 3,786 655 823 1,061 Poletimber stands PASE 1,973 232 178 504 Sapling and seedling stands 1,018 788 76 35 119 Nonstocked area 173 133 10 alee 19 All classes 10,453 6,680 973 1,047 153
28
Table 4.—Area of commercial forest land, by stocking classes of all live trees and by stand-size classes, Western Montana, 1958
Sioctarei class All Samtinber | Poleaniber agi ee peace
(all trees) stands stands stands stands stands
Thousand acres
70 percent or more 5,730 3,674 1,426 630 — 40 to 70 percent 3,366 2,106 1,032 228 — 10 to 40 percent 1,184 545 479 160 — Less than 10 percent Vis — — — 173 All classes 10,453 6,325 2,937 1,018 173
Table 5.—Area of commercial forest land, by types and ownership classes, Western Montana, 1958
Type Plccee aeenie pear Thousand acres Douglas-fir 2,837 1,926 911 Ponderosa pine 1,668 852 816 White pine’ 181 160 on Lodgepole pine? 2,850 Dyas 476 Fir-spruce 896 831 65 Hemlock? 33 29 4 Larch 1,939 1,474 465 Hardwoods 49 7 42 All types 10,453 7,653 2,800
lIncludes 35,000 acres of western redcedar type. 2Includes 104,000 acres of whitebark and limber pine type. 3Includes 6,000 acres of mountain hemlock.
Table 6.—Number of growing-stock trees on commercial forest land, by diameter classes and by softwoods and hardwoods, Western Montana, 1958
D.B.H. class
iaches) All species Softwood Hardwood Thousand trees 1.0 to 2.9 7,285,560 7,238,621 46,939 3.0 to 4.9 2,074,365 2,061,869 12,496 3.0 to 6.9 830,351 826,240 4,111 7.0 to 8.9 430,663 429,086 Loc 9.0 to 10.9 237,892 237,670 222 11.0 to 12.9 119,822 119,446 376 13.0 to 14.9 76,645 76,370 ZAD 15.0 to 16.9 51,409 51,183 226 17.0 to 18.9 34,645 34,507 138 19.0 to 28.9 61,195 61,026 169 29.0 to 38.9 6,640 6,640 ae 39.0 and larger 532 332 — Total 209,719 11,143,190 66,529
29
Table 7.—Number of cull and salvable dead trees on commercial forest land, by diameter groups and by softwoods and hardwoods, Western Montana, 1958
Cull trees D.B.H. class Salvable (inches) Total Sound Rotten dead trees Thousand trees Softwoods:
5.0 to 8.9 94,624 49,972 44,652 73,518
9.0 to 18.9 31,036 1335 19,701 59,068 19.0 and larger 2,680 102 2,078 6,325
Total 128,340 61,409 66,931 139,411 Hardwoods:
5.0 to 10.9 3,000 aS Bk 2,262 iby) 11.0 to 18.9 450 324 126 — 19.0 and larger 415 230 182 —
Total 4,258 1,688 2540 19 All species 132,598 63,097 69,501 139,430
Table 8.—Volume of timber on commercial forest land, by class of timber and by softwoods and hardwoods, Western Montana, 1958
Class of timber All species Softwoods Hardwoods Thousand cubic feet Sawtimber trees: Saw log portion 11,589,751 41,557,217 32,034 Upper-stem portion 925,200 916,055 9,145 Total 12,514,951 12 45.212 41,679 Poletimber trees 7,025,665 6,998,906 26,759 All growing-stock trees 19,540,616 19,472,178 68,438 Sound cull trees: Sawtimber-size trees 68,089 55,803 12,286 Poletimber-size trees 200,300 197,551 2,749 Total 268,389 253,354 15,035 Rotten cull trees: Sawtimber-size trees 101,687 98,758 2,929 Poletimber-size trees 161,704 159,709 Ise Total 263,091 258,467 4,924 Salvable dead trees: Sawtimber-size trees 1,599,848 1,598,890 958 Poletimber-size trees 673,200 672,976 224 Total 2,273,048 2,271,866 1,182 All timber 22,345,444 22,255,865 89,579
30
Table 9.—Volume of growing stock and sawtimber on commercial forest land, by ownership classes and by softwoods and hardwoods, Western Montana, 1958
Ownership class All species Softwoods Hardwoods
GROWING STOCK (Million cubic feet)
National Forest 13,056 13,034 22, Other public 1,590 1,584 6 Forest industry 215 2,149 6 Farmer and misc. private 2,740 2,706 34 All ownerships 19,541 19,473 68 SAWTIMBER (Million board feet)! National Forest 48,596 48,542 54 Other public 5,716 0,689 Zk Forest industry 9,440 9,419 Pz Farmer and misc. private 9,702 9,597 105 All ownerships 73,454 73,247 207
lInternational '/,-inch rule.
Table 10.—Volume of growing stock and sawtimber on commercial forest land, by stand-size classes and by softwoods and hardwoods, Western Montana, 1958
Stand-size class All species Softwoods Hardwoods
GROWING STOCK (Million cubic feet)
Sawtimber stands 15,143 15,095 48 Poletimber stands 3,945 3,927 18 Sapling and seedling stands 418 416 2 Nonstocked areas 30 35 (‘) Total 19,541 19,473 68 SAWTIMBER (Million board feet)? Sawtimber stands 68,691 68,498 193 Poletimber stands 3,890 3,880 10 Sapling and seedling stands 798 794 o Nonstocked areas io <o (‘) Total 73,454 73,247 207
lLess than 0.5 million feet. 2International ',-inch rule.
31
Table 11.—Volume of growing stock on commercial forest land, by species and diameter groups, Western Montana, 1958
Diameter class (inches at breast height)
Species All 5.0 to 11.0 to 21.0 to 31.0 to 41.0 and classes 10.9 20.9 30.9 40.9 larger Million cubic feet Softwoods: Douglas-fir 5,429 ibesif fs) 2 (a2 1,135 159 28 Ponderosa pine 1,949 192 800 741 206 10 White pine 320 Ys) 176 74 8 ff Lodgepole pine 4,346 Sono 819 12 — — True firs’ 1,428 815 539 7al 3 — Spruce 2,261 369 993 670 218 alah Western hemlock 165 39 87 25 14 — Western redcedar 412 96 Ly 114 SL 39 Western larch? 2,896 448 1,161 1,024 254 9 Other softwoods 267 95 148 24 — — Total 19,473 6,999 100k 3,890 913 104 Hardwoods: Aspen and cottonwood 54 16 PAG all —— — Other hardwoods 14 11 3 — — — Total 68 20 30 11 — — All species 19,541 7,026 7,597 3,901 913 104
White, grand, and subalpine firs. 2Includes a negligible amount of alpine larch.
Table 12.—Volume of sawtimber on commercial forest land, by species and diameter groups, Western Montana, 1958
Diameter class (inches at breast height)
Species All 11.0 to 21.0 to 31.0 to 41.0 and classes 20.9 30.9 40.9 larger Million board feet! Softwoods:
Douglas-fir 22,970 14,841 6,973 980 176 Ponderosa pine 10,498 4,425 4,598 1,402 qT White pine 1,547 1,019 440 50 38 Lodgepole pine 4,648 4,577 far — — True firs? 3,427 2,984 423 20 — Spruce 11393 5 LC 4,174 1,432 70 Western hemlock T2t 489 153 85 — Western redcedar (a2, 593 649 279 191 Western larch? 15,379 6,979 6,716 1,626 58 Other softwoods 946 807 139 — — Total 73,247 42,431 24,336 5,874 606
Hardwoods: Aspen and cottonwood 188 135 Do — — Other hardwoods 19 19 — — — Total 207 154 5S — — All species 73,454 42,585 24,389 5,874 606
\International ,-inch rule. 2White, grand, and subalpine firs. 3Includes a negligible amount of alpine larch.
32
Table 13.—Volume of sawtimber on commercial forest land, by species and diameter groups, Western Montana, 1958
Diameter class (inches at breast height)
Species All 11.0 to 21.0 to 31.0to 41.0 and classes 20.9 30.9 40.9 larger Million board feet! Softwoods: Douglas-fir 19,767 12,475 6,224 901 167 Ponderosa pine 9,073 3,647 4,073 1,285 68 White pine gs 515) 880 394 46 35 Lodgepole pine 3,850 3,787 63 — — True firs? 2,923 2,526 379 18 — Spruce 10,263 5,126 3,714 1,298 65 Western hemlock 633 417 138 78 — Western redcedar 1,455 481 55 245 178 Western larch? 13,309 aaies 6,046 1,495 315) Other softwoods 803 679 124 — — Total 63,431 SD, fol 21,766 5,366 568 Hardwoods: Aspen and cottonwood 179 128 51 — — Other hardwoods 16 16 — — — Total 195 144 51 — — All species 63,626 35,875 21,817 5,366 568 \Scribner rule.
2White, grand, and subalpine firs. 3Includes a negligible amount of alpine larch.
Table 14——Volume of sawtimber on commercial forest land, by softwood species and quality classes, Western Montana, 1958
Sacer Quality class (log grade) eee All classes 1 2 3 4
Million board feet}
Softwoods: Douglas-fir 22,970 1,204 3,766 7,086 10,914 Ponderosa pine 10,498 2,245 1,629 2,146 4,478 White pine 1,547 581 292 411 263 True firs? 3,427 41 125 oe 1,934 Spruce 11,393 414 12 4,914 4,844 Western hemlock 727 9 11 210 497 Western larch? 15,379 5,346 3,468 3,047 3,518 Other softwoods 7,306 als 1,349 2,395 3,249
Total 13,247 10,153 14,861 21,536 29,697
\International ',-inch rule. 2White, grand, and subalpine firs. 3Includes a negligible amount of alpine larch.
33
Table 15.—Volume of salvable dead saw- timber-size trees on commercial forest land by softwoods and hardwoods, Western Montana, 1958
Table 16.—Net annual growth and annual cut of growing stock on commercial forest land, by species, Western Montana
. Net annual Zane ; pecies growth, timber cut, Species —TnterationalSertyaer tle 1958_1088 %.-inch rule Thousand cubic feet Softwoods 9,334,989 8,061,849 Softwoods: Hardwoods 4,828 4,148 Douglas-fir see 37,539 ‘ Ponderosa pine 7,651 28,395 All species 9,339,817 8,065,997 Western white pine 6,698 3,553 Lodgepole pine 100,562 4,362 True firs! 28,193 1,436 Engelmann spruce 2013 26,540 Western hemlock 4,485 104 Western larch 25,404 27,978 Other softwoods 10,051 366 Total 289,687 130,273 Hardwoods 2,078 397 All species 291,765 130,670
\White, grand, and subalpine firs.
Table 17.—Net annual growth and annual cut of growing stock on com- mercial forest land, by ownership classes and by softwoods and hardwoods,
Species group
Softwoods Hardwoods
All species
Softwoods Hardwoods
All species
lIncludes ‘other public,” “forest industry,’
All
ownerships
289,687 2,078 291,765
130,273 397
130,670
Western Montana
National Forest
Other public
Forest industry
NET ANNUAL GROWTH, 1958 (Thousand cubic feet)
182,368 27,425 28,360 668 195 208 183,036 27,620 28,568
ANNUAL TIMBER CUT, 1956 (Thousand cubic feet)
59,068 '71,205 0 1397 59,068 171,602
?
34
Farmer and misc. private
51,534 1,007 52,041
and “farmer and miscellaneous private.”
Table 18.—Net annual growth and cut of sawtimber on commercial forest land, by species, Western Montana
Net annual Annual Species growth, timber cut, 1958 1956 Thousand board feet! Softwoods: Douglas-fir 296,982 254,669 Ponderosa pine 142,883 193,467 Western white pine 30,719 24,339 Lodgepole pine 84,768 27,980 True firs? Doe 9,860 Engelmann spruce -40,843 181,742 Western hemlock 20,159 622 Western larch 84,719 190,890 Other softwoods 40,950 2,398 Total 715,629 885,967 Hardwoods 4,803 2,360 All species 720,432 888,327
\International ¥,-inch rule. 2White, grand, and subalpine firs.
Table 19.—Net annual growth and cut of sawtimber on commercial forest land, by ownership classes and by softwoods and hardwoods, Western Montana
: National Other Forest Farmer and ownerships Forest public industry misc. private
NET ANNUAL GROWTH, 1958 (Thousand board feet)!
Softwoods 715,629 403,757 83,046 85,367 143,459 Hardwoods 4,803 1,849 637 600 1,717 All species 720,432 405,606 83,683 85,967 145,176
ANNUAL TIMBER CUT, 1956 (Thousand board feet)!
Species group
Softwoods 885,967 401,524 7484,443 Hardwoods 2,360 0 22,360 All species 888,327 401,524 7486,803
\International ',-inch rule. 2Includes “other public,” “forest industry,” and “farmer and miscellaneous private.”
35
Table 20. — Annual mortality of growing stock and sawtimber on commercial forest land, by species, Western Montana, 1958
Species | Growing stock | Sawtimber
Thousand cubic Thousand board
feet feet!
Softwoods: Douglas-fir 20,426 103,915 Ponderosa pine 6,972 39,228 White pine 733 3,164 Lodgepole pine 17,002 42,980 True firs? 9,510 36,670 Spruce 36,678 225,384 Western hemlock 290 508 Western larch 11,646 69,510 Other softwoods 855 2,989 Total 104,362 924,348 Hardwoods 46 — All species 104,408 524,348
\International 14-inch rule. 2White, grand, and subalpine firs.
Table 21.—Annual mortality of growing stock and sawtimber on commercial forest land, by ownership classes and by softwoods and hardwoods, Western Montana, 1958
O hi Growing stock Sawtimber Cae | All species Softwood Hardwood |All species Softwood Hardwood Thousand cubic feet Thousand board feet!
National Forest lands 74,427 74,426 Al 373,991 373,991 — Other public lands 6,745 6,742 3 33,826 33,826 — Forest industry lands 12,879 12:87 0 2 67,638 67,638 — Farmer and misc.
private lands 10,357 10,317 40 48,893 48,893 — Total, all ownerships 104,408 104,362 46 524,348 524,348 —
\International 44-inch rule.
Table 22.—Annual mortality of growing stock and sawtimber on commercial forest land by | causes, and by softwoods and hardwoods, Western Montana, 1958
Cc f death Growing stock Sawtimber 739Ge was All species Softwood _ Hardwood Thousand cubic feet Thousand board feet) Fire 1,291 eo — 5,610 5,610 — Insects 57,319 57,319 — 311,865 311,865 — Disease 5,493 0,451 42 28,983 28,983 — Other 40,305 40,301 4 177,890 177,890 — All causes 104,408 104,362 46 524,348 524,348 —
\International 14-inch rule.
36
Table 23.—Total ouput of timber products, by products, by type of material used, and by soft- woods and hardwoods, Western Montana, 1956
Total output in Output from Output from round- eae Peodichiand Standard ainits roundwood from wood from nongrow- plant by-
growing stock ing stock sources products
Standard | M cubic | Standard | M cubic (standard ae
species group
Saw logs:! Softwood M bd.-ft.2. 1,055,783 807,280 115,326 °248,503 35,500 0 Hardwood M bd.-ft? 2,147 2,147 307 0 0 0 Total M bd.-ft.2_ 1,057,930 809,427 115,633 248,503 35,500 0 Pulpwood: Softwood M std. cords* 35 1 81 334 2,241 0 Hardwood M std. cords* (5) (>) 12 0 0 0 Total M std. cords4 Be uf 93 34 2,241 0 Poles: Softwood M pieces 244 244 2,378 0 0 0 Hardwood M pieces 0 0 0 0 0 Total M pieces 244 244 2,378 0 0 0 Mine timbers (round): Softwood M cu. ft. 4,996 4,746 4,746 250 250 0 Hardwood M cu. ft. 0 0 0) Total M cu. ft. 4,996 4,746 4,746 250 250 0 Misc. industrial wood:¢ Softwood M cu. ft. 244 244 244 0 0 0 Hardwood M cu. ft. 0 0 0 0 0 0 Total M cu. ft. 244 244 244 0 0 0 Posts (round and split): Softwood M pieces 763 565 452 198 158 0 Hardwood M pieces 0 0 0 0 0 0) | Total M pieces 763 365 452 198 158 0 | Fuelwood: Softwood M std. cords* ai ba 9 704 129 9,967 373 | Hardwood Mstd. cords‘ 48 1 62 12 881 35 | Total M std. cords4 559 10 766 141 10,848 408 | Misc. farm timbers: Softwood M cu. ft. 397 327 327 70 70 0 -- Hardwood M cu. ft. 0 0 0 0 0 0 Total M cu. ft. 397 PAS oat 70 70 0 All products: Softwood M cu. ft. — Ss SUPE ESS = ASSO == Hardwood M cu. ft. — —_ 381 — 881 — Total M cu. ft. — — 124,639 — 49,067 —
\Includes veneer logs and bolts. 2International 14-inch log rule.
3Largely from dead timber salvaged in the spruce salvage project (to salvage beetle- killed spruce) that was started in 1952 and continued for several years.
4Rough wood basis. 5Less than 0.5 M standard cords. 6Includes shingle bolts, house logs, converter poles.
37
Table 24.—Total output of roundwood products, by source and by soft- woods and hardwoods, Western Montana, 1956
Source All species Softwoods Hardwoods Thousand cubic feet Growing-stock trees:!
Sawtimber trees 120,601 120,282 319 Poletimber trees 4,038 3,976 62 Total 124,639 124,258 381 Cull trees! 47 47 0) Salvable dead trees’ 347,380 347,380 0 Other sources? 1,640 759 881 All sources 173,706 172,444 1,262
1On commercial forest land.
2Includes noncommercial forest land, nonforest land such as fence rows, trees less than 5.0 inches in diameter, and treetops and limbs.
3Largely from dead sawtimber trees salvaged in the spruce salvage project.
Table 25.—Annual timber cut from growing stock on commercial forest lands, by products and logging residues, and by softwoods and hardwoods, Western Montana, 1956
Products and residues All species Softwoods Hardwoods Thousand cubic feet Roundwood products:
Saw logs 115,633 115,326 307 Veneer logs and bolts (‘) (‘) (1) Cooperage logs and bolts 0 0 0 Pulpwood 93 81 12 Piling (2) (7) () Poles 2,378 2,378 0 Mine timbers 4,746 4,746 0 Misc. industrial wood? O71 571 0 Posts 452 452 0 Fuelwood 766 704 62 All products 124,639 124,258 381 Logging residues 6,031 6,015 16 Timber cut 130,670 130,273 397
1Included with saw logs to avoid disclosing individual operations. 2Included with poles. ; 3Includes 327,000 cubic feet of miscellaneous farm timbers.
38
Table 26.—Annual timber cut from live sawtimber on commercial forest lands, by products and logging residues, and by softwoods and hardwoods, Western Montana, 1956
Products and residues All species Softwoods Hardwoods Thousand board feet!
Roundwood products:
Saw logs 809,427 807,280 2,147 Veneer logs and bolts (2) 2) (?) Cooperage logs and bolts 0 0 0 Pulpwood 561 486 i Piling (*) () (7) Poles 14,271 14,271 0 Mine timbers 29,622 29,622 0 Misc. industrial wood‘ 1,437 1,437 0 Posts 126 126 0 Fuelwood 708 654 54
All products 856,152 853,876 2,276
Logging residues 24a Wy (5) 32,091 84 Timber cut 888,327 885,967 2,360
lInternational 14-inch rule. hestiod 2Included in saw logs to avoid disclosing individual operations.
3Included with poles. 4Includes 126,000 board feet of miscellaneous farm timbers.
39
4
MAJOR FOREST TYPES
WESTERN MONTANA
1962
FOREST SURVEY—INTERMOUNTAIN FOREST AND RANGE EXPERIMENT STATION U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE FOREST SERVICE
20. alot 20S" Sh a5 40 Miles
LEGEND
GE oucas-—Fir (ER) Loocerore pine [EG PONDEROSA PINE (RR) spruce —rir GM) sweite pine [__] NONFOREST [Ey carcu WILLA, RESERVED LAND