Historic, archived document Do not assume content reflects current scientific knowledge, policies, or practices. a, i a £ YS) op. | FOREST RESOURCES of the. Ponderosa Pine Region FOREST SURVEY STAFF Pacific Northwest Forest and Range Experiment Station H. J. ANDREwsS, in charge 1930-38 R. W. Cow.in, in charge 1938- F. L. Moravets SQVTP Vs ACKNOWLEDGMENT A large share of the credit for the successful completion of the forest survey of the ponderosa pine region is due the many agencies and indi- viduals that cooperated in contributing valuable information, as well as to the temporary field and office workers who assisted in preparation of the data. Special acknowledgment is made of the timber stand information given by private owners on their holdings. The North Pacific National Forest Region of the Forest Service advised and assisted throughout the entire history of the project. The Western Pine Association, the State forestry departments of Oregon and Washington, and commercial cruising firms assisted in many ways. F. P. Keen, Bureau of Entomology and Plant Quarantine, contributed advice and information on forest insect damage, an important part of the project. The Indian Service gave valuable information on Indian-owned forests. County and State officials, the forest schools, and the Oregon and Washington agricultural experi- ment stations cooperated in a number of ways. J. W. Girard, Forest Service, Washington, D. C., developed the methods used in adjusting tim- ber cruises and gave other valuable aid. Other divisions of the Pacific Northwest station assisted the forest-survey staff, particularly the Division of Forest Products, which furnished information on forest industries and cutting of timber products. As director of the station, Thornton T. Munger gave leadership during early history of the project. PoNeG Pe DiS eae hom DEAR ME NE Or eAG RGU LT URE MISCELLANEOUS PUBLICATION NO. 4.90 WASHINGTON, D. C., Ocrosper 1942. Forest Resources of the Ponderosa Pine Region of Washington and Oregon 7? °§ KE R. W. COWLIN, senior forest economist and P. A. BRIEGLEB and F. L. MORAVETS associate foresters PACIFIC NORTHWEST FOREST AND RANGE EXPERIMENT STATION FOREST SERVICE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE . WASHINGTON . 1942 FOR SALE BY THE SUPERINTENDENT OF DOCUMENTS, WASHINGTON, D. C., PRICE 40 CENTS The Forest Survey is vital to the conduct of the war and to any plans for our postwar welfare. Intelligent land-use planning must be based upon reliable facts as to location, area, and con- dition of existing and prospective forest land, supply of timber and other forest products, forest depletion and forest growth, and production and consumption of forest products. This necessity for dependable and comprehensive data is now being met through the Nation-wide forest survey authorized by the McSweeney-McNary Forest Research Act of 1928. The Forest Service was directed by the Secretary of Agriculture to conduct the survey. ‘The rapidly changing conditions of our economic and social life since the second world war began have accentuated the need for publishing the facts already gathered and the conclusions to be drawn from them. The fivefold purpose of the Forest Survey is: (1) To make an inventory of forest land and timber supplies; (2) to ascertain the current and potential growth on forest areas; (3) to determine the drain upon the forests through cutting and through loss from fire, insects, disease, wind throw, and other causes; (4) to determine the present and prospective requirements of the United States for forest products; and (5) to analyze and correlate these findings with other economic data, as an aid in formulation of private and public policies for most effective and rational use of land suited to forest production. In each forest region of the United States the forest survey 1s conducted by the regional forest experiment station. ‘The survey of Oregon and Washington has been made by the Pacific Northwest Forest and Range Experiment Station, with headquarters at Portland, Oreg. The results of this investigation are published, as they become available, in a series o reports applying to large forest areas such as regions, States, units, and counties. It is expected that the information presented in these reports for large geographic units will facilitate more intensive studies of small areas. Naturally, the recommendations made are adapted to the long-time character of timber growing and presuppose normal peace- time conditions. Any that are out of line with war requirements are obviously in abey- ance for the present. | ain information on the supply of forest products, as of all raw materials, Raymonp D. GARVER, Director, Forest Survey. FOREST RESOURCES OF THE PONDEROSA PINE REGION Contents Survey findings in brief. Definitions and specifications General ; Standards of measurement Species classification . ; Type definitions and type mapping . Woodland types . Timberland types . Other classifications . Description of the region . Forest inventory . Types and areas. Nonforest land Conifer sawlog types . : Conifer saw-timber types less er sawlog size . Aer a airs Lodgepole pine and ether non- commercial conifer types Deforested lands. . Woodland and hardwood forests! Forest site quality Timber volume : Saw-timber volume . Economic availability . Cubic volume ; Ownership of forest resources. Private ownership . National-forest ownership Other Federal ownership Indian ownership . State ownership 6 Bh County and municipal ow nershie : Forest depletion . Cutting depletion. Sawlog drain. Fuel wood . lve} Uv & 72 Oo — 0 LSS) WwwWNnrRe orAunm fF fH W tw ine) PRP PR WO O wry NG ww wv Wb Ww NW oo 3S Forest depletion—Continued. Cutting depletion—Continued. Fence posts. : Other minor arecuets ; Insect depletion Fire depletion . National forests Other lands Summary of depletion. Assumed future depletion . Forest growth . Current annual Frowthe Mature stands . Immature stands . All commercial stands . Periodic growth . Potential annual growth current, future, and potential growth Effectiveness of past forest practice . Comparison of growth and drain . The current situation Comparison of potential prow ih ae depletion : Local trends in saw- Eabe erowth and Soe 5 Comparison — of probable Land use. Nonforest ae use . Forest land use. : Timber production . Grazing . ate ; Soil and watershed BFOLee On Recreation . Wildlife . Forest protection Insect protection . Ke Page 36 36 37 38 38 38 40 41 43 43 44 45 45 45 47 48 49 50 50: 50: 51 54 54 54 54 55 55. 56 56 Bi/ Sy/ Forest protection—Continued. Fire protection National forests . Other Federal lands . : State, county, and private lands . Forest industries . Logging . Sie Lumber manufacture . Sawmills . Lumber production and its reladion to installed sawmill capacity . Lumber transportation and mar- kets. Other manufactures . Forest management Selective timber management Basic principles . fara The maturity-selection system . Disadvantages in the system Slash disposal ‘The timber supply . : Relation of timber cut to tienen stocks. _ Sustained-yield capacity . The region as a whole . The situation within the units . Adequacy of the forest resource in rela- tion to production trend . The situation predicted for 1966. Allowable cut, 1966 . Conclusions . IV A summary of regional forest problems. Problems of supply and utilization Forestsprotection: 4 cia = 5 Forest management . Economic problems . Forest taxation . Financing long-time enterprises. Insurance for standing timber . Instability of markets for forest products . Conclusions . Literature cited . Appendix . Bane Methods in inventory phase Collection of existing information Checking and adjusting timber esti- mates Type mapping : Compilation and release of da Methods in depletion phase Cutting depletion . Fire depletion. 2 Methods in growth phase : Gross growth study in virgin sands. Methods of analysis . Making mortality estimates . Methods in requirements phase . Supplemental tables. Page HOR Saw RDS O wir CIS Ow Wiel ip 1D CO) Nps) 1d, IR ONS AY IR AL IND SSD En LO) Ay Survey Findings in Brief 22 > «“e HE amount, character, geographic distribution, and ownership of the forest resources of the ponderosa pine region of Washington and Oregon are of vital concern, not only to local residents, but also to the entire Nation. ‘These forests supply the principal local industries—the sawmills and woodwork- ing plants—with raw material. They contribute to the prosperity of farming and stock raising, the other major economic pursuits. Upon this foundation, towns, schools, banks, shops, transportation systems, and other institutions necessary to modern life have been created. Preservation of the regional economy on the present level rests upon a continuous flow of material and services from the forests at the current annual rate. This can be accomplished only through sustained-yield forest management, which in turn depends upon forest owners accepting the responsibilities that must inevitably accompany ownership of natural resources. It is not enough to know that this region has 22 million acres of forest land and 127 billion board feet of saw timber. To reap the full economic benefits of this resource a detailed understanding of how it can be made to contribute most to the welfare of the people is necessary. Based upon this understanding, plans for adoption of sustained yield must be formulated and effectuated immediately, to avoid wasteful migra- tion of industry and people that follows exhaustion of forest resources. A brief synopsis of the findings of the Forest Survey, as presented in detail in the following pages, is as follows:! 1. The ponderosa pine region of Oregon and Washington produces one-half of the total ponderosa pine lumber cut in the entire United States. 2. In 1939 this region produced 1.9 billion board feet of lumber, nearly nine-tenths of which was ponder- osa pine. 3. The major problem in the ponderosa pine region is to bring about a general shift to a light, maturity- selection cutting practice. ‘This will speed up transformation of old-growth stands to a net growth condi- tion and reduce the severity of inevitable curtailment of cut if present practices continue. 4. Locally the timber-supply situation is acute. The Klamath Plateau and Deschutes River units 1 Forest Survey progress releases on the ponderosa pine region issued by the Pacific Northwest Forest and Range Experi- ment Station previous to the publication of this major report are: (1) Forest statistics in separate form for Asotin, Chelan, Colum- bia, Ferry, Garfield, Kittitas, Klickitat, Okanogan, Walla Walla, and Yakima Counties, Wash., and Baker, Crook, Deschutes, Grant, Harney, Jefferson, Klamath, Lake, Morrow, Umatilla, Union, Wallowa, Wasco, and Wheeler Counties, Oreg. [Mimeo- graphed.} No report was issued for Malheur County, Oreg., or Lincoln, Douglas, and Whitman Counties, Wash., because of the small acreage of forest land involved and its relative unimportance in the counties’ economy. (2) Timber Volume and Type Acreage on the National Forests of the North Pacific Region. Forest Res. Notes No. 22. 1937. [Mimeographed.] (3) Forest Statistics for Eastern Oregon and Eastern Washington, Forest Res. Notes No. 25. 1938. [Mimeographed.] A summary of detailed and generalized forest-type areas, site quality, and timber volume. (4) Volume Distribution in Saw-Timber Types of the Ponderosa Pine Region. Forest Res. Notes No. 28. 1939. [Mimeographed.] (5) Forest Growth in the Ponderosa Pine Region of Oregon and Washington. Forest Surv. Rpt. 78. 1940. [Mimeographed.] (6) Detailed forest type maps of each of the above-listed 24 counties and for Douglas, Lincoln, and Whitman Counties, Wash., for which no reports were issued. Scale 1 inch equals 1 mile. Blue line print form. 1936. (7) State type maps—ponderosa pine region covered by eight sheets, NW Washington, SW Washington, NE Washington, SE Washington, NW Oregon, SW Oregon, NE Oregon, and SE Oregon. Scale 4 inch=1 mile. 1936-37. [Lithographed.] / 1 furnish approximately three-fifths of the region’s total lumber cut. Production in these two units must be reduced to about one-third of their present levels within three decades, if present trends continue. 5. Immediate adoption of sustained yield would mean drastic reductions in the cut of principal lumber- manufacturing centers. In spite of present sacrifice involved in reducing the cut now, the longer such reduction is postponed the greater will be the shock of eventual curtailment enforced by lack of merchantable raw material. ; 6. The forest industries are the only manufacturing industries of any importance in this region. 7. Forest lands of this region are valuable for many purposes other than timber production. These include furnishing summer range for the important livestock industry and the protection of watersheds which furnish water for irrigation of the most intensively farmed land in the region. 8. This region has 22.1 million acres of forest land, which is one-third of its total land area. Nearly three-fourths of the forest land is commercial conifer land. 9. A total of 13.4 million acres is occupied by stands of saw-timber size, of which 10.4 million acres or 78 percent supports ponderosa pine forests. 10. Second-growth conifers occupy 3.7 million acres, 43 percent well stocked, 42 percent medium stocked, and 15 percent poorly stocked. Only 0.3 million acres is totally deforested as a result of cutting or fire. 11. The region’s total saw-timber stand is 127.1 billion board feet, log scale, Scribner rule, of which 81.5 billion board feet or 64 percent is ponderosa pine. Next is Douglas-fir with 18.5 billion board feet, followed by western larch with 6.7 and white fir with 6.4 billion board feet. 12. Total cubic volume in trees 5 inches and larger in breast-high diameter is 30.8 billion cubic feet. Roughly 80 percent of this volume is in trees of saw-timber size. 13. Approximately half the region’s forest land and saw-timber volume is in national forests, about one-third is privately owned, and the remainder is in other public or Indian ownership. 14. Annual gross drain on saw-timber stands is 2.6 billion board feet. Approximately half results from cutting and half results from destruction by insects, fire, wind, and disease. 15. Approximately 1.1 billion board feet, or 87 percent of the total cutting depletion, was in the form of sawlogs. More than three-fourths of this was cut in Oregon. 16. Current annual gross growth is 1.1 billion board feet. Mortality from insects, wind throw, and disease is believed to offset growth in mature stands and a portion of growth in immature stands, thus reducing current annual net growth to 219 million board feet. 17. Ponderosa pine suffers 87 percent of total cutting depletion but provides only 48 percent of total current net growth; four-fifths of the drain is from trees 22 inches and larger, whereas only one-fifth of the total net growth is furnished by trees of these sizes. 18. Current growth can be increased by conversion of nongrowing mature forests to srowing condition. This can be done most effectively by selective timber management. ‘There is a dearth of saw-timber size growing stock. 19. Only one-third of the region total of ponderosa pine saw timber is in private ownership, but two- thirds of the drain on this species is from private timber. FOREST RESOURCES OF THE PONDEROSA PINE REGION Definitions and Specifications > General HE forest inventory included determination (1) of areas of the several types, by ownership class; (2) of areas of the even-aged immature conifer types, by age class and degrees of stocking, and uneven-aged immature conifer types, by de- grees of stocking of poles and reproduction com- bined; (3) a classification of forest areas according to site quality; and (4) computation of the volume of the present timber stands, including residual stands on cut-over lands, by species and owner- ship class. For convenience and facility of analysis and discussion, the region was arbitrarily divided into 6 units. So far as was practical the units were delimited so as to be homogeneous in economic influence and industrial condition. Maps and timber-volume information were obtained by com- piling and field-checking existing data available from public or private cruises, maps, and reports, and making a field examination of all forest land not covered by office data (fig. 1). The extent and character of the annual drain on the forest capital was obtained by compiling, and checking in the field when necessary, existing records of cutting, insect, and fire loss, and of wind throw. These data were analyzed for past and present rates of depletion and future trends. Information on present and future forest growth was obtained through application of growth and yield rates available from previous studies to in- ventory figures of the immature forests. Data for the mature forests were obtained from field examination. Unless otherwise indicated, all board-foot vol- umes are in terms of Scribner Decimal C log scale, hereafter referred to as Scribner rule. A complete account of field and office survey methods is contained in the Appendix. Standards of Measurement Timber volume estimates made according to fixed, recorded specifications can be correlated with estimates for other regions, can be adjusted to meet changed economic conditions if desired, and are stable. Standards were adopted that conformed, as far as was practical, with current utilization practice. Estimates of timber volume were made in board feet, log scale, according to the Scribner rule, and in cubic feet. The board-foot estimates included only the stems of living trees that would make at least one log conforming to these specifications: Conifers 16 feet long, 8 inches in diameter inside bark at small end. Hardwoods 8 feet long, 10 inches in diameter inside bark at small end. Practically, this means making the 12-inch diam- eter class (11.1 to 13.0 inches d. b. h.?) the mini- mum specification for both conifers and hardwoods. Allowance was made in the volume estimates for decay, defects, and such breakage as is inevitable in logging. In other words, the estimates are for the net volume usable in saw-timber operations under good utilization practices. The standards of utilization employed in the survey are undoubtedly slightly more intensive for the more valuable species, and considerably so for the less-valuable species, than the current average utilization practice of saw-timber operators, owing chiefly to the inclusion of trees as small as the 12-inch diameter class. The volume tables used in the forest survey estimated mature trees to a usable top, and consequently survey estimates of saw-tim- ber volume would closely approximate for a given area the total amount removable by an average operation. 2“T). b. h.”’ signifies diameter at breast height (4% feet above average ground level), outside bark unless otherwise specified. eae eran Seren Nee $ (eae ic: eee Sees Lee S Sec Lae a> re st ee Se ee oe te ee ere eS Cubic-foot volume was computed for the sound- wood content of stems only, from stump to 4-inch tip inside bark, limbwood and bark excluded, of all trees of or above the 6-inch (5.1 to 7.0 inches) diameter class. The estimates cover all timber areas, including farm woods, outside the platted limits of munici- palities. Differences between present estimates and previous estimates for given areas are due princi- pally to depletion which has taken place between the time the two estimates were made and to differ- ences between present and previous cruises as to standards and as to completeness, and in some instances to insect losses that occurred subsequent to the date of early cruises. Spectres Classification An estimate of total volume of living timber was made and recorded separately for every species that usually attains saw-timber size and character and that was present in commercial types in quantity measurable according to survey standards. In some cases estimates were combined for pairs of species having similar dendrological characteristics. Western juniper and some hardwoods do not usually attain saw-timber size in the ponderosa pine region. Although not included in the board-foot volume estimates, these species are included in the cubic- volume estimates. The species for which volume was recorded are given in the following list. “The nomenclature used is that approved by the Forest Service (77),° as amended in a few cases by recent Forest Service decisions. Species bracketed were recorded as one. CONIFERS Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) Sugar pine (P. lambertiana) Western. white pine (P. monticola) Lodgepole pine (P. contorta latifolia) Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga taxifolia) Western redcedar (Thuja plicata) Alaska yellow-cedar (Chamaecyparis nootkatensis) California incense-cedar (Librocedrus decurrens) Western hemlock (7suga heterophylla) Mountain hemlock (7. mertensiana) Grand fir (Abies grandis) Ree fir (A. concolor) Noble fir (A. nobilis) fee red fir (A. magnifica shastensis) 3 Italic numbers in parentheses refer to Literature Cited, p. 84. Pacific silver fir (A. amabilis) Alpine fir (A. lastocarpa) { Western larch (Larix occidentalis) |Alpine larch (L. lyalli) Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmanni) Sierra juniper (Juniperus occidentalis) BROADLEAF TREES Red alder (Alnus rubra) Bigleaf maple (Acer macrophyllum) {Northern black cottonwood (Populus trichocarpa hastata) | Narrowleaf cottonwood (P. angustifolia) Golden aspen (P. tremuloides aurea) Type Definitions and Type Mapping The definition of forest-cover and land-use types for an area as large and varied geographically as the ponderosa pine region was a difficult problem. Each type used in the survey had to have some significance in forest management. Types had to be within practical limits in number, and defini- tions had to be such that types could be determined from office records such as timber cruises and could easily be recognized in the field and sketched on field maps. Even in the primeval forests many species associations occur and fire, cutting, and land settlement make conditions more complex. However, by employing as a base a type scheme already in use by the Forest Service for intensive surveys, a scheme was devised that has been proved to be satisfactory. The forest-cover types recognized in the forest survey of the ponderosa pine region are as follows: Woodland Types No. 4. Oak: A stand containing approximately 60 percent or more of one or more species of oak. No separation of age classes. Nos. 5A and 5B. Juniper: A stand composed principally of juniper, often with more or less mountain mahogany. Not so classified: Land where the trees are so scattered that they occupy less than about 5 percent of the ground surface. The two juniper types are classed by size and den- sity; in the dense type (5A) the juniper trees are so large or numerous that they occupy 10 percent or more of the land area; in the scattered type (5B) they are so small or scattered as to occupy between 5 and 10 percent. No. 5%. Ponderosa pine woodland: A border- line zone, with solitary trees, or groups of trees too small to map separately, in which mature F320940 Figure 1.—Forest survey field man mapping pine woodland on the desert’s edge. The open areas of sagebrush and other shrubs with clusters of pine trees in the draws are typical of the woodland type of ponderosa pine. ponderosa pine is the predominating tree; char- acteristic of the fringes of the desert and of the breaks between timbered plateaus and _ treeless canyons, where the area of grass or sagebrush may be as great as the area of timber, or greater; merging at its upper boundary with timberland types and at its lower limit with open land. The trees are not necessarily noncommercial, but vol- ume per acre is ordinarily less than 3,000 feet. Immature types are not included. Timberland Types Nos. 6, 7, 8, 9A, 9B, and 10. Douglas-fir: These are forests containing approximately 60. percent or more by volume of Douglass-fir. The six types, differentiated by the size class into which most of the volume falls or, in the case of the two smallest sizes, the diameter class of most of the dominant trees, are large old growth (6), 40 inches d. b. h. and more; small old growth (7), 22 to 40 inches; large second growth (8), 22 to 40 inches (coarse-grained timber yielding only a small percent of the upper grades of lumber); large poles (9A), 12 to 20 inches; small poles (9B), 6 to 10 inches; seedlings and saplings (10), less than 6 inches d. b. h. Nos. 17, 19A, and 19B. Western redcedar: These forests, largely confined to swamps and stream margins on the national forests of eastern Washington, contain approximately 40 percent or more by volume of western redcedar. The three types are classified by size class of most of the volume or, in 19B, of the dominant trees, as follows: Large (17), more than 24 inches d. b. h.; poles (19A), 12 to 24 inches; seedlings and sap- lings (19B), less than 12 inches. Nos. 20, 20%, 20A, 21, and 22. Ponderosa pine: These are forests containing approximately 50 percent or more by volume of ponderosa pine, sugar pine, or Jeffrey pine, or any combination of these species (except those in which sugar pine attains 20 percent and becomes the key tree); stands are continuous in contrast to the more Ma. Me art 4 oO oe Ee so ee eS 1 LD FOREST RESOURCES OF THE PONDEROSA PINE REGION Description of the Region OR the purposes of the survey, the ponder- osa pine region of Oregon and Washington is defined as that part east of the summit of the Cascade Range (fig. 2), exclusive of Pend Oreille, Stevens, and Spokane Counties in north- eastern Washington, which are principally western white pine type. Jackson and Josephine Counties, Oreg., already inventoried as part of the Douglas- fir region (7), are also excluded, although con- taining extensive ponderosa pine forests. The region thus defined extends 480 miles from north to south and varies in width from 200 to 275 miles. It includes 65.5 million acres, of which approxi- mately 22.1 million acres (table 1), or one-third, is forest land and 43.4 million acres is farm, graz- ing, and nonforested wild land. Because the Cascade Range acts as a barrier to moisture-laden winds from the Pacific Ocean, extensive areas in eastern Oregon and eastern Washington have in- sufficient precipitation and are treeless. The “dry” timber line, the elevation below which forests cease to grow because of lack of moisture, Taste 1.—Summary of forest land areas in the ponderosa pine region, 1936 Noncommercial forest land conuner ee ehieny, cia ith- | valuable State forest | drawn for pur- | Total land! | from poses Total timber | other use 2 than | timber 1,000 acres 1,000 acres\1,000 acres\1,000 acres|1,000 acres Oregons s222 seesc: 10, 030. 5 | 147.9 | 3,906.9 4, 054. 8 14, 085. 3 Washington_______ 5, 818.8 170. 4 2, 011.6 2, 182.0 8, 000. 8 Total__._____| 15, 849.3 318.3 5, 918. 5 6, 236. 8 22, 086. 1 1 Land capable of producing timber of commercial quantity and qual- ity, and available now or prospectively for commercial use. 3 Commercially valuable land. Ke ranges from about 1,500 feet in northern Wash- ington to about 4,000 to 5,000 feet in southern Oregon. The ‘‘cold” timber line, the elevation at which temperature and shortness of growing season limit tree growth, ranges from about 6,000 feet in northern Washington to 8,000 feet in southern Oregon. On the Steens Mountains in southeastern Oregon the lower limit of tree growth is much higher and on a large part of this area the aridity is so intense and growing season so short that the dry and cold timber lines meet. Generally speaking, the forests are confined to the mountainous districts, of which there are three: (1) The Cascade Range, extending the length of the region from north to south, including the Klamath Plateau as its southern extremity in Oregon; (2) the Blue Mountains, including the Wallowa Mountains in northeastern Oregon and projecting a short distance into southeastern Washington; and (3) the Colville Mountains, an extension of the Rocky Mountains in north- eastern Washington. The forests of this region are almost entirely conifer, hardwoods seldom occurring. Ponderosa pine predominates over a very large part of the region and forms extensive pure stands (fig. 3). Important associates are Douglas-fir, western larch, white fir, lodgepole pine, sugar pine, and California incense-cedar. Ponderosa pine forms pure stands at the lower elevations. As elevation increases other species enter the stand until the pine forests give way to mixed conifer stands. In the northern part of the region ponderosa pine stands form a smaller proportion of the forest than in the southern part. On the colder, moister, upper slopes, Pacific silver fir, noble fir, Shasta red fir, Engelmann spruce, alpine fir, mountain hem- lock, and western white pine commonly form J j PEND | [ OREILLE q | | c | L | STEVENS (ISLANDS - — - —-—-—.—_. IX q Q | 4 4 QAR bee Coy ONIis tpl eeeas CHELAN CHELAN- COLVILLE ~, ZEN ) o0uGLas f l SPOKANE LINCOLN | Me Sigs iat aye eee ee ( aN NG AIO. i 2 ADAMS WHITMAN \\ — = { PACIFIC Hees se ae \| CIFI LEWIS 3 =~ x ] UNIT 2 FRANKLIN _- | as GARFIELD | {| eee Lees a YAKIMA ; | cae Ly \\\ WAHKIAKUM aii Pinar og ga FER I ; \ a =SS | | YAK/MA Waa anes r es \ \ Stage | “WALLA WALLA’ lyasoriy i CLATSOP | si Uw SKAMANIA RR Sea eT a a TS | C3199 rn ae COLUMEIA\ §- : oe Sorta . CLARK | f A = a I j ; TILLAMOOK. % re ‘ OK? Beg ame | c= UMATILLA | ‘ WALLOWA {wasriucron: MULTNOMAH | L ; I MORROW Be 4 | Yt G/LLIAM | oes | el \ --— eal l C ‘ i aman S$ ¢ CLACKAMAS ran S LINCOLN, eS) oe. ¢ JEFFERSON J ! LINN Saat are Car UNIT~4 ~ DESCHUTES RIVER | CROOK la ee) aes I pert eetioes as DESCHUTES Seay Tae SOUTH BLUE| MOUNTAIN MALHEUR HARNEY LAKE ___UNIT 6 KLAMATH | PLATEAU KLAMATH | | | | | ah, me pas : . : : FIGURE 2. Map of ashington and Oregon showing region, survey-unit, and county boundaries mixed forests, sometimes of only two species but usually more. Douglas-fir, western larch, white fir, and lodgepole pine also occur in these mixed forests. At a few low points along the Cascade Range summit, where moisture conditions are favorable, Douglas-fir, western redcedar, and western hemlock form stands similar to those west of the summit. Extensive pure stands of lodge- Figure 3.—Stand of virgin ponderosa pine, composed of trees averaging 36 inches to 40 inches d. b. h. This is the most extensive and important forest type in the ponderosa pine region of Oregon and Washington. (321058) pole pine are usually at higher elevations, often occupying old burns originally held by other conifers. Sierra juniper forms extensive stands on the drier sites, below elevations at which ponderosa pine occurs. In central Oregon more than 650,000 acres are occupied by practically continuous juni- per stands. if @ Ri, Say I we SS @ Wa @i 1s, © 18 THE PyOrN DOE ROSA SPINE REGION Forest Inventory >>> N important factor immediately apparent from A the inventory phase of the forest survey is that the distance from seaports and markets and lack of navigable waterways (figs. 4 and 5), together with the numerous light stands which necessitate extended log transportation systems, have unquestionably retarded utilization of the forest resources. On the other hand, lumbering has been furthered by the intrinsic value of ponderosa pine and the favorable topography for logging. Lumbering has been carried on in parts of this region for half a century or more, but it has been conducted on a large scale only for the past two or three decades. Extensive stands of virgin timber remain, most of them in public ownership, but a large part are not now economically available. The forests of eastern Washington differ consider- ably in composition and character from those of eastern Oregon. (See forest type maps of the six survey units of the ponderosa pine region at end of this publication.) That part of the Chelan-Colville unit east and north of the Okanogan River occupies the slopes and hills of the Colville Mountains. This unit has large stands of virgin timber in which little cutting has taken place, chiefly because of inaccessi- bility and poor quality of the timber. In the south, ponderosa pine predominates; in the north, western larch, balsam firs, Engelmann spruce, and Douglas- fir are the chief species. The high ridges are occu- pied by lodgepole pine. This locality has had an unfortunate fire history; most of the larger burns have reforested, but in some instances lodgepole pine type has replaced the original type, usually upper slope. The east slope of the Cascade Range in northern Washington is extremely rugged and is character- 11 Ke ized by large areas of nonforest land and noncom- mercial forests. The larger valleys and foothills support commercial timber, chiefly ponderosa pine. Farther south the Cascade Range becomes less rugged and the proportion of ponderosa pine in- creases and the quality improves. Some of the finest ponderosa pine stands in the region grow in Klickitat County, the most southerly county in eastern Washington. In Oregon the east slope of the Cascade Range is a high plateau surmounted by an occasional vol- canic peak or butte. As a consequence the pon- derosa pine zone extends from the dry timber line to within a few miles of the summit. Along the sum- mit is a belt of upper-slope and lodgepole pine types which seldom exceeds 6 miles in width. Sur- rounding the high peaks are subalpine forests. In Oregon this zone varies in width from 10 to 15 miles on the north to as much as 75 miles on the broad Klamath Plateau on the south. Extensive areas of cut-over land supporting second-growth pine are found from Bend south to the California line. The Blue Mountains, which except for several hundred square miles are entirely in eastern Ore- gon, have a greater variety of forest conditions than the east slopes of the Cascade Range. In the southern and western parts ponderosa pine forms the characteristic type. In the eastern and north- ern parts the mountains are higher and more rugged, the ponderosa pine is restricted to the val- leys and foothills, and mixed types predominate. Large areas of lodgepole pine and subalpine types occur at the higher elevations of the Blue and Wallowa Mountain Ranges. Farm land is generally limited to the nonforest zone except tor grazing land. ANS = ‘Hy ( WX Al NS NS Sa a e ae ; SONG S eae ( : ss ‘ W 1 Nae | aes | N a | E ‘) | | l — ee | OfQUALN Mh om : SS) | Vd iy 4 _ Pullman © $ a, fa —< : a he Sor CoRivel LOS : / a Yakima © oS ) y er oS | A Clarkston J Toppenish | Ao: Z One 2 \ COLUMBIA g : NATL. = | A ae -_—— - — . saul ome comms FOR Goldendal A | oldendale °° ‘o) COLUMBL)« « bene ie oo —* Ficure 4.—Principal drainages, national forests, and principal cities of eastern Washington. Types and Areas The area of commercial forest land is character- ized by a large proportion of old growth and a small acreage deforested (table 2). The areas of the individual forest-cover types recognized in the survey are given in table 3 by ownership class and summarized. Table 4 presents type areas by forest-survey units. The national forests include the largest area of pine saw timber and also the largest area of noncommercial land (fig. 6). 12 Tas LE 2.—Summary of commercial forest land areas Saw-timber areas All other Defor- | State Bia ; second ested | Total Seconc n Ss areas 1 growth | growth Total | growth 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 acres acres acres acres acres acres Oregon__-___- 7, 842.6 729.9) 8,572.5) 1, 245.0 213.0) 10, 030.5 Washington__| 3, 803.5 778.6) 4,582.1) 1, 062. 4 174.3) 5, 818.8 Total___| 11, 646.1] 1,508.5} 13, 154.6] 2,307.4 387. 3) 15, 849.3 1 Includes 131,700 acres temporarily noncommercial. Nea . iT nm coiunel Gales ip MORE \\N; \Sie cy Y “p Y yy, 4 H F | ROGUE RIVER 4 Spec WAFL. FOREST ( Abert Uy Upper YY tas Vy Ly Klamath | goth & Falls OLokeview 2 fi as D a 2 me oe a RN oe meer oe AMATI WS) \S f | D Enterprise AN BS US 4 No art NATIONAL ¢ | SS IWS ( Zp ee Ficure 5.—Principal drainages, national forests, and principal cities of eastern Oregon. Nonforest Land No attempt was made to classify the nonforest land into barrens, agricultural, and nonforest land other than agricultural. In the first place, by far the greater part of the farm land is in the territory that was originally treeless and farm and forest are not intermingled as they are west of the Cascade Range. Very little forest land has been cleared for agriculture and there is little likelihood of any significant land clearing in the immediate future. Grazing of forest land and intermingled open 462119°—_42——2 grassland is a common practice. Over most of the region it is seasonal. Conifer Sawlog Types The ponderosa pine sawlog types occupy 10.4 million acres or 64 percent of the region’s com- mercial conifer land; other conifer sawlog types total 3.0 million acres or 19 percent. The average volume per acre of the saw-timber types in eastern Oregon (table 5) is 10 M board feet and in eastern Washington (table 6) is 8.2 M board feet. VIRGIN PONDEROSA PINE TYPES Forest exploitation has been concentrated in Tasie 3.—Area of all forest types in the ponderosa pine region, by ownership class, 1936 INDIVIDUAL TYPES State Federally owned or managed Public domain National forest Type definition ! and No. Private| AVail- Re-_ | County Tee Re- ‘ ee Total able | served pal _ |vested ., | Rail- |served LOT ee om Indian | "jana | Avail- | road | from | 4 ¥,j) | Re- cut- | cutting grants| 2ble | selec- | cut- | aije for | Served ting for tion | ting ? einer from cutting pend- cutting ing 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 | 1,000 | 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 | 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 ‘Woodland: acres | acres | acres acres | acres | acres | acres | acres | acres | acres acres acres acres Oak) ioe. eae Seta ee Se Sa Fe 50. 9 a Oel| a enateNe NN 2.1| 0.5 4.1 0.4 835 ig | geet | roe pales inert ac 66. 4 Dense juniper (or mountain mahogany) (BAY Ee Se eg = CNB ei eonant Bee 127.1 8.3 (3) 30.8 zat LO" bres DAT STs |e enolase | Eee 4.'80\ eee 419. 2 Seattered juniper (or mountain ma- f hogany,))\(61B) Eats wee se ae 438. 4 30. 1 0.1 47.4 o2, 17.9 5 521.2 OF 22 |e GIs 35 | Saas 1,117.3 Scattered ponderosa pine (54) __---____- 336.3 | 26.5 (3) 13.1 ale) Banke t pal 1.5 80.3 TOs) eee 224.7 0.1 819.7 Ponderosa pine: Warge(20) Lown ae CUI Ail ee acta 10.7 Bt 305. 8 6.1 14.5 12.6 1.6 731.3 11.6 | 1, 486.1 Pure, large (201%) : 133. 5 eal 32.3 4 982. 3 4.5 82.9 24.3 5.6 | 2,610.3 12.3 | 5,973.2 Ponderosa pine-sugar pine, large (20A)__- nS ey An ice Send Weenie eee Er 9.8 at eae eae tieel eae dove bess esses Wehner 30.1 Siva} (D1) Weir he, See rE ve ae tee 509.8] 28.0] (3) 19.6 | .1]| 328.3 4 14.9 1.5 SSh aeesI 350 .3 | 1,216.2 Seedlings and saplings (22) _._._____-___- 775.9 | 23.6 (3) 21.9 | 1.0 41.8 4.0 24.5 .6 wal 252. 6 -4] 1,146.4 Ponderosa pine mixture: argen(27)) sss oe ea es ee ee 194.5 a tyes ecco 8.2 -6 135. 5 3.8 7.2 4.9 1.5 455. 5 10. 4 838.8 MS ra end (28) ire Nea a I ECE 159.3 GAO SM uae 6.0 a) SHEE Bae aca 4.3 Fin | eens 57. 4 aiff 266. 4 Sugar pine mixture, large (20B) ____-________ 23.6 Oi retest ue Oar eye +2 As Gia (il seta ence: | enna (3) 6.277 eseeeee 35.7 Douglas-fir: Large old growth (6) -------------------- 11 ¢C) Yorr (PS AR say ig aM gy Waal ao a aa 0) ae eet a i (epee ae 3.6 13 6.7 Small:olderowth.(7)'s-22 =i ee 88.8 ASA Ok |e Da | arene 211 3.7 2.9 8.6 eal 198. 5 11.2 356. 3 Large second growth (8)__--------------- ABB | 16/62 Bide eae L707 see oe 14 Dil tieer ae 56. 3 8 146. 4 Tuarge poles (QA) ssn aes a ae 34.8 Bylaa prea weroa ry A ees CNG ell Ramee ed 3.1 75 | ene 94. 4 .3 147.6 SmallpolesiQ@B) fie a eee ee 29. 8 Sey el feats DO | eae eB | eras 3.6 2508 eee 73.7 25 115.7 Seedlings and saplings (10) --_-_--_------- 25.6 is bea) Ri earn O19; | eae 1.2 (3) ay, 2.6 (3) 231 Dea 60.6 Western redcedar: Mareet (iy e sors LOCOS Sees SUE Oa HNL Ms Qa leave A [OR ear eal | Caan aN Ay [Nice ela He acinar SA Soa a (3) alts See 1.8 a 3.4 PROleSi(LQIA 2a ccna Se | Ce Se Tae Ud i ne aes | ath heLanw aaron eee -cs cee | Pepe a [IR xa | Een Bb lies eens oS wl Seedlings ‘and’saplings' (1915) :s ia 23 efi ROS Ta ita aT Rares ee all aes oceans [AE sia MES enrol ea aati hewn pb peers oo wl Fir-mountain hemlock: Marge (2a) Lele eos Sed kaw he eee 40.8 BRE) Ud eal ee ws Ya ee 30.9 5.5 1D 25. 0 43.7 403. 1 60. 8 611.4 SMale(Qaywe Goes Dla aeons bas Se ee 12.1 rfl Eig fetes aos VA se ecce e ca 11.6 a) aa 6.3 1.0 66. 0 6.9 105.0 Upper-slope mixture: arges(2 734) eso et ee eee 200. 1 4525p |e ieee a 10.9 6 LOSES ie es 10.7 14 Bis) ores ee 1, 139. 2 99.7 | 1,629.5 Small (2804) =o == See es eee eee 113. 4 AUG (3) pgp ese 4.3 .2 72. 3 ae 3.9 fats} | Seas 405. 5 32.3 653. 3 White fir: Tare ek(29) ies aes Fae ee eee 26.4 NON Seen A(t ys) posal 3.5 1.2 15 4 ath 84.1 3 118. 2 DIMA SO) sa ewe Ne ee a eee see, YJ be Kee eae CTIA Cer NP) al (ie eae an al etaeacroE (BG) Ee | Sasser (3) PA AM Me 4.5 Lodgepole pine’ Barge: (25) oe eae ee a 7.3 1 ey fal Ate, SD Mts a ap Bh are Ap} ath 4.8 61.5 4.1 84.6 IMiedium 1(26) 200 Loe oes Soe eee ene 199. 0 Ole Din mse 6.6 wl 184. 0 159 53.3 1.9 45.0 | 1,020.1 47.2 | 1,596.6 Smalli(QGiAj iz) = 2 Bre ae See See 40. 1 Qu Salsa ane 1.6 (3) SONG | ese 5.0 14 3.0 308. 2 44.7 463.9 Hardwoods: Waree: (3114) ise eee ee aan ea ee 14.3 BL alate oe (3) Or ae [eee oe a} @)eaeses Os | eae eee 18.7 Srna lu(3 il) essen rene rae eae ea Nas 1.1 HOM ene es (3) Hai ect 2.8 Ba bi eee 5782 |p 21.2 Sibalpines(33) s2:2.3 252 se es 36.9 OES, | aR UR Ae es 262335i| ase 2s 4.4 49.9 24. 4 755. 2 316.7 | 1, 223.3 Nonrestocked cut-overs: Cut 1920'or later (835A). 02222 ey 65.0 1/0; | lene Dure\ asta aDulaqond 1.3 Sa eaten: 8.4] (3) 81 Cutibefore-1920: (35) 2222 so es 8.5 AS he restueiy ria Ke Peles pol yieeseote BOR ip ee cee [ane eros LEGG | Sse ee 10. Deforested area: Deforested burn (37) 33.6 BAO ose Bu Ou|Ee= 22 25. 4 2.0 9.3 4.0 iBul 75.6 ead 171.1 Insect-killed (87B) ---------- I iodoH pte be ea Pils eats Peale ater e Pediat ipa Ae TISS | he ape Bl eae ad she [ease e a 1.0 Noncommercial rocky area (38)_..--.-------- S98 Ci da] fap es 5.9 +2 62.3 2.6 63.4 | 27.8 12. 656. 2 65.3 | 1,039.0 VATS GY DCS 228 eine Sete TaN 6, 222.1 | 526.7 .2 245.6 4.7 |2, 624. 1 47.5 |1, 167.2 | 203.8 | 134.1 10, 173. 2 736.9 |22, 086. 1 See footnotes at end of table. 14 Tape 3.—Area of all forest types in the ponderosa pine region, by ownership class, 1936—Continued GENERALIZED TYPES a State Federally owned or managed Public domain National forest F Mu- ee —— Type definition and No. Private Avail: Hie County nich, ier Rail- een Total FOCI Ineo pal | tmdian |Y°StC | Avail- | road | from ; Re- from land z Avail- cut- cuttin aris able | selec- | cut- ableton served ting 8 8 for_| tion | ting | Cnttine | from cutting pend- 8 cutting ing 1,000 | 1,000 | 1,000 | 1,000 |1,000\ 1,000 | 1,000} 1,000 | 1,000 | 1,000 | 1,000 | 1,000 | 1,000 acres | acres | acres acres | acres| acres | acres | acres | acres | acres acres acres acres Wioodlandi(G oss andiob) pease see 616.4 | 41.7 0.1 80.3 | 0.8 23.0 0.9 | 771.3 ON] | beeen 6882) | eee eee 1, 602.9 Mandwrood! (olkan dia lity) mae se ena ee ee 25. 4 oil ee areca (3) En | sae ee Ce Byala 3.0 alae GS/s | rete eas 39.9 Conifer saw timber, ponderosa and sugar _ pine (51%, 20, 2014, 20A, 20B, 21, and 27) -_-/3, 510.7 | 247.0 al 83.9 1.3 |1, 898.0 21.8 199. 8 44.3 9.0 | 4, 349. 2 34.7 |10, 399.8 Conifer second-growth, ponderosa pine (22 and 28): ‘Onicut-ov CrialeaS ses see eee eee ae 832. 0 24.1 (3) 24.7 .8 41.3 4.0 17.2 Abs: | Poa 188.9 Gil iP babRyEC! Oniuncuiiancesisaeea se ae eee aa 103. 2 Ds Ol | eee 3.2 St 31.9 (3) 11.6 eal pil 121.1 1.0 279.4 Mota leases Sao ee abs eS 2 Deke 935. 2 29. 6 (3) 27.9 1.5 73. 2 4.0 28.8 1.4 pil 310.0 1.1 | 1,412.8 Conifer saw timber (6, 7, 8, 9A, 17, 19A, 23, ZTE ENG 20) eed = es See ae a Sasa 441. 4 8589 | eee 235 6 185, 4 11.0 18.8 52.6 44.5 | 1,981.1 174.6 | 3,019.6 Conifer second growth (9B, 10, 19B, 24, 28!, and 30): Onicut-over sreasa4nae-) seca ae 92.7 Bhi | eee EEG) ese Me Nees PRG uee ss (3) 145 OF) beeen! 120. 4 Oniineu areas Ae ae 90. 3 1G) Bae es ee 3.2 oy 85. 2 .9 5.6 19.3 1.0 556. 6 40.8 818.9 otal kes eee — Seen Baa ON eee 183. 0 LOSS i | See es 8.7 a7 86.9 .9 8.4 19.3 1.0 570. 6 40.8 939. 3 Lodgepole pine, large (25)-_-__---__-_______- TAS ester 74| evenness ov) accuse Angle ieee: 2 Balas 61.5] > 4.1 84.6 Lodgepole pine, medium and small (26 and : DEAS) meee es no oe 8 te haa 239. 1 AGSSh|oneae 8.2 oul 234. 6 1.9 58.3 3.3 48.0 | 1,328.3 91.9 | 2,060.5 Noncommercial (33 and 38)___._______----___ 156. 3 CBee ieee 6.3 w2 88.6 2.6 67.8 77.7 25.6 | 1,411.4 382.0 | 2, 262.3 Nonrestocked cut-overs and _ deforested areas (35A, 35B, 37, and 37B)__-____-_____- 107.3 LORS) See see ideal earn 26.0 4.4 10.8 4.2 i5at 86. 2 Went 264.4 PATS V DOS, Seeee sles Snes Lhe 6, 222.1 | 526.7 72 245. 6 4.7 |2, 624. 1 47.5 |1, 167.2 | 203.8 | 134.1 |10, 173. 2 736.9 |22, 086.1 1 For description of types, see p. 4. 2 Crater Lake National Park and Upper Klamath Wildlife Refuge. 3 Less than 50 acres. 4 Original stand removed by agencies other than cutting. TasLe 4.—Area of all forest types in the ponderosa pine region, by State and forest-survey unit, 1936 Eastern Washington 2 Eastern Oregon Type definition | and No. ; North North | j,s. | South Hesien Chelan- | Yakima | Blue Total Blue chiites Blue | Klamath} jp 44} Colville River Moun- Moun- River Moun- | Plateau tain tain tain 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 Woodland: acres acres acres acres acres acres acres acres acres acres OR (4) eS SAS cE rep eee Fe eis | nee eT BOS 2h ae med SON =azrisseee Bo; Oul ee eacuinees 0.6 36. 2 66.4 Dense juniper (or mountain mahogany) (GIA) Bestseee IS Ne Seer renee a etal Obs Sap aed Wp esl | Ae Oe BY bee mate 0.1 313.6 19.6 85.9 419. 2 419. 2 Seattered juniper (or mountain mahog- ANY) UB) sa eset a NY Tea Bai Neaicorniatt OU | Miter dean 363 8 575.7 311.6 228.9] 1,117.0] 1,117.3 Scattered ponderosa pine (514) eee ey ae 275.8 49.1 9.2 334.1 50. 7 12285) 218.5 93.9 485.6 819.7 Ponderosa pine: Taree (20) sos cette eee ate ek eee uel 406, 7 204.9 27.9 639. 5 280. 9 195.9 208. 4 161.4 846.6 1, 486.1 Pure; large (20)5) 22 oe aera eens 661.5 481.8 36.7 | 1,180.0 469. 2 975.0] 1,551.8 | 1,797.2] 4,793.2] 5,973.2 Ponderosa‘ pine-sugar-pine; large (20:4) ol Sse ae | aR eS |e a ee IS es ae es Sh 28.7 30.1 30.1 Sim al (21) es Sear steerer ee 323. 5 207.7 5.0 536. 2 159. 6 100. 6 156.0 263.8 680. 0 1, 216. 2 Seedlings and saplings (22)____________- p 192.1 134. 2 2155 353. 8 164.5 230.9 226. 0 171.2 792.6 1, 146. 4 Ponderosa pine mixture: BES eV 0-7/) Jame ane Gp gab erry Suein S = UNE 233.9 139. 6 15.7 389. 2 202. 7 78.0 109. 1 59.8 449. 6 838.8 Smalli(28) 2 ke he rs ee sen? 58. 0. 32.1 29.3 11954 109.3 19.5 72 1.0 147.0 266. 4 Sugar: pine mixture; lar ceu(2OB)) sree eee ea | eee em ce mee een |e ea mene | ON Ne | aie Sc oth sla nee ee BLA 35. 7 35. 7 Douglas-fir: Large:old’ growth (6) 22 ss =e = eh Pee 1.0 DAO Fp eeseeitl tyes | Eur Seas oeeala | a melon nal vel 5.7 527, 6.7 Small old growth (7)__-___- 153.1 143.1 296. 2 1.0 24.9 6.1 28.1 60. 1 356. 3 Large second growth (8)_._-.-_-.--------- 65.4 64.1 woes 129. 5 14.4 2 PEER Ye ica sites eae, 16.9 146. 4 aree-poles (QA) a2 nee ea era 93.5 20. 4 = ree 13:9 30, 2 12 2.2 ph 33.7 147.6 Smiall“poles: (9B) 2-22 25s es eee 53. 1 25. 5 1.0 79.6 27.4 3.7 4.8 ey 36. 1 1 5390 Seedlings and saplings (10)__-_-__________ 26.6 26.8 it 53.5 3.6 ali 1.9 .9 Welt 60.6 Western redcedar: Darge(17,) sce he eae See Te Bae Pee ee 252 ALE (Q))| Dates ee 3.2 3.4 POs (9 :Ay) ase ei ts oe ae 8 ee SOLON She Seiten Be Bal pal Seedlings and saplings (19B)__-__________ By Ibe! Essie Lo mci erty eat Bal Fir-mountain hemlock: Targes(23) ete cesar Myles Pe edie ee 69. 0 AOD (D7 ees ee eee OVS 2) os oer ae 2820 x | ates en 222. 2 350. 2 611.4 Smal (24) See eee ae ee SU 18.8 55. 0 As2 Ton Ouile we NOt ISHQ) | se aia: 1b bea 30. 0 105. 0 Upper-slope mixture: Large (274%) Ue Se ee ies Sie 2 eae 493.0 | 265. 7 62.8 821.5 403. 6 51.0 346.7 6.7 808. 0 1, 629. 5 Small (28%) ENS ON ey SEL te SS eA ree 261.4 87.2 59, 2 407.8 203. 1 23.0 19, 1 ae) 245.5 653.3 White fir: Marge/(29) so ee ea Re ee pre 6 3.2 10. 1 13.9 64.1 tal 15.4 17.7 104.3 118. 2 Smialli(B0) stesse Ses ee eae aaa 9 uigat 1.4 Ya] 1.9 3.4 4.5 Lodgepole pine: Teargey (25) pcos ate Gas eet ee 9.8 Ty foo 2 em aa 27.0 -8 6.3 23. 50. 2 57.6 84.6 Mie Girvan (26) se Se ee, aha pe 229.5 36. 0 6.2 271.7 135.7 332. 7 105. 6 750.9 1, 324.9 1, 595. 6 Sm alli(26 A) eS Se see Sa ee 210. 2 10.7 1.9 222.8 86.3 38.6 62.4 53.8 241.1 463.9 Hardwoods: Toarges(319) sce ee erase wt oe re 2.9 8.5 .4 11.8 3.1 7 2.6 5 6.9 18.7 Smialle(3i) sieew ee Ne Se ae 4.1 2.8 ae, fo a2 laid 6.5 14.1 21.2 Subalpine:(83) 22 na er ee 679. 0 115.4 1375 807.9 150.1 52.6 121.6 91.1 415.4 1, 223. 3. Nonrestoked cut-overs: G@uta920:orlater (SoA) a2 eee tes 9.1 14 ONS cee 24.0 5.4 10.6 3.3 38. 2 57.5 81.5 Cut: before 1920) (85B) "2242 8 A i PRR et 3. 2 1.5 Bal IND: 3.6 Ubu 10.9 Deforested area: Deforested burn (37) __----_-- Pee as 61.5 24.8 IBY 88.0 5.2 26.5 8.5 42.9 83.1 av Ale al Insect-kille dii(3 7B) esse 3 se ee ee rte See ens | ee S| ie a | ee Fi tl Ree ae Bi 1.0 1.0 Noncommercial rocky area (38)_--___________ 509. 6 116.0 71.4 697.0 192.3 14.6 97.3 37.8 342. 0 1, 039. 0 PAVISE VP OS ice cat Bes, to On ahah ed ea ee 5, 104. 9 2, 514.0 381.9 8, 000. 8 2, 767.1 3, 391.8 3, 627. 2 4, 299.2 | 14, 085.3 22, 086. 1 1 For description of types, see p. 4. 2 Exclusive of Spokane, Stevens, and Pend Oreille Counties. 16 million acres. the virgin ponderosa pine sawlog types (5%, 20, 20A, 20B, 20%, 27) where cutting coupled with insect PRIVATE epidemics and fire have reduced the stands from an estimated original area of 12.0 million acres to 9.2 By far the most important type of this group is pure ponderosa pine (20%) covering 4.8 million acres in Oregon and 1.2 million NATIONAL = in Washington. Stands average 12 5 i FORESIE M board feet per acre in Oregon : 4 and 8.8 in Washington, occasion- S ally exceeding 30 M feet. The 2 type is remarkably pure, averaging im 94 percent ponderosa pine in Ore- SF) gon and 92 percent in Washington. LC BABA wnowawZa — Stands are characteristically un- even-aged and open, with little 2 heavy underbush. The ground 5 cover is chiefly grass or low shrubs. Originally a virgin forest of this \ type extended the length of Ore- gon along the east slopes of the 2 ar — I Cascade Range from within a ne ane SINE oes oueRe Ne few miles of the summit to the SN ree ease i ane desert’s edge. From about 10 miles in width on the north it ranged to nearly 100 miles on the Klamath Plateau in the south, interrupted only by comparatively small open- ings of nonforest land. Extensive cutting from Bend south has broken it up with large areas of pine second growth, but unbroken virgin timber of 200,000 acres or more in one block still exists in this section of the region. There has been less disturbance to the primeval forests in the Blue Mountains but physical char- acteristics of this district have limited the pure ponderosa pine type. Extensive areas in the Blue Mountains on the south slopes and lower north slopes are broken up by nonforested valleys and high ridges occupied by mixed conifer types. Several areas of a hundred thousand acres or more of practically unbroken pure ponderosa forests occur in this territory, however. In Washington the type is confined to the lower 17, Ficure 6.—Areas of generalized forest types in the ponderosa pine region in private and public ownership. and 26A, as shown in table 3.) (With “noncommercial” are included lodgepole pine types 25, 26, slopes and narrow mountain valleys of the Cascade Range and the southern foothills and plateaus cf the Colville Mountains. There are few unbroken areas of more than 50,000 acres. Ponderosa pine type 20, containing 50 to 80 percent ponderosa pine and averaging about 65 percent, occupies 1.5 million acres, made up of small areas scattered throughout the larger pure ponderosa pine forests where climatic and _ topo- graphic conditions favor the intrusion of other species. Common associates of ponderosa pine are Douglas-fir, white fir, California incense-cedar, and lodgepole pine in the south and Douglas-fir, western larch, and lodgepole pine in the north (fig. 7). The large pine-mixture type 27 usually occurs in comparatively small areas on north slopes and cool Tare 5.—Area and average volume per acre, and total volume of saw-timber types in easiern Oregon by forest-survey unit, 1936 North Blue Mountain unit Deschutes River unit South Blue Mountain unit Type definition ! and No. Volume per acre Volume per acre Volume per acre Area Area Area Pe Ponder- | All spe- Ponder- | All spe- Ponder- | All spe- osa pine cies osa pine cies osa pine cies M board | M board M board | M board M board | M board 1,000 acres feet feet 1,000 acres feet feet 1,000 acres feet feet Woodland, scattered ponderosa pine (514). _-_--- 50. 7 1.2 1.3 122.4 1.9 1.9 218.5 ial Lal Ponderosa pine: B TjATS (20) ae ee a pa seed Foal alee es im fs 280. 9 5.0 8.2 195.9 9.7 14. 4 208. 4 6.1 9. 4 Pures largel(201%5) cinta tls Sie Wise Ree cen 469. 2 7.9 8.8 975. 0 12.6 13.3 1, 551.8 9.7 10. 2 Ponderosa pine-sugar pine, large (20A)_-___-______- ei seer AS Na ES 1:4 8.3 OS ON Poca Be he Sa Se 2 Srna s(D Des eee Oa ipa slate) Re sey ae PR 159. 6 2.2 2.5 100. 6 3.8 3.8 156.0 2.8 3.2 Ponderosa pine mixture, large (27)._..______-_________- 202. 7 2.2 6.6 78.0 4.5 12.8 109.1 253) 7.0 Sugar pine mixture, large (20B)__ _ _______-_________- DEP TN Ss aa ara ar | EAE aU FC uh AA Loa A Sa iy So | NS A el | La SER NG Gena Summary pine ty pes 2022 ee ean 1, 163. 1 5.1 (eal 1, 473. 3 10.3 11.8 2, 243.8 devs 8.6 Douglas-fir: Large: old srowthii(6) a2 eo 0 ee SES heat ee adn re cee SU Se Baga | nc Be hay eee ei | Aes eres | enema | RNa Smallsoldi growtliicG) Ses Nee ae ae aie eat eae OE i peepee 4.3 25.08 2a as 17.8 680g seseesenee 5.0 Large'second: growth :(&) -- 222242 eo as WAAR fence Sasi el Se ee tify) 2333| Ge oat 9.4 Targespolesi(QiA) 3 jose sins ee Aes ee nee lico BON 2h Ses ees 4.0 NSA} [einer 1.4 DeQaon a vescnna 3. 7 Western: redced ars large: (17) iis ey ea sip ed Ea gas ea Nea 2A Maes eee ABR ee eh ne. | Ry epee ta | Peas aarp Fir-mountain hemlock larcey (23) a iapo 2 no ae enya ee ear he 128; 03/222 ese EMBO fife seat | I Se | ea epee Upper-slope mixture, large (2714)_______________________- AQZS6q|eeaeeo eels 6.9 SUSO Rea eee 14.1 346i |Peeaaee 6.1 Whiteifir;Jlarge! (29)):22 wesw eae hii Min aussie (i 5p Ui eps eer 8.0 ioe Ui teed 8.1 W554 |e a Eales 5.9 Lodgepole:pine, large: (25) asso os ee ea Bla elton se 4.2 Gi Bees 4.3 Atel pene te 1.0 Hardwoods,-large:(8124) 2s02 Ss al ee es BLO spase. Sees 2.1 Op Seer 2.8 25 6)3| eee a 1.2 Summary, call types seas ema ce ewes Pe GR05 25 | z-xet scars 70S] 693.22 | ee saa 12522 |= QN61OL3s| hee Bea 8.2 Klamath Plateau unit | Total eastern Oregon if Type definition! and No. Volume per acre Volume per acre? | Total volume ? Area Area 2 Ponder- | All spe- Ponder- | All spe- | Ponder- | All spe- osa pine cies osa pine cies ose pine cies M board | M board M board | M board | Million | Million 1,000 acres feet feet 1,000 acres Jeet feet board feet | board feet Woodland, scattered ponderosa pine (514)______- ee 93.9 1.5 1.5 485. 5 1.4 14 679.7 679.7 Ponderosa pine: Marge:(20) seis sokn oe ea ee ae ene 161.4 11.5 17.9 846.6 7.6 11.8 | 6,434.2 9, 989, 9 Pure, large (2014). __- 2 Gap UT La albe hopes ihe ave SE 1, 797. 2 12.9 13.7 4, 793. 2 11.3 12.0 | 54, 163. 2 57, 518.4 Ponderosa pine-sugar pine, large (20A). = 28. 7 11.3 17.9 30.1 ns ba 17.6 334. 1 529.8 fShacy.VRUIG3 De nee ina eat \eaire lee est ny ace ams emis Beeman ee eka nr 263.8 3.2 3.6 680. 0 3.0 3.3 2, 040. 0 2, 244.0 Ponderosa pine mixture, large (27)-__.__________________-_--------- 59.8 4.7 12.2 449.6 3.0 8.5 1, 348.8 3, 821.6 Sugar pine mixture, large (20B)________-_-_-_____-_--____----------- 35. 7 6.5 20. 2 35.7 6.5 20. 2 232% 721.1 Summary. pine: types 222. o ss ha Se Rs 2, 440. 5 11.0 12.5.): 7, 320.7 8.9 10.3 || "65; 232) 15)"2:'75;504.5, Douglas-fir: : ‘Largevold:growthis(6)e 22 iy eae ee re ae el Lor fl eee gee 20. 9 Deel SSE ae PAU! i as eat 119.1 Small oldigrowth:.(7)stes oe soso HOSE PURE See eae eae 71a) eee 3.5 GOES aka ae UG tI eus sea ae 577.0 Laree second growth: (8)i22i0 se ots os eres ee AGS O) | ees 158 2 Se ee 125.1 Marge! poles ((QiAy) eee sie Nese eae ll ae ase eal ie We ae eee ak BE Bia |esmeenes i CPO apse teens 131.4 Western redcedar, Jarge (17) = 522:23 2 oS ee ees ye ee ee eee feral Pole Wp Od | eect ees 1.5 Fir-mountain hemlock; large (23) 520.2222 2 a es Pp a is Wier ia Se 10.3 350526 pater D220 ile seen 4, 202. 4 Upper-slope mixture, large (271)______--..-.-----------------.--- Gave eee ees 6.2 SO8NON ee sees 72 On| seep 5, 656. 0 White firslarges(29) ser eee ee Ie Si cece Sten Ses a Wy fits )a) aris esos 8.3 1047-43) Shee TsO Caeser 814.3 Bodgepole pine; larges(25)2 2 bac vn hoe etek ene eee | SOD Ta pec use eee 2.6 OlS00 | ease 2580 anaes. 3 161.0 Hardwoods! tlarges(S1Yg) es ine eae at a Och eg aaa caes Mahia ee Se ya ei tls 3.1 GES | seseu ees 1 eah? Jed precy pate eS 13.1 Summary; allity pest sb ee ee ER Tea oe he DASH ISL iol |NSere 12.0 8517 64213 3 | eae em e LO} Oss] Ska 87, 305. 4 1 For description of types, see p. 4. 2 The difference between total volumes in this table and table 10 is accounted for by volume in nonsaw-timber types. Since average volume per acre values are rounded off to nearest 100 board feet, the sum of unit total volumes computed by applying volume per acre to area will not exactly equal regional totals. 18 TaBLeE 6.—Area and average volume per acre, and total volume of saw-timber types in eastern Washington ' by forest-survey unit, 1936 a | Chelan-Colville unit | Yakima River unit North Bee outta Total eastern Washington Type definition ? and No. Volume per acre| Volume per acre Volume per acre Volume per acre} Total volume ! Area Ponde- All Area Ponde-| All Area Ponde- All Area Ponde- All Ponde- All | ane species ne SINE Ee species Bias species Aine species | Million | Million 1,000 \Moboard| Mbhoard| 1,000 |Mboard|Mboard| 1,000 |Mboard|Mboard| 1,000 |M board|M board| board board Woodland, scattered ponde- | acres feet feet acres feet feet acres feet feet acres feet feet feet feet rosa pine (544) 275.5 0.9 el 49. 1 1.3 1.3 9.2 1.0 1.0 334. 1 1.0 ie af 334, 1 367. 5 Ponderosa pine: Wisirgei(20) bases se 406. 7 5.0 7.6 205. 0 Call 11.4 27.8 3.7 6.1 639. 5 5.8 8.8 | 3,709.1 | 5,627.6 Pure, large (20%) pees 661.5 7.2 7.9 481.8 9.5 10. 2 36.7 6.7 7.0 |1, 180.0 8.1 8.8 | 9, 558.0 |10, 384.0 Small (21) Ree 323. 5 1.9 2.1 207.6 op 3.2 5.0 1.3 1.3 536. 1 2.4 2.5 | 1, 286.6 | 1, 340.3 Ponderosa pine mixture, large (0-7) lip eee ee ee er 233.9 Dries 6.6 139.6 4.0 10.8 15.7 1.7 6.1 389. 2 2.8 8.1 | 1,089.8 | 3, 152. 5. Summary pine types___/1, 901. 4 4.3 5.7 |1, 083. 1 6.9 8.8 94.4 4.1 5.7 |3, 078.9 5.2 6.8 |15, 977.6 |20, 871.9 Douglas-fir: Marperold erow bi (6)mecens aes oeen so sae een pee oe OT eee O75 7) | pea | a a ee sete 0 Pa) Pare rege A RAY Gil Vases Bais 15.9 Small old growth (7) _- 15350) | eee ee 10. 5 143 sla eens LY BA | ops oe nh Deeg [as Mae 2OG Li Wayans IBY) eee 4,115.8 Large second growth (8) (ff 05) (eee ee 9.2 64S | ee as 4n5 eee NA sy | |e 1, 528. 1 Large poles (9A)_-.._----- 9385 )\)peseet es 4.4 204i) | Base aes = Souig| soe ee eee ts) Re ee BLO) esisece ce 489.8 Western redcedar: areen(ly) Sees. sneha 253i) | beeee ses 20. 5 OS esse WS535}0 me sae | Seek ee |e es O28 | eames 18545) Sone ees 60. 7 BOGS (LOAN) eee ee Sli ee oh | epee pom | rae Nae | ea nean rat af Gaal ee egos io Babs Wecues AS [SS ts}el woe 6 Fir-mountain hemlock, large (23) Re en a ee oc oon 6950) | Seeaeee 20.3 19282 ieee a ae | i Na | erode ae 2612 | eee ae 1558] \ See 4, 127.0 Upper-slope mixture, large CUD is ke ee ee 49310) | == S53 ule 265870 |e SE GAG ees GE CPCS | [eae 0 White fir, large (29) ___________ 5h | Eee eee 20. 6 Ch It hae ee 13.0 NO jee 5.8 13584 | Sates 4 Lodgepole pine, large (25)_ 983 | Erase 4.2 Si eee 2.4 aie | lhe aey =F Sues DT eile eee acer 0 Hardwoods, large (3144)______. 250) Sees 7.0 SN 5p | Bere 3.4 5 Cis eee 12 Whey oe sues 43 Summary alltypes___.___|2, 790.9 |____- GW) Nl 7 ey ee oe oe 10.6 67ers |seeeenae Grell 45y5Ss01 ae eee Bahl ae beens 39, 098. 5 ! Exclusive of Spokane unit. 2 For description of types, see p. 4. 3 The difference between total volumes in this table and table 10 is accounted for by volume in nonsaw-timber types. Since average volume per acre values are rounded off to nearest 100 board feet, the sum of unit total volumes computed by applying volume per acre to area will not exactly equal regional totals. moist locations within the range of ponderosa pine (fig. 8), well scattered throughout the region. Sugar pine and sugar pine-mixture types 20A and 20B are confined to southern Oregon and are comparatively unimportant. Different forms of partial cutting are widely practiced in ponderosa pine stands. Determina- tion of the proper system of management, par- ticularly selection of trees to be cut, requires detailed knowledge of the composition of loggable stands. Of first importance is the distribution by diameter classes of saw-timber volume in types 20 and 20%, to which practically all logging in these stands is confined (figs. 9, 10, and 11). In formulating management plans, some indica- tion of stand structure or percentage of volume by maturity and vigor class is needed. In figure 12, presenting such a distribution of saw-timber vol- 19 ume in the principal ponderosa pine types for eastern Washington and eastern Oregon, the three classes shown—immature, thrifty-mature, and mature-overmature—approximate those employed by Meyer (77) and represent a grouping of the ponderosa pine tree classes defined by Dunning (5). Briefly, the first class consists of trees less than 150 years old (Dunning classes 1, 2, and 6); the second of trees 150 to 300 years old, but of moderate to good vigor (Dunning class 3); all other trees (Dunning classes 4, 5, and 7) are grouped in the third class, which is composed predominantly of trees comparatively poor in vigor and beyond the age of most rapid growth.* The striking prepon- 4 Obviously more detailed structure analyses are needed for framing specific management plans. Since completion of the forest-survey field work, the tree classification by F. P. Keen (8) has been commonly used for this purpose in this region. F 320935 Ficure 7.—A mixed ponderosa pine and larch stand (type 20) in eastern Washington. derance of mature and overmature trees, shown in figure 12, typifies the important saw-timber stands of the region and points significantly to the prob- lems in their management. IMMATURE PONDEROSA PINE SAW-TIMBER TYPE (21) ‘The immature ponderosa pine saw-timber stands occur on old burns or cut-over land and cover 1.2 Both even-aged and uneven-aged stands make up this type. The even-aged stands, commonly called bull pine, usually occur on old burns and often are very dense, ranging from about 4 to 10 M board feet per acre. ‘They are usually pure in composition. The uneven-aged stands million acres. generally occur on selectively cut-over land. Ap- proximately 850,000 acres of cut-over land is now occupied by ponderosa pine stands of saw-timber size which average 2.4 M board feet per acre. They vary considerably in density and often contain scattered mature trees as well as the younger age classes. A large part of this type is in southern Oregon, and more than a fourth of the regional total is in the Klamath Plateau unit. The Klamath Plateau stands average 3.2 M board feet per acre, Stands on cut-over land are not so well stocked as those on old burns, the former averaging about 33 percent well stocked, 51 percent medium stocked, and 16 percent poorly stocked (table 7), and the latter 50 percent well stocked, 42 percent medium much higher than the regional average. stocked, and 8 percent poorly stocked. F 320916 Figure 8.—Mixed stand of ponderosa pine, Douglas-fir, and western larch (type 27). | WASHINGTON ! > CMM, ee MLL Y, bn “any UW MMJTIEITZE=ELTJ_ WY YY eroercernre Ans Wl re (J7NY HINE/YIS 1774 ouvoa) ° fo} ° © wu w 1,000 900 4ov W$W Y a Yj Zy YY OO 68 72 76-82 56 60 64 OREGON YY Ly LL YY Ze Ay =} g cee ty (ae ZZ © YId FWNIOA (INCHES) DIAMETER CLASS WU WMA YM Yo YL — Wy Wht iy ALLL ee Een Wht; WH) =a fink. iz Pes (FJINY YING/HIS “WFIFF ee 21 JYIV YFd IWNTIOA tj eee = ty ty focecteen — WIM, ty ty Yb te YH, Yi, tHe WLM ees CLASS (INCHES) Figure 10.—Distribution of saw-timber volume in the pure large ponderosa pine type (20%), Ficure 9,—Distribution of saw-timber volume in the large ponderosa pine type (20), by diameter class, by diameter class, VOLUME PERCENT cade Range, where the summits kee 100 i, are low, Douglas-fir forms a type 11,000 resembling the forests of western — 10,000 RE ee re Oregon and western Washington. aon be ace ale | The largest area of these stands | is in the upper Yakima River | eee BRECON | Pa drainage in Washington. Other- | 7000 WASHINGTON g wise the Douglas-fir types have 6000 F 5 little present commercial value. 5000 a EE te Likewise, the upper-slope mix- Reo ture, fir-mountain hemlock, and 40 white fir stands have little 2000 an By present value for commercial 2000 rs 20 timber. 1,000 | 1 0 Conifer Saw- Timber Types Less Than Sawlog Size Fears The types in this group, com- prising the two conifer second- VOLUME PERCENT growth groups in tables 3 and 4 and consisting chiefly of trees below saw-timber size, cover 2.4 million acres, one-seventh of the commercial forest area. The 1.1 million acres of the ponderosa pine seedling and sap- CUMULATIVE VOLUME PER ACRE (BOARD FEET) ling type (22) occurs chiefly on land that has been clear cut or practically so (fig. 13). It is ex- tremely accessible and much of it would have been ready to yield another crop by now if it 12 DIAMETER AT BREAST HEIGHT (20 and 2015), by diameter class. OTHER CONIFER SAWLOG TYPES (6, 7, 8, 9A, 17, 19A, 23, 27%, AND 29) This group of types occupies the cooler, more moist sites on the upper or north slopes, such as along the crest of the Cascade Range, the higher elevations in the Blue Mountains, and generally throughout northeastern Washington. Many of them are comparatively inaccessible. In a few locations on the east slope of the Cas- i) ie) 16 20 24 28 32 36 40 44 48 52 56 60 64 68 72 7682 INGHES ) Figure 11.—Cumulative saw-timber volume per acre in the large ponderosa pine types had been selectively cut over. Two-thirds of the area of this land is privately owned most of such land and in national acquired by the Federal Government from private owners after cutting. Stocking of this type com- bined with type 28 (table 7) averages 34 percent well stocked, 43 percent medium stocked, and 23 percent poorly stocked. Ponderosa pine small mixed (28) occupies 0.3 million acres, mostly old burns. The small upper-slope mixed type, chiefly on old burns and nearly two-thirds of it in Washing- ton, covers 0.7 million acres, or considerably less than the area occupied by type 22. forests was A large part Tasie 7.—Area of immature conifer forest types ' in the ponderosa pine region, on cut-over and other areas, by degree of stocking | Degree of stocking and type of second | Cuigute aa | All growth | areas areas * areus 1,000 1,000 | 1,000 Good stocking: acres acres | acres Ponderosa pine, large (21)_____- | 277.7 | 184.5 | 462. 2 Ponderosa pine, small (22, 28) 404. 2 80.2 | 484. 4 Other conifer, large (9A, 19A) || > hia | 80.5 Other conifer, small (9B, 10, 19B, | 24> 28o- and: 30)t 25 8-- ese 3 86.6 464. 4 551.0 TRS iS Po ce geet! | 778.5 804.6 | 1,578.1 Medium stocking: | i] Ponderosa pine, large (21)_ —-_ -| 433.7 153. 6 587.3 Ponderosa pine, small (22, 28)_____ | 476.0 | 127. 2 603. 2 Other conifer, large (9A, 19A) _ _| 12.6 47.3 59.9 Other conifer, small (9B, 10, 19B, | DAMOR LGM ATI Ci3)) see eee ae eee 27.6 | 289.6 317. 2 | Motel ses an a Ss ee Soe ee ee 949.9 | 617.7 | 1, 567. 6 | | Poor stocking: Ponderosa pine, large (21)_____- 137.8 28.9 | 166.7 Ponderosa pine, Small (2z, 28) sot 253. 3 71.9 | 325. 2 Other conifer, large (9A, 19A) 3 1.4 5.9 | 7.3 Other conifer, small (9B, 10, 19B, 2A, 2846 angia): sees Xe =) 6.3 64.7 | 71.0 Mo talieeese ste soe tee el rs | 398. 8 171.4 | 570. 2 All stockings: Ponderosa pine, large (21)_________ 849. 2 | 367. 0 1, 216. 2 Ponderosa pine, small (22, 28) _____| 1, 183.5 | 279.3 1,412.8 Other conifer, large (9A, 19A) o 19.0 | 128. 7 147.7 Other conifer, small (9B, 10, 19B, PAS Pe OP ENGI BU) 2 = oe ee oe 120.5 818.7 939. 2 TD OLB) Sees eee ne a er a Np PHO NT KO 7 3, 715.9 | | | 1 Does not include large second-growth Douglas-fir (type 8) which was not mapped by degrees of stocking. 2 “Uncut areas’ signifies original forest removed by agencies other than cutting, i. e., fire, insects, wind throw, etc. of it is in national forests at high altitudes and remote locations. Lodgepole Pine and Other Noncommercial Conifer Types The three lodgepole pine types cover a total area of 2.1 million acres (fig. 14), little of which will support commercial forests. LLodgepole pine stands in this region have little or no commercial value at present and can on the whole be so classified. Noncommercial rocky and subalpine types (38 and 33) total 2.3 million acres, approximately two- thirds of which is in Washington where the Cascade Range is more rugged. Very little land of this kind is privately owned. Of no value for timber production, it protects the headwaters of streams and has definite value for recreational use. The most beautiful roads and trails in the region are in the subalpine type (fig. 15). Deforested Lands Fortunately only a comparatively small portion of the land is deforested—only about 1 percent as a result of fire or cutting, and fire is the principal cause. Deforested burns, about equally divided between Oregon and Washington, are chiefly at high elevations and inaccessible locations in the national forests where the original forest was non- commercial or of low value. Most of the non- restocked cut-overs are in Oregon, where cutting has been more extensive, on accessible and usually good growing sites that should be restored to pro- ductivity. ar STE | WASHINGTON W IMMATURE | THRIFTY~ MATURE MATURE - OVERMATURE | _l (PERCENT) VOLUME Foor OREGON BOARO TOTAL PURE PONDEROSA PONDEROSA PONDEROSA SUGAR PINE PONDEROSA PINE MIXTURE PINE PINE. MIXTURE, PINE, LARGE LARGE LARGE WOODLAND SUGAR PINE, LARGE MIXTURE, LARGE Figure 12.—Distribution of saw-timber volume in principal ponderosa pine types, by maturity class. Sos F 320895 Figure 13.—Mixed reproduction predominately ponderosa pine on cut-over land (survey type 22). F 321054 Ficure 14.—Lodgepole pine forest on the Pringle Falls Experimental Forest, central Oregon. Woodland and Hardwood Forests The juniper woodland types (5A, 5B) are much more common in this region than in the Douglas-fir region, occupying 1.5 million acres, practically all in eastern Oregon (fig. 16). These forests are of low commercial value for timber production, their chief products being fence posts and fuel wood for nearby rural residents, but they are so open as to be extensively grazed. ‘The oak-madrone type (4) and hardwood types (31, 31%) (fig. 17) are of little economic significance here. Forest Site Quality The index of site quality, or the relative produc- tive capacity of a forest area determined by climate, soil, topography, and other factors, was taken as average height of the dominant stand at 100 years of age. Six site-quality classes are recognized for ponderosa pine and five for Douglas-fir, class 1 being the highest in both cases (table 8). The pon- derosa pine site classification was applied to 12 million acres consisting of land now supporting ponderosa pine, pine mixture, and white fir types and deforested land which originally supported such types. The Douglas-fir site classification was applied to all the remaining commercial conifer land aggregating 4.1 million acres. SSS FT ; aes Ss Se -- ae i foes\ ee Soe: tary rent eile sce F321041 Ficure 15.—Subalpine forest of alpine fir and whitebark pine. F 321063 Figure 16.—Juniper forest near Bend, Oreg. 25 F 320919 Ficure 17.—A stand of aspen bordering the Sanpoil River in north- eastern Washington. These trees range from 4 inches to 10 inches d. bh. Nearly two-thirds of the total ponderosa pine land is site IV, which is the most common site class in every forested county. More than three-fourths of the remainder, however, is site V or VI. More than two-thirds of the 712,000 acres of site III land is in Oregon, and half of it is in the Klamath unit. Most of the small area of site classes I and II is in Washington, on the east slope of the Cascade Range immediately north of the Columbia River. The small area of site II that occurs in Oregon is scattered along the east slope of the Cascade Range from Warm Springs Indian Reservation south to the California line. Lands judged by the Douglas-fir site classification are decidedly substandard. ‘There is no Douglas- 26 fir site I land, very little site II, and comparatively little site III. The area of Douglas-fir site V land is nearly three times that of site V in all of western Oregon and western Washington where Douglas- fir is the predominant forest type. Timber Volume The determination of the extent and character of the region’s timber stand was one of the most important parts of the forest survey. The result- ing data can be used in analyzing the immediate supply of raw materials for the region’s forest industries and for other markets. Tasie 8.—Land areas in the ponderosa pine region, forest-land areas, and commercial conifer areas, by site-quality class,' 1936 | i - | Area in Kind of forest and site- r eset commer- quality class Total land area forest Gial an conifers | Commercial conifer: Ponderosa pine: | Acres Percent Percent | Percent Classiieasivie 480) salen cote eee Class ihe ees Dees 18, 018 0. 03 0. 08 | 0.11 Class EE a 711, 604 1.09 3.22 | 4.40 ClassalVe eons 7, 849, 633 11. 99 35. 54 | 48.55 lass iVizat nes eae 3, 193, 731 4. 88 14. 46 | 19. 76 ClassaViles 22 ss 268, 801 -41 | 1. 22 | 1. 66 Total________.___| 12, 042, 267 18.40 | 54.52 74. 48 | Douglas-fir: Class dilents caencieres B20 7 Ba MRS SS ae) er RRA |e mameremeene Classuilexaes easy 117, 400 .18 - 53 273 Class: PVs 971, 641 1.48 4.40 6. 01 ClassiVisieseen vous 3, 036, 152 4. 64 13.75 18. 78 | | Motale cmt 4, 125, 513 6.30 18.68 | 25.52 Total commercial | | conifer _____ ___| 16, 167, 780 24. 70 73. 20 | 100. 00 | | Lodgepole pine______ __.| 2,001, 875 3. 06 93 063 eaees aie Juniper and mountain ma- NO Gann ie 1, 537, 700 2. 35 6596; | Beene ae Noncommercial rocky______| 1, 039, 005 1. 58 | AST | eee eae Subal pinels es eae 1, 233, 465 1. 88 | a5 eee seca Oalkete eas Aa Dee ince nonewt 66, 380 - 10 30 | teeters Hardwood 22222 see 39, 905 -07 518 u | exe era Total other than commercial conifer_| 5, 918, 330 9. 04 26805) | Sa2S ee All forest types_____- 22, 086, 110 33. 74 Nonforest types_-_-__-------- 43, 373, 830 | 66. 26 | Grand totali_---2-_ = 65, 459, 940 | 100. 00 [ee eee | Bem | 1 Deforested areas, types 35A, 35B, and 37, were classified as to site on the basis of original type; some lodgepole pine type areas were assigned ponderosa pine or Douglas-fir site qualities; and some deforested burns and insect-killed areas were included in the lodgepole pine, subalpine, western juniper, or noncommercial rocky areas. Saw- Timber Volume The region’s saw-timber volume, in millions of board feet, log scale, Scribner Decimal C rule, is given in table 9 and figure 18 by species and owner- ship and in table 10 by species and forest-survey unit. Table 11 summarizes saw-timber volume data on commercial forest land by broad type and ownership class. Practically all of the total volume of 127.1 bil- lion board feet is conifer. Eighteen conifer and 4 hardwood species were found of saw-timber size and quantity. Approximately 87.7 billion board feet occurs in Oregon and 39.4 billion board feet in Washington. Ponderosa pine is the most widely distributed conifer in the United States. In saw-timber vol- ume it ranks second in the country, exceeded only by Douglas-fir. In this region it is the preeminent timber species. The wood is moderately soft, light in weight, fine grained, and easily worked. Its excellent properties make it valuable for inter- ior finish, sash and doors, and boxes. It is also: used for sheathing, small dimension, and siding. Four-fifths of the 81.5 billion feet of ponderosa pine in the region is in Oregon. Approximately two-thirds of the total volume is publicly owned or managed, a situation almost the reverse of that in the Douglas-fir region where nearly two-thirds. of the Douglas-fir volume (7), the most important species, is privately owned. Douglas-fir is second in point of volume. As al- ready noted, this species fails to attain the size or quality here that it does west of the Cascade Range, and consequently it is restricted in use to common boards, dimension, and small timbers, for which, however, it answers satisfactorily. Only in a few localities near low summits of the Cascade Range do Douglas-fir trees produce the highly prized fine- grained ‘yellow fir’ typical of the west side of the summit. Approximately three-fifths of the Douglas. fir volume in this region is in Washington. Western larch volume totals 6.7 billion board Tasie 9.—Volume of timber, log scale, Scribner rule, in the ponderosa pine region, by species and ownership class, 1936 {In million board feet—i. e., 000,000 omitted] Federally owned or managed Public domain National forest Species Private | State | County Mine Re- ea Re Total pal A vested Rail served Indian : road mi land | Avail- | cojee. | from Avail- | Reserved grants able for On cutting! able for from eutting pend- cutting cutting ing ONGGLOSS DING sas. Se 8 27, 214. 4 1, 616.0 378. 5 7.8 | 14. 948.0 143. 4 770. 5 345.3 | 168.3 | 35,618. 5 279.8 81, 490. 5. Rpar DING sss epee sees | 386.0 55 Syy | cee es | eee ae 179.8 34.8 Mon | Seen 5 128. 7 6 736. 5- Western white pine_________________ 70.0 Fin il (2) a eee nee 47.6 teal ae, 32.0 6.6 568. 3 58.9 795. 8 modrepole\ piles - 2-52 -<-ncesaanae 135.8 21.9 1.9 (2) 33.0 4 3.4 10.9 30.8 772.7 104. 6 1, 115. 4 POUIPLAS fit eos ke ee 4, 662.8 712. 7 161.4 7.4 1, 999. 2 61.0 126.8 262. 0 4.2 |} 10, 120.5 400. 2 18, 518. 2° iresternredcedar.)-- =. 2222.5 26 b= 39.0 1.4 33)| sae 1383) |S 4 LS 51 | eee 144. 2 12.0 228. 7 Alaska yellow-cedar____-_______--_-_- =D cll} | sere noes Pe cane ae .8 Tek id Peas Ceo 23.7 3.3 30. O- California incense-cedar____________- 120.3 11 By eas Sa 47.4 1.0 uty | rssh as at! -0 49.6 stl 221. 6 Western hemlock____-_-___-_______- 289. 4 6.4 i ee eae (BON SS eee af 66.4 alt 783. 5 85.3 1, 244.3 Mountain hemlock______________._- 85.5 252, Ee 1 222.8 DISTRO White fir and grand fir..____________ 1, 856. 3 B83 Bal 4 92.2 6, 357. 6 Noble fir and Shasta red fir_________ 84.9 bl 6 if 123.1 1, 286.3 MACINC SILVeL files) 2s enn nape = 374.0 2 276. 1 2, 506. 7 LITE yi St ee ae eee 38.5 9 D15:2 698. 2 BUESLOLIMIALC I eset i 1, 132.0 5 114.8 6, 687. 6 Engelmann spruce______--_-___-_____ 127.6 3 700. 3 2, 355. 4 redial ders. 223s o> 8 ss pees Sele | ear ae cers | ewes ee oat So. Ste ee ee bene es oo ssc | ets ee aes a ail Brcldaiimaples <2 2 eS (De | Ree os Seal | es Se ol ht oe I Se Pe SP) Si eo Re (eRe Trea () Te na ea (4) Northern black cottonwood_______-- 43.5 18. 2 2.4 80. 4 ESPON oo hn) Se ee ee 2.3 fel est each 2.4 otal eS 02 eee ee 36, 662.6 | 3 2,741.1 631. 4 22.1 | 19,058.0 | 361.7 987.4 |1, 196.0 603.5 | 62, 237. 1 2, 592.3 | 127, 093. 2 1 Crater Lake National Park. 2 Less than 50M board feet. 3 Includes 0.3 million feet of ponderosa pine reserved from cutting. 27 a. Em> ee WOTIT TS sn . st i fi ee o 6 e at! Tasie 10.—Volume of timber, log scale, Scribner rule, in the ponderosa pine region, by species and forest-survey unit, 1936 [In million board feet—i. e., 000,000 omitted] Eastern Washington Eastern Oregon Species A North North Des- South sae Gielen eens Blue | Total Blue chutes Blue _ Meme Total Mountain Mountain} River |Mountain Ponderosa pine! sass See oe ae eee 8, 207.8 7, 453. 0 394.7 | 16, 055. 5 6, 003.7 | 15, 226.1 | 17, 321.0 | 26, 884.2 | 65, 435.0 81, 490. 5 Gungar pire iis Secale RNS eatin | os ats cell arsenal | estore cyl Nee eae ea | ele DEAS ISSR: | eens 722.7 736. 5 736. 5 Western white pine cs 166.3 269. 4 .3 436. 0 4.2 128.7 225 224.4 359. 8 795.8 odgepole: pine. 2 soa e ese eee 172.8 237.8 13.6 424.2 76.3 148.6 64.9 401. 4 691. 2 1, 115. 4 Douglas-firs (ies See Sone ee el eee 5, 336.8 5, 233. 1 180.6 | 10, 750.5 2, 357. 6 DED 242 1, 949. 6 1, 188.3 7, 767.7 18, 518. 2 Westermredcedarsc= 226522 Uae 127.5 Ob Ba Renee eta PPB SR ie a spat AAS | shee ees Lien eR oer stney 5.4 228. 7 PA ASK ay Clo w-Ced alesse aie unten anaes etl .6 285.9) | eee wee PAS) Haye |e BE Paes eral] ees Ne CITE ob) 30.0 @aliforniaincense-cedar === cs ee BEI eta | ANE ra Race | RRR eels rp ke | ee IDI | ORE a OSHS e|| eee sa 168.3 221.6 |. 221.6 WWresternth emo cherie ta rac aeaieee ease ene 362. 4 G5GH 7s | Hae DR OLO Sli | eee D7 O52 | Sn tee 46.0 225. 2 1, 244.3 Mountain hemlock_ 226. 1 OG lt | here are seen 1, 022. 2 a2 208585) | eee 503. 3 1, 715.3 2, 737.5 White firs 22>. 97.7 759. 2 193.3 1, 050. 2 1, 262. 2 804. 2 964. 2 2, 276.8 5, 307. 4 6, 357. 6 IN oD le sft ses Sate estas mrs tehcctn Daa tae AS toot er aga fee | aE ca CRN SOAOn| Seca ewes Las (hu Paes eS, 2L2h2 a | Pies cee 1, 038. 5 1, 250. 7 1, 286. 3 DEES GACH SDN A2) gh Dh pene ca eel ta Me ESA Se Se E 879.0 AV 59GH 8 | pate wae ee 247584] eee SON QI | eicoe ee tea EES 30.9 2, 506. 7 PAST IMG FAT 228 et ees Nea RRE ae aes Racntvepi nits Vlatea Mer 198. 2 299. 4 31.6 529. 2 96.8 28. 1 33.8 10.3 169. 0 698. 2 Wiestermilarch cack ans sae Se eee dN 2,119.1 1, 222.4 166. 0 3, 507. 5 1, 685. 7 258. 4 152365 ON eee 3, 180. 1 “6, 687. 6 Hngelmann: Spruce s== ee ee es ee 1, 358. 5 366. 4 65. 6 1, 790.5 344. 6 72.6 114.9 32.8 564.9 2, 355. 4 Red al der se ai Sedes et Seite Sates OE a arene sa RN eet a BN ae ee ae oe SLRS i hs eS Cee CANNY AE Sree SAS PN cl | ae Sil Bigleafimaple sass 2s sos e eNO NN eh ee aoa eco | Pee eS | ee Pe 6D esa Eee eer ea Hevtrac cptaeatye | Dm Ava UNG ELS Aes CeCe (4) Northern black cottonwood --______--_--___--- 33. 5 29.3 -6 63. 4 10.5 2.3 4.1 eal 17.0 80. 4 SAS SPOM Pe ee srs En Nae sae ee ee Sa Th Pr aleaey 5 BON eat Fit ses oe Seat | Chad ah inet 1.7 1.7 2.4 TOG 2 ee re NCA bs ID to eae 19, 286.8 | 19, 080. 2 1, 046.3. | 39, 413.3 | 11, 844.8 | 20, 645.3 | 21,691.0 | 33, 498.8 | 87,679.9 | 127, 093.2 1 Less than 50 M board feet. PE 36 PRIVATE ry S =| NATIONAL a FOREST ay w Q % is} a 27 he OTHER a 18 PUBLIC 9 O PONDEROSA DOUGLAS- BALSAM WESTERN OTHER PINE FIR FIRS LARCH SPECIES Ficure 18.—Volume of saw timber in the ponderosa pine region, by species and ownership class. 28 feet, more than half of which is in Washington. The wood is of moderate durability, weight, and strength. It is used locally for posts and poles and cut in limited quantities for siding, common lumber, and timbers. Larch also makes satisfactory heavy- duty and finish flooring. Of the 6.4 billion feet of white fir more than four- fifths occurs in Oregon. It is cut in small quantities Tasie 11.—Saw-timber volume on commercial forest land,’ by broad type and species class, 1936 {In billion board feet, i. e., 000,000,000 omitted] Ponderosa pine types State and species pees Total Old Second growth | growth Eastern Oregon: Ponderosa pine-_-_--_---- 62.9 23.0 [creas 64.9 IATESPECIeS® Ae ua saat ees 72.9 D2H2, 10.8 85.9 Eastern Washington: Ponderosa pine___-_------ 14.6 LS y| Spe eeeness 15:9; ATISpeclesat sees cee ae ae 19.4 1.4 16.8 37.6 Region total: Ponderosa pine____------ 77.5 B Bite eee 80.8 “AUIS PECIES Wane Soeeete eee 92.3 3.6 27.6 123. 5 ees 1 Includes all unreserved commercial conifer land. Excludes volume in noncommercial and nonsaw-timber type. and used chiefly for common boards and dimension and for box shook. The wood is nonresinous and odorless when dry, and therefore desirable for boxes used as food containers. Western white pine, per unit of volume, is the most valuable species in the region, but its scant occurrence renders it of litthke commercial impor- tance. A little more than half of the total of 0.8 billion board feet is in Washington. The wood is highly prized for interior finish, patterns, cut stock, sash and doors, and many specialty uses. The remaining conifers and the hardwoods are now of little commercial significance by reason of limited quantity, unsuitability of the wood for com- mercial use, or inaccessibility. At one time con- siderable quantities of “‘cedar’”’ poles were produced in northeastern Washington but the supply is now nearly exhausted. Economic Availability No classification by economic availability was made of the saw-timber volume, as was done for the Douglas-fir region (7), owing to the very different situation prevailing. In the ponderosa pine region, all species except ponderosa pine, sugar pine, and white pine may be considered for all practical pur- poses as being low in economic availability. Usu- ally these species are not logged except when they occur in mixture with the pines and often not then. Although the quality of ponderosa pine saw tim- ber varies considerably, the range in size, quality, and location is not comparable to that of the prin- cipal commercial species in the Douglas-fir region, where several large navigable bodies of water and extensive areas of rough mountainous topography combine with wide variation in size and quality of timber to give to some Douglas-fir stands a com- paratively high value and others a comparatively low value. Cubic Volume Cubic measure is seldom used in this region be- cause practically all material utilized is in sawlog form. Since interregional comparisons of timber volume, however, can be accurately made only in cubic feet, cubic volumes were computed (table 12) by ownership class and species. Of the total, 80 percent is in sawlog-size trees (12 inches d. b. h. or more), 10 percent is in understory trees in saw- 462119°- —42—_3, 29 timber stands (less than 12 inches d. b h.), and 10 percent in trees less than saw-timber size in second erowth stands. Ownership of Forest Resources One of the characteristic features of the forest situation already noted is the large proportion of the forest resource in public ownership. Unques- tionably this has had a stabilizing influence on forest-land management and a restraining effect on forest exploitation. Continuity of tenure, including a consciousness of the public interest in all forests, is the key to sustained-yield management of forest resources in both public and private holdings. Private Ownership Approximately 32 percent of the commercial forest land and 29 percent of the saw-timber volume is in private ownership. This disparity does not denote that the private land is less pro- ductive or the timber on it smaller or more scat- tered. Actually the reverse is true. But most of the cutting has taken place on private lands and consequently a larger percent of the area of second- growth and deforested lands is privately held. About 56 percent of the private forest land supports ponderosa pine saw-timber stands, 15 percent pon- derosa pine second growth, and 7 percent other conifer saw timber. Very little other conifer second growth, lodgepole pine, and noncommercial land is privately owned. Approximately a third of the total ponderosa pine saw-timber volume remains in private owner- ship, despite heavy cutting for two decades. About three-quarters of the privately owned saw timber is ponderosa pine and a large part of the remaining volume is in species growing in pine stands as a minor component of the forest. The concentration of the most productive land and best timber in private hands carries an added responsibility to conserve this valuable resource through management for continuous production. Private owners are aware of this responsibility and some are making a conscious effort to fulfill their obligations. Unfortunately private action toward resource management is not universal and sustained-yield practices have made slight head- way on private lands. eons TaBLe 12.—Cubic volume of timber, in the ponderosa pine region, by species and ownership class, 1936 [In million cubic feet—i. e., 000,000 omitted] Federally owned or managed Public domain National forest Specie Private | State |County|Munic- Re- Re- al eeotal ipal vested | Avail- | Rail- | served Re- Indian land able road from | Available) served grants for selec- cut- for from | cutting} tion ting? | cutting cut- | pending| | ting ae ue | | Ponderosa pine_ 5, 362. 2 321.2 76.6 1.5 2, 939. 9 27.6 154.8 67.5 32.0 6, 932. 2 54.3 15, 969. 8 Sugar pine_____- : 74.0 iat () e 34.8 6.6 ail eh ae) 25. 2 oil 142.1 Western white pine Deby 2.1 sal (3) 14.4 1.8 sal 8.9 1.8 152.3 NEE 7) 218.7 iodgepole;pine 428s ses eee ee 278. 4 65. 3 9. 6 4 148. 2 1.8 31.2 te 9) 29: 5°). 1,447.0 | 125.5 2,144.8 DOU glass Saleen eee ee ape 1, 248.1 185. 4 49.5 is ¢ 553. 8 13. 0 40.5 68. 1 1.0 2, 752.4 103. 6 5, 017. 1 Western redcedar_-_-------_-_----_--_-- 16.1 1.6 Be Ae eyoeh ee G0 4| Ses aes ~2 5 Aus ae eee 48.1 4.4 82.0 Allaskatyellow-ced arss 0-52 5" 2 sei ane .3 (8) a7 eee es z Al teed Ssh ee Seca 4G)n eeu 7.3 9 9.5 California incense-cedar_______________ Bie) 3 1 i 12.8 3 ZA Ramee 1 13.7 =2 59. 2 iWestern hemlocks-2)) 95222. aes 68.5 2.2, .2 2 6.3 zee 3 14.6 9 164.8 16.6 274. 4 Mountainvhem] ocksas= sean en eae 19. 6 -8 (@) os | Beeson 53.5 4 (3) 21.7 35. 2 417.3 47.7 596. 2 Wahite and grand! fires. = 2s eee 600. 4 26. 1 10.0 1.3 195.9 12.3 8.5 18.9 6.8 1, 366. 2 44.8 2, 291. 2 Noble and Shasta red fir____-___________ 18.3 4 ciel eae ae. 12.1 15.5 .9 1.3 41.7 165.8 26.6 282.9 IPacificisilver finesse ats eee ene eee 80. 8 2.0 alg |S 1.3 ral AGH O}p | sence 367.6 57.7 556. 2 PAS DIMe shinee eos ee a en Snes 15.0 1.9 aul 2 28.0 A (3) 63:95) | ee ae 136.0 34.3 222. 4 Western and alpine larch ______________ 309. 5 63. 4 16.5 -4 AS 5e Oo sees 17.8 Te Siy | wee uielinee 1,175.0 33.5 1, 813.8 Engelmann: spruce__=--_-=+--=-2=2-- += 57.5 17.9 2.7 3 34.7 .2 2.5 10. 2 1.8 473.0 | 179.4 780. 2 IRedyalder cree es AU a ec Ne .8 23 @R ua ESses 2 Sel hs | Sees (@) Aay| Sane 2.2 4 4.6 IBigleatana plese seas eee ee Pi ©) Om ase (Olen settee (8) (©) ese sel ©) BS, Northern black cottonwood ___________- 10.5 a2 (8) (3) CPs epee ail MDA Nien SoeN 4.0 5 18.7 IAS DOM yeaa te ee Se ESE ne eet ees 3.3 eal ell ees Oa) ase 5 CC) ies ans 2.0 (8) 6.5 Oregon white oak_____--_____-___-_-_- s 8.8 .5 -5 (3) RB i | eee ae .4 3) aa are sak (3) 11.1 Slerrayjunipen es s.28 on eee ee 77.1 5.3 17.0 (3) 3.7 -1 | 184.2 oul 11 13.7 mall 252. 4 Mountain mahogany___ 56) (3) (2) irers| See Eee (8) aged |e coe ae 3 SAL|ELi eee Os | eens 1.8 Wail owes hit nian Sie ee a Sala eee S Sa) tN SRS | I Sa eae | ea rak UL Ee RH aw) coy RO pa | lee (3) TR Ob alee Ree Mase Stay e A Aye .9 | 4 698. 1 | 183. 6 5.8 4, 236.9 | 79.6 | 392.7 | 291.3 152.1 | 15, 666.6 746. 3 30, 755. 9 | | 1 Including al) sound wood in stems of all living trees and all standing dead trees 5.1 inches d. b. h. and larger from stump to 4-inch tip inside bark, excluding bark and limbwood. 2 Crater Lake National Park. 3 Less than 50 M cubic feet. + Includes 0.1 million cubic feet of ponderosa pine and some lodgepole pine, white and grand fir, and Sierra juniper reserved from cutting. National-Forest Ownership The national forests, as in other parts of the West, were originally created from the public domain. Although they contain practically all of the inac- cessible mountainous areas and noncommercial forest land, they also contain vast areas of high quality timberland. Alienation had not advanced so rapidly prior to their creation as in the Douglas- fir region. In recent years the national-forest areas have increased by exchange and purchase. Sustained-yield principles govern the manage- ment of the national forests, and cutting on each operating unit is limited to the maximum specified in the working plan. Administration of national- forest timber sales makes adequate provision for protection of growing stock and for prompt regen- eration. Disposal of national-forest timber is co- 30 ordinated wherever possible with private operations to encourage sustained-yield practice on the part of private owners. Actual cutting on most national forests has been less than the sustained-yield capacity owing mainly to lack of a market. Cutting of the more inacces- sible national-forest timber will be deferred until the private timber supply is diminished. Eventu- ally cutting will probably be extended to all the commercial timber areas of the national forests. The national forests contain approximately half the region’s forest land and saw-timber volume. Approximately 737,000 acres of forest land support- ing 2.6 billion board feet of saw timber is reserved Generally speaking, the reserved timber is remote and in- from cutting for one reason or another. cludes very little ponderosa pine. A large part of it is in little used species. Considerably more than half the national-forest timber available for cutting is ponderosa pine. This timber is practically all economically available, that is, operable from the standpoints both of accessibility and quality. Other Federal Ownership This group includes unappropriated public do- main, Federal lands designated for selection as rail- road grants but not yet patented, and reserved lands. The latter category includes Crater Lake National Park, national monuments, wildlife ref- uges, and military reservations. The unappropriated public domain totals 1.2 million acres but more than half this acreage is in juniper type and is chiefly valuable as grazing land. The total saw-timber volume on public domain lands is 1.0 billion board feet, most of which occurs on scattered parcels on the fringe of the commercial timber zone. Indian Ownership Approximately 2.6 million acres of forest land and 19.1 billion board feet of timber is on Indian land, a class of ownership that is a major factor in the forest situation. Roughly two-thirds of the Indian-owned timber in the country is in this region. ‘This timber compares favorably in quality and value with privately owned timber and more than three-quarters of it is ponderosa pine. The Indian timberland is managed under the direction of technical foresters in much the same manner as the national forests. Cutting on the Klamath Reservation, the largest in the region, has advanced rapidly, partly because of the necessity of salvaging large quantities of timber which were seriously jeopardized by pine beetle epidemics and partly because of the accessibility of the timber to an active market for stumpage. There has been 31 very little cutting on the Warm Springs and Yakima Reservations and only moderate cutting on the Colville Reservation. State Ownership The total volume of State-owned saw timber is 2.7 billion board feet, practically all of which is in Washington. A little more than half of this is ponderosa pine. With the exception of one area in Yakima County, State holdings are usually scat- How- ever, Okanogan County, an extremely large county, has a total volume of nearly 1 billion board feet of State-owned timber, and Klickitat County, a small county, has nearly 0.5 billion. Practically all of this timber is on land granted by the Federal Gov- ernment to finance education and internal improve- ments; such timber is sold at public auction in small parcels. tered, an obstacle to effective management. County and Municipal Ownership Although the counties owned 0.25 million acres of forest land in 1936, the volume of the saw-timber stand was but 631 million board feet. Generally speaking, these forest lands rank low in timber pro- ductivity. They occur in scattered parcels too small to qualify as independent operating units and must be integrated with adjoining properties for efficient management. No counties have taken positive steps to manage their forest lands; instead a policy of disposal and attempted restoration of this land to tax rolls has been followed. Obviously, since these lands came into possession of the counties through tax forfeiture, such policies cannot be successful. Municipally owned forest land consists of a few small watersheds and is not extensive enough to be of any regional significance. BROMRSE Sle eRe a OM Ra Crk s OFF TH E-P- ON. DER OSA] PUNE] RE GT ON Forest Depletion ting, forest insects, fires, disease, and wind throw. ‘The rate of drain was determined separately for ponderosa pine and for all other species combined. Determination of depletion of ponderosa pine on account of cutting, fire, and insects was based on past records covering a recent and representative period. For depletion due to disease and wind throw, since no reliable records were available, rates were estimated. For species other than ponderosa pine, records of cutting and fire depletion were available, but insect, disease, and wind-throw depletion had to be estimated for these other species. | The drain on stands of saw-timber size was cal- culated in board feet, log scale, Scribner rule, and that on smaller sizes in cubic feet. [) iseies involves the drain caused by cut- Cutting Depletion From the beginning of settlement by white men, cutting of the forests has kept pace with the economic growth of the region; the forests furnished building material, fuel wood, fence posts and rails for domestic development, later ties and timber for the construction of railroads, and finally sawlogs for a huge lumber industry. Detailed statistics for the years prior to 1925 are not available, but Bureau of the Census records of ponderosa pine lumber production in Oregon and Washington from 1899 to 1924, together with Forest Service estimates for the 3 preceding decades, show the trends in eastern Oregon and eastern Washington, since practically all of the ponderosa pine lumber was milled there (fig. 19). Lumber cut prior to 1889 was small averaging less than 100 mil- lion board feet annually. From 1889 to 1915 it was fairly stable. During the World War production soared, especially in Oregon, fell off 1000 slightly in 1921, only to increase again rapidly up to 1929, after which 800} it declined sharply. In 1935 the downward trend was arrested and 600 BOARD FEET (MILLIONS) in 1939 an all-time high was attained. Since 1925 the Forest Service, in cooperation with the Bureau of the Census, has compiled annual sawlog — cut by species and counties in the ponderosa pine region and it is 1869 1879 1889 1899 1304 1909 1914 1919 FicurE 19.—Trend of ponderosa pine production in Washington and Oregon, nearly (1869-89, Forest Service estimates from Census totals; 1899-1924, Census figures, with 5-year averages from all of which was from the eastern portions of the two States. 1908 to 1936.) 1929 1934 1939 largely upon this statistical record for the period 1925-36 that cut- ting depletion is based. Statis- tics of the estimate of cutting TasLe 13.—Average annual cut of timber products in the ponderosa pine region by State and forest-survey unit } 1 Data for sawlog production are averages for the period 1925-36; other 2 Figures given are log scale, based on Scribner rule. 3 In addition to the quantities of material shown under this heading, fuel. depletion, given in table 13, account for an average of 1.26 billion board feet in trees of saw-timber size and 2.2 million cubic feet of small trees removed annually from the forests as sawlogs or as minor products, such as fuel wood, fence posts, poles, and piling. The portion of the tree left in the forest by cutting operations was not included since the saw-timber inventory statistics and growth calcula- tions included only the usable portion of the tree. The annual output of sawlogs was classified by species, State, and forest-survey unit, and that of the minor products by item, species, State, forest- survey unit, and size class of the trees from which the material was cut, whether of saw-timber size (11.1 inches d. b. h. or more) or of less than saw- timber size. Sawlog Drain The 1.1 billion board feet of sawlogs produced annually during 1925-36 (table 14) amounted to about 87 percent of the total cutting depletion. The cut was large during the first half of the 12- year period; in only one year, 1927, did the volume fall below 1 billion board feet and in 1929 1.4 billion was cut. A decrease in the second half of the period reached a tow of 565 million board feet in 1932, but subsequently a rapid rise carried the total to 1.5 billion board feet in 1936, the high From trees of saw timber size 2 From smaller trees Forest-survey unit Hol a ena tea i Sawlogs Fuel Poles Pilin Posts Total Fuel Posts Total 8 wood 3 8g : wood 3 : ’ M board | Mboard | M board | Mboard | Mboard | Mboard | Mcubic | M cubic | M cubic Eastern Washington: feet feet feet feet feel feet feet feet feet Ohelan-Colwilles eb ~ 20 = 222 aoe ne 123, 298 33, 986 485 10 3, 174 160, 953 343 36 379 Vee Va rine ta hy ied Se =~ DOES ae a ee eee 124, 082 19, 179 270 205 1, 994 145, 730 110 27 137 Worth Blue Mountain® {e2 > 2. 2 222 eee 3, 811 La O20 | see a 4 2, 502 20, 845 87 119 206 Ro tall x 5 eee es ee _| 251, 191 67, 693 755 219 7, 670 327, 528 540 182 722 Eastern Oregon: North slueivfountain: 2.52525 eee = 5 ace 81, 782 29, 085 10 6 2, 276 SLO | ae eee 123 123 GSCHULES RLV OLy oe on te ss So Sa as ae 231, 637 23; 961 |S 22 Sas Se | tuse see 2 738 256, 326 507 194 701 Southiblue Mountain: so eee ne eee 109, 000 22, 233 8 1 1, 728 132, 970 247 306 553 IGE NTTEV NOU SUD CO be eS SE eae neers 416, 479 12, 125 33 31 635 429, 303 18 112 130 MAG) KTM aotet Be A So Re Se mene ee 838, 898 87, 394 51 38 5, 377 931, 758 772 735 1, 507 RepTon: corals see so ee 1, 090, 089 155, 087 806 257 13, 047 1, 259, 286 1, 312 917 2, 229 data are for 1930 only. considerable quantities of slabs, edgings, mill waste, and sawdust were used as point for the period. During 1937 production reached 1.6 billion board feet, dropped to 1.3 in 1938, but advanced to an all-time high of 1.8 billion in 1939. Approximately 77 percent of the average annual sawlog cut was in Oregon. The trend in this State followed very closely that for the region, the peak being reached in 1936 and the low point in 1932. In eastern Washington the peak was reached in 1929, at an 18 percent increase over the 1936 cut. Figure 20 shows the average annual sawlog production in the region during 1925-36 by forest-survey unit. The Klamath Plateau unit led during the period in the volume of sawlogs produced, reaching to nearly half of the average annual output in Oregon. The unit contains two of the most active lumbering centers in the region, Klamath Falls and Lakeview. Large-scale lumbering began in the Klamath Falls district about 1924 and in the Lakeview district in 1929. By 1936, the end of the period studied, pro- duction exceeded 600 million board feet and was still increasing. Because of the large supply of accessible ponderosa pine timber in the unit the output of logs will probably average over half a billion board feet annually for the next two decades, unless restrictions in the sale of Federal- owned and Indian-owned timber and the adoption 33 Tasie 14.—-Average annual sawlog production (M board feet Scribner log scale), ponderosa pine region, by species, 1925-36 | West- | yy West- | West- Pon- Doug- West- Engel- Forest-survey unit derosa las- ae erm Balsam Sugar mann or enn Total ine fir white Taran firs 2 pine aa red- | hem- Pp pine ! Spruce | cedar 3| lock Eastern Washington: @helan-Colwilletees: =) 2.0 en tae eae OE eee ne eet 108, 757 | 10, 943 10 | 2, 641 630 7|eSeee sere 31 286 | Sescete 123, 298 NEV ah oath 8 hfs) lees sige een te Me dade Saeed Be ae 83, 049 | 37, 871 416 46 1 SAN Oi | aaa | aa eo 482 808 124, 082 North Blue Mountain ________ BS ARR a pian MINA 2, 836 SEB] Sanaa 464 169 | aoetores oe Qs) see | apres 3, 811 of BY) Fes) Lettie a se a GR See es ee cs pea cton Tce ic ie aug meny Ul 194, 642 | 49, 147 426 | 3, 151 2209) Serene ew 40 768 808 251, 191 Eastern Oregon: : North Blue Mountain________________ PARR yr bee eaenen Neouareae 70, 877 5, 241 10 | 4, 822 1863) Saas AGS Goatees | ter ke kee 81, 782 WeschuteseRivers= ches ee yeah reer etn AE 231, 298 324 PIS ae Ae Bis | Pas eee | Rae ay Na ead ea | ae 231, 637 SOV TEI) IV MObbotR Nae oe ee 105, 405 1, 998 7 | 1,317 261m |S coe 6% | ee wae a | ee eo 109, 000 ‘Klamath Plate craes ithe ast tn yee ei Gee Ue ase Sy TaN | 399, 695 9, 955 1303 Seon ee 1,318 CHV i fol ee a 504) Era Se 416, 479 ED Obey] ee eke ore ay ieee ee. te a he ee Bate aN elon spam a eS Ea 807, 275 | 17,518 159 | 6, 139 2, 374 4, 877 52 04:2 | Saas 838, 898 REGIONE O tallies Aa ea RG a eae erro had 1,001,917 | 66, 665 585 | 9, 290 4, 583 4, 877 | 92 | 1,272 808 i, 090, 089 1 Includes 2 M board feet of lodgepole pine in Chelan-Colville unit. 2 Includes all species of Abies. 3 Includes 504 M board ‘eet of California incense-cedar in Klamath Plateau unit. 420 360 300 240 . 180 BOARD FEET (MILLIONS) 120 60 ° L Yj CHELAN- YAKIMA NORTHBLUE DESCHUTES SOUTHBLUE KLAMATH COLVILLE RIVER MOUNTAIN RIVER MOUNTAIN PLATEAU Figure 20.—Average annual sawlog production in the ponderosa pine region in 1925-36, by forest-survey unit. 34 of a sustained-yield plan by some of the larger private operators reduce the cut appreciably. In 1939 annual sawlog drain in this unit totaled nearly 750 mil- lion board feet, practically all ponderosa pine. In the Deschutes River unit, the second in volume of sawlogs produced, large-scale operations began about 1916 in the Bend dis- trict and reached a peak in 1925 when approximately 345 million board feet was cut. Although this record was closely approached in 1929, production remained fairly stable during the period 1925-36. It is doubtful whether the cut will ever again reach the 1925 figure, but it will probably average about a quarter billion annually for a considerable time. As in the Klam- ath Plateau unit, the cut may be considerably reduced through adoption of sustained-yield man- agement by the larger operators and limitation in the sale of Fed- eral-owned timber. Production in the South Blue Mountain unit showed a large increase during the latter part of the period, = . owing to the beginning of a large operation in Grant County in 1929. In general the cut in the three Washington units varied little from the regional trend except that in none was recovery from the 1932 low as rapid as in the Oregon units and in none was the 1929 volume again reached. Ponderosa pine constituted 92 percent of the average sawlog output during the period and Douglas-fir made up the bulk of the remainder. In Oregon an even greater portion, 96 percent, of the cut was of ponderosa pine. In Washington, how- ever, 77 percent was of ponderosa pine, a consider- able quantity of Douglas-fir being cut in the Yakima River unit. Of the region’s total output during the period, approximately 72 percent was cut on lands in private ownership, 15 percent on Indian-owned lands, 11 percent on national-forest lands, and the remainder principally on State lands and Federal- owned revested grant lands. Fuel Wood Live timber cut for fuel was the second largest item of cutting depletion from 1925-36 and com- prised about 13 percent of the total volume. ‘Table 15 shows the production of fuel wood by State, forest-survey unit, and species. Since fuel wood was cut both from trees of saw-timber size and smaller trees, these two classes are shown sepa- rately. Average annual production for the period was based on a study of minor forest products made in 1930 by H. M. Johnson and an estimated annual per capita consumption of live forest fuel wood for both urban and rural areas. Per capita consump- tion was higher in the rural districts than in urban districts, since large quantities of slabs, edgings, mill waste, and sawdust were consumed for fuel in the cities. In Washington a considerable amount of coal was used in both urban and rural localities. Data on the amount of dead timber utilized for fuel were not compiled, since this use does not constitute depletion of the timber inventory. However, in some localities much of the fuel wood is cut from timber killed by insects, fire, or drought. Prac- tically all of this dead material is of lodgepole pine and ponderosa pine; both species are considered excellent fuel. Another source of fuel wood not constituting a drain on the timber supply is pon- derosa pine limbwood resulting from logging opera- tions. Of the total annual production of fuel wood of 155 million board feet from trees of saw-timber size, and.1.3 million cubic feet from smaller trees, 56 percent was produced in Oregon and 44 per- cent in Washington. Practically all of the wood was used in the locality in which it was cut. Ponderosa pine, as the leading species, constituted 69 percent of the total volume. Douglas-fir and western larch were cut extensively throughout Tasie 15.—Production of forest fuel wood in the ponderosa pine region by State, forest-survey unit, and species 1 From trees of saw-timber size 2 From smaller trees Forest-survey unit Ponder- | Douglas- osa pine fir | Western | Other Total Western Oak Other larch species juniper species Total M board | M board M board | M board | M board | M cubic | M cubic | M cubic | M cubic 35 Eastern Washington: feet feet feet feet feet feet feet feet feet G@helan= Colville se ee ae ee ee eel 16, 909 9, 355 5, 818 1, 904 BRE CRG loo. 25 ees ss Stet 343 343 DTI APRON V Ole =e eae a pe ee ete ed 13, 941 5, 200 25 13 LOY 1,9 een eee 108 2 110 INOCODSB GAVE OU Tain = = a eee ee ee a 9, 631 2, 517 1, 897 483 TE Pape oy ea Se ee hes 87 87 NaCI St eee as oo eee ae ee eee 40, 481 17, 072 7, 740 2, 400 6716930 | eee 108 432 540 Eastern Oregon: North Blue Mountain Ss See ee etter sue ss 8 19, 287 5, 702 4, 088 8 ZOHO RS dee ere erate |e i PP Rein Sp tN Deschutes River 20, 308 3, 643 Be orl (ae eee ees 23, 951 406 101) S22 See 507 SOULE D DG Vi OUT tA eee teen ene ce et ee eee 20, 543 994 6967 |2eee ae 22, 233 D2ibi| See 20 247 Rianravb ie ateauiee. = aie cone tes ot ne ee 10, 755 1 S70. NE oases oes eee ee 12, 125 Bit P| eon eee ve in 18 LNG) Us a ee as ee ES ee a ee ee 70, 893 11, 709 4, 784 8 87, 394 651 101 20 772 = a | FROPTOTNCOLRL: Pee ne eee rs SPS ae eo ee 111, 374 28, 781 12, 524 2, 408 155, 087 651 209 452 1, 312 ! In addition to the volume shown here, considerable quantities of slabs, edgings, mill waste, and sawdust were used for fuel. 1 Figures given are log scale, based on Scribner rule; 1,000 board feet is approximately equivalent to 130 cubic feet. TABLE 16.—Production of round and split fence posts in the ponderosa pine region by State, forest-survey unit, and species From trees of saw-timber size ! From smaller trees Forest-survey unit ‘ F ~ r California A Western | Western | Douglas- | Pondero- |<". Lodge- Sierra redcedar larch fir sa pine eae Others Total pole pine | juniper Total Bassi M board | M board | M board | M board | M board | M board | M board | M cubic | M cubic | M cubic Eastern Washington: feet feet feet feet feet feet feet feet feet feet Chelan @ olivillese 2 2a eee ee ee es 1, 503 1,170 334 1005|22 2 67 3, 174 S6i5| kes ee ie 36 NakimavRiversver sae es ae uy eee eae 954 700 255 (» N a region such as this with extensive areas of unmanaged, mature forests, the forest capital is constantly being depleted by human and natural agencies, at the same time that it is re- plenished to an extent by growth. Growth and depletion are characteristically out of balance during the early period of rapid timber harvest. Some sort of a balance, however, must eventually be attained. Ifdepletion is abruptly curtailed to equal erowth, the production of marketable products, recovery of wealth, and the contribution to com- munity support from the forest will fall short of the sustainable amounts. On the other hand, if depletion exceeds growth too long, forest capital will be so reduced that the subsequent rate of possible timber harvest will be very low. One aim of forest management is to bring the two opposing forces of growth and depletion into balance at the optimum level. Hence, a current excess of de- pletion over growth is justified by the region’s substantial old-growth timber supply, to the extent it is harvested under forestry practices that will insure continuing yields at this level. Although varying widely in character, the com- mercial forest stands may be classified with respect to condition of growth into two broad categories— immature stands and mature or virgin stands. Estimates of gross growth were computed for all commercial stands, but detailed net growth esti- mates were restricted to the immature stands— those not more than 160 years of age—on the assumption that in older stands, on the whole, growth is offset by losses through mortality and decay. Growth estimates were made only for the com- mercial forest sites. Rates applied to the immature ponderosa pine stands were derived from two sources—those for even-aged stands from the 43 Ke normal yield tables,’ those for uneven-aged stands from the growth charts for selectively cut forests (77). For the virgin saw-timber types growth rates were derived from 323 samples taken throughout the region and analyzed especially for this study, as detailed in the appendix, p. 91. Rates for the immature stands of other species were derived from the Douglas-fir yield tables (70). Three kinds of volume growth were calculated in both cubic feet and board feet. Each kind is useful in describing in part the forest‘ growth situation, but none alone adequately portrays the entire situation. These are current annual growth, or the current annual increment of stands in their present condition; periodic growth, or the esti- mated increment within three periods of 10 years each; and potential annual growth, or the average annual increment that could be obtained from all commercial forest land through reasonably inten- sive forestry practice as judged by current local standards. Current Annual Growth Estimates of current annual growth are based on forest conditions as of date of survey inventory, which averages about January 1936. This ex- pression of growth should not be used as a basis for estimates of volume at a future time, as changing conditions quickly invalidate it. It shows neither the potential productivity of the land nor the relation between character of forest practice and forest productivity. Current growth is directly comparable with current depletion, but conclu- 5 Yield table adjustment factors were applied to the rates derived from the published tables (72) in order to allow for approach of understocked stands to normal. These factors were based on findings of J. W. Girard and L. J. Cum- mings in connection with the growth phase of the forest survey in northeastern Washington. ‘te sions drawn from this simple comparison are likely to be misleading unless they are modified by analysis of existing growing stock and prevail- ing forest practices. Sites occupied by commercial forest stands total 15,771,000 acres, of which 11,654,000 acres bear mature stands, 1. e., more than 160 years old, and 4,117,000 acres immature. Mature Stands On the 74 percent of the region’s commercial- forest area that is in mature timber, a gross annual growth is being achieved that in 1936 was 183 million cubic feet or 893 million board feet (table 21). Butin spite of this, mature timber as a class suffered a loss in volume from 1917 to 1936, owing principally to insect epidemic and severe drought. For the next several decades, however, a net in- crement may be anticipated in such stands owing to the release that losses from insect attack have afforded the remaining trees and to the greater rainfall following the earlier abnormal drought. Although some stands have continued to lose volume despite such release, it is believed that for larger areas such periods of loss are followed by periods of gain. It is impossible as yet, however, to predict mortality of unmanaged mature stands with more detail than is involved in the general assumption that it will in the long run equal gross growth over large areas. Thus it is that three-quarters and more of the total gross saw-timber growth in the region is at present being nullified by mortality caused prin- cipally by insects. Unlike that in many forest regions, this mortality is chiefly in high-quality trees. Rec- ords of the Bureau of Entomology and Plant Quaran- tine show that the average ponderosa pine tree killed by insects is about 32 inches in diameter and that 90 percent of the loss is in trees 22 inches in diameter, or more. Reduction of this wide discrepancy between gross and net growth is one of the region’s most urgent forest-management problems. Forest managers believe that by substituting light, thrifty-maturity selection cutting at frequent inter- vals for clear cutting or heavy selection, the mor- tality now occurring in the virgin stands can be reduced much more rapidly. Under this system only the least thrifty, most mature trees, of high 44 Tasie 21.—Current annual growth ponderosa pine region, 1936 MATURE STANDS? ——— Cubicsoot Board-foot growt rowth State and unit Area |____ hn e Gross Net Gross Net Thou- | Million| Million) Million| Million 3 sand cubic cubic | board | board Eastern Washington: acres | feet feet feet feet Chelan-Colville.-_______ 2, 285 BY eee sites L542] Sa Yakima River_____-_____ 1, 422 P48) ain TAAR Nee eo North Blue Mountain __ 124 25) | iat ore ye econo ps Totalee sas een 3, 831 Ghij Soe ee 305) cee Eastern Oregon: North Blue Mountain __| 1,387 PA a Rey Paes Deschutes River________ 1, 582 Dil | Meas Une 1440) A. aoe South Blue Mountain __| 2, 428 20 2 Neensteed 1365 | sae Klamath Plateau. _- 2, 426 AL Aaa PA cass tee otal sae aie se 7, 823 18 | eee es O88 | Ew eke Region total___________ 11, 654 1S3h Rese 893 | waren IMMATURE STANDS3 Eastern Washington: Chelan-Colville 37 32 74 64 Yakima River_____-_____ 30 26 58 50 North Blue Mountain __ if 6 8 7 Rotel seiazeianincs =< lee 1, 978 74 64 140 121 Eastern Oregon: North Blue Mountain __ 799 33 29 44 39 Deschutes River______ + 401 19 16 18 16 South Blue Mountain __ 457 18 16 21 18 Klamath Plateau_______ 482 14 13 29 25 Ot alec: PEA eS ae 2, 139 84 74 112 98 Region total___________ 4,117 158 138 252 219 1 ALL STANDS Eastern Washington: Chelan-Colville_________ 3, 388 71 32 228 64 Yakima River_._________ 2, 135 59 26 202 50 North Blue Mountain __ 286 9 6 15 7 (Lotalsivacts Soe sei ee 5, 809 139 64 445 121 Eastern Oregon: North Blue Mountain __| 2, 186 54 29 133 39 Deschutes River________ 1, 983 46 16 162 16 South Blue Mountain___} 2, 885 47 16 157 18 Klamath Plateau_____-__} 2, 908 55 13 248 25 otal s = see ee 9, 962 202 74 700 98 Regionitotale-==ssse— 1 15,771 341 138 1, 145 219 1 Cubic-foot growth is for that portion of the stem of trees 5.1 inches d. b. h., or more, between stump and top 4 inches in diameter inside bark, exclusive of bark and limbwood. Board-foot growth is for trees 11.1 inches, d. b. h., or more, in 16-foot logs to an 8-inch top, Scribner rule. 2 Stands more than 160 years old, on commercial conifer forest land. 3 Stands 160 years or less in age, on commercial conifer forest land. insect susceptibility and low growth rate, are harvested at each cut. If the same total volume is thus removed in lighter cuts per acre, more acres will be cut over annually and conversion of virgin forest to net-growth condition may be accomplished -in a relatively short cutting cycle. Current gross growth provides a measure of the maximum effective increment during the first cycle following application of this method of cut- ting. The portion of this maximum that will actually be achieved is, of course, unknown, but there is a realistic opportunity of speeding the recovery of a substantial part of total gross growth by such alteration of cutting practice. Immature Stands Stands not more than 160 years old cover 26 percent of the region’s area of commercial forests, consisting of young forests that have followed clear cutting or burning and residual stands left in con- dition of net growth by selective cutting. Their current annual gross growth totals 158 million cubic feet or 252 million board feet. After allow- ing for the low normal mortality characteristic of these thrifty stands, net annual increase in volume is 138 million cubic feet or 219 million board feet. Location, species, and quality influence the economic availability of this increment. Approxi- mately one-half is in ponderosa pine types (table 22) and there is little doubt of its potential avail- ability, not only because ponderosa pine is com- mercially desirable but also because these stands Tasie 22.—Annual increment in stands of the ponderosa pine types in terms of total saw-timber growth in all stands, by survey units, 1936 SS State and unit Gross growth | Net growth Eastern Washington: | Percent | Percent Q@helan-Colvyille= 22-75-25 = 22-2 = 39 | 33 Wakimanlcly Chsies== sere enter ae 37 | 40 North Blue Mountain___-----------_-- 35 | 25 Average (weighted). ---------------- 38 | 35 Eastern Oregon: | North Blue Mountain___-------------- 43 37 PESCHULES ULV ae eee ge ee eee 70 77 South Blue Mountain___-------------- 75 | 75 Kilsmath lates u ees csen eee on 77 i9 Average (weighted) --.-------------- 69 59 Region average (weighted) - --------- 58 48 _——— 462119°—42—__4 are as a whole favorably located. Of the other half of the net growth, probably a large part will also be economically loggable at a time and in amounts dependent upon market values and production costs. Quality of net growth in both type groups is far lower than that of timber now being logged. It is estimated that only one-fifth of the total net growth is being put on trees 22 inches d. b. h. or more. In contrast, more than four-fifths of current timber drain is in trees of this size class. All Commercial Stands If no reduction is made for losses by mortality and decay, the total gross growth in the region is 341 million cubic feet or 1,145 million board feet an- nually. This growth in cubic feet amounts to 1.1 percent of the region’s total timber stand; in board feet, to0.9 percent. ‘I'wo-thirds of it is in ponderosa pine types but only 58 percent on ponderosa pine trees, largely because the volume of other species in the pine types is greater than the ponderosa pine volume in the nonpine types (table 22). In con- trast ponderosa pine suffers 87 percent of the total cutting depletion. Total regional net growth is identical with that occurring in the immature stands. Net increment in cubic measure is 40 percent, that in board measure is only 19 percent of total gross growth, the remainder being at present offset by mortality. Periodic Growth In this region, where extensive virgin forests are being rapidly cut over, the change in growth rate is so rapid that the trend of growth is of far greater significance than is its current level. As here com- puted, periodic growth is the net increment that will occur concurrent with probable cutting, fire, and mortality depletion® during three decades under three classes of cutting practice in ponderosa pine stands: (1) Light selection cutting (the most mature, least thrifty 50 percent of the virgin stand per acre) on lands of all ownerships; (2) heavy selection cutting (75 percent removal per acre) on private lands and light selection cutting (50 per- 6 Allowance was made for insect, windfall, and disease mortality in immature stands at estimated normal rates. Allowance was made for these factors in virgin stands by assuming that, on the whole, growth balances mortality therein. cent) on lands of other ownerships; (3) virtual clear cutting (95 percent of virgin stand per acre) on private lands and heavy selection cutting (75 per- cent) on lands of other ownerships. The third class of cutting practice approximates that which has prevailed prior to the date of the survey; the current trend is toward lighter cutting. In each instance it was assumed that the portion of the stand removed would be the slowest growing of the total. These percentages of cut are employed to illustrate the effect on growth of leaving various densities of reserve stand; none is necessarily recom- mended as most suitable for any specific forest. Relatively little logging is anticipated in the non- pine types during the next 30 years; hence, only one class of practice, clear cutting, was assumed for them. This does not imply, however, that there may not be advantages in selective cutting in these types. Owing to the expected conversion of additional areas to growing condition as cutting continues, the estimated net annual increment increases substan- tially in the three decades following 1936 (table 23, fig. 23). If the cutting practice that has prevailed in the past continues, it is estimated that the annual net growth for the region will increase from about 220 million board feet in 1936 to about 615 million board feet in 1966. Under a relatively light selec- tion cutting of the same total volume in the pine stands, the estimated net growth for the region as of 1966 would reach 900 million board feet, an in- crease in growth 72 percent greater than that anticipated under continuation of past practice. Under heavy selection on private lands and light selection on all other, a net annual growth of 815 million board feet could be attained by the year 1966. Light selection cutting not only converts the static or decadent virgin stands more rapidly to a condition of net growth, but also improves the quality of the growth. Also, owing to the greater reserve stand left and the greater volume and qual- ity of growth obtained, a second cut may be taken after a much shorter interval following light selection. At present ponderosa pine types contribute only one-half of the net growth, but suffer nearly 90 percent of regional depletion. By 1966, however, they will be making from 71 to 80 percent (de- pending on cutting practice) of the net growth and a relatively high percent of it will be occurring in accessible stands of the most desirable species. The effect of cutting practice on future growth is obscured somewhat because the growth shown above includes that of existing immature stands, the increment of which could of course be affected Tasie 23.—Periodic saw-timber growth} in the ponderosa pine region, 1936-65, by decade and class of cutting practice [In million board feet—i. e., 000,000 omitted] 1936-45 1946-55 1956-65 State and unit 50-50 75-50 95-75 50-50 75-50 95-75 50-50 75-50 95-75 Eastern Washington: @helan-Colvilles- == 322 769 730 665 1, 284 1,178 962 1, 694 1, 567 1, 240 halk asi era een yes ewan 552 523 486 888 812 701 1, 131 1, 046 883 North Blue Mountain_-_-_------_- 77 74 69 156 146 132 223 208 188 To tel shies os eae a eh a as 1, 398 1, 327 1, 220 2, 328 2, 136 1, 795 3, 048 2, 821 2, 311 Eastern Oregon: Northern Blue Mountain_______- 400 380 355 815 736 649 1, 109 992 858 Deschutes Rivers. o=- see ses sae 355 306 235 769 657 446 1, 105 968 676 South Blue Mountain__-_-_____- 271 246 200 657 570 410 1, 003 874 629 Klamath ?Plateausss se =e ane 652 560 397 1,377 1, 167 722 1, 799 1, 590 1, 015 Potala nee a ea = 1, 678 1, 492 1, 187 3, 618 3, 130 2, 227 5, 016 4,424 3, 178 Region totaliice tac se sense oS ee 3, 076 2, 819 2, 407 5, 946 5, 266 4, 022 8, 064 7, 245 5, 489 1 Growth is shown for all trees 11.1 inches d. b. h., or more, estimated in 16-foot logs to an 8-inch top, Scribner rule. Under each decade is shown results from three cutting methods: (50-50) light selection, removal averaging 50 percent of virgin stand volume per acre on both private and other areas where cutting occurs; (75-50) heavy selection, averaging 75 percent of virgin stand volume per acre on private lands and light selection, averaging 50 per- cent, on other lands; (95-75) virtual clear cutting on private lands and heavy selection on other. 46 in no way by the cutting practice employed on other areas. By 1966, it isestimated, the net growth of stands assumed to be converted to immature status subsequent to 1936 will be about 215 million board feet annually if past cutting 500 practice continues. Cutting on a light selection basis, however, would raise the net growth of such stands in 1966 to 520 million board 400 j fo) feet, or more than 2.4 times that ie which would be obtained by con- tinuation of past practice (fig. 24.) Over a rotation, the spread be- tween the volume growth following light and that following heavy cutting would be smaller than for 200 BOARD FEET, (MILLIONS, LOG SCALE) the initial 30-year period, but the fog difference in quality of growth would still be great. If the antici- —— Pt pated demand for privately owned 0 timber is completely met, a critical 1936 1946 1956 1966 period will arrive in the heavily Fygure 24.—Annual growth of stands that would be converted to net growth status producing units within one to two subsequent to 1936, by cutting practice. 2,500 > 2,000 ~ 2) .) % a 9 ~ 4 1,500 c i iS i K> = ‘ _ 1,000 ov & ~ v KX 8 ® 500 G Periodic annual growth, 95-75 percent cutting = Periodic annual growth, 75-50 percent cutting Ba Potential annual growth, pine sites Ny Ne z N Periodic annual growth, 50-50 percent cutting i) Potential annual growth, other sites || Periodic annual depletion FicurE 23.—Regional periodic annual growth under three degrees of cutting, periodic annual depletion, and potential annual growth. 47 decades. The quality and quan- tity of growth available in the reserve stands will then decide how drastic the curtailment must be. Both amount and value of growth as of this period can be greatly increased, and _ conse- quently the necessary curtailment considerably reduced, by shifting cutting practice to a light selec- tion basis now. Potential Annual Growth Potential annual growth, as already defined, is the average annual increment obtainable through reasonably intensive for- estry as judged by current local standards. It does not represent maximum increment; the theo- retical ultimate value has been substantially reduced to allow for an amount of understocking and nonuse of forest land believed inevitable. Even so, this obtainable growth could be achieved on the whole of the region’s commer- cial forest land only after years of careful and effective forest-land management. It was anticipated that, under reasonably inten- sive management, timberland sites rated accord- ing to the ponderosa pine classification would produce 60 percent of normal yield-table incre- ment and woodland sites 20 percent. For sites rated by the Douglas-fir classification, an average increment of 75 percent of the full yield-table value was assumed. Growth equal to or in excess of these adjusted standards is now found in many parts of the region’s natural forests, uniformly over areas of several thousand acres. The adjusted mean annual growth rate for each site-quality class was multiplied by the corresponding acreage, and the sum of the resulting products is the esti- mated potential growth (table 24 and fig. 20; also, for rates used in making these calculations, .table 42 in the appendix). Of the 658 million cubic feet of wood, or 2 billion board feet of trees 11.1 inches d. b. h. or more that sustained-yield forest management can pro- duce annually on the 16.2 million acres of com- mercial conifer land, the four Oregon units, com- prising 63 percent of this area, have about 61 percent. Approximately three-quarters of the commer- cial forest land, including about 69 percent of the potential growth, is in ponderosa pine sites, and these represent 81 percent of the growth capacity of eastern Oregon, but only 51 percent of that for the Washington units of the region. Seven per- cent of the ponderosa pine lands is in woodland sites, but these include less than 2 percent of the pine-site growth capacity. One-half of the region’s commercial forest land and of its productive capacity is in the national forests, one-third is privately owned, and the remainder is principally in Indian ownership. Forest lands legally reserved from cutting have about 2 percent of the timber-growth capacity. The extent to which yield can be increased when opportunity is afforded for marketing thinnings varies with utilization standard or type of prod- uct, as well as with site quality, age, and density 48 TasLe 24.—Potential annual growth’ on commercial forest sites in the ponderosa pine region Growth on saw- timber trees Growth |_ fas State and unit Area on all trees Pon- Total derosa pine Thou- Million | Million sand cubic board Eastern Washington: acres feet feet Percent Chelan-Colville._-_______ 3, 525 140 408 55 Yakima River____-______ 2,177 104 342 45 North Blue Mountain ___ 288 12 36 49 Total eee salieri aie 5, 990 256 786 51 Eastern Oregon: North Blue Mountain___ 2, 244 90 260 64 Deschutes River________ 2, 016 79° 252 84 South Blue Mountain___ 2, 925 110 337 86 Klamath Plateau_______- 2, 993 123 402 86 Potal 2s sees Sarg 10, 178 402 1, 251 81 Region total._______ ___ 16, 168 658 2, 037 69 1 Growth in cubic feet is shown for that portion of the stem of all trees 5.1 inches or more in d. b. h. between stump and a top 4 inches in diam- eter inside bark, exclusive of bark and limbwood. Growth in board feet is shown for all trees 11.1 inches d. b. h. or more estimated in 16-foot logs to an 8-inch top, Scribner rule. of stands. No allowance was made for this factor in computing potential growth, but analysis of the normal yield-table mortality rates reveals that the maximum increase in yield derivable from this source may approximate one-third of the cubic measure yields shown in the published tables (10, 72). Comparison of Current, Probable Future, and Potential Growth Growth status as of 1936, summarized in table 25 in comparison with probable future and potential growth, shows that stands that are mak- ing net growth are contributing cubic-foot growth nearly proportionate to the area they occupy, but less than half the board-measure increment of which the sites are capable. This is due chiefly to the fact that the clear cutting and heavy selection cutting prevailing in the past have so depleted the residual stands of sawlog-size growing stock that many of the stands are below saw-timber size. Board-foot growth rates on these areas may be Taste 25.—Comparison of current, probable as of 1966, and potential annual conifer increment in the ponderosa pine region ACTUAL VALUES Increment | Increment on all trees | on all trees 5. 1.1+ inches d. b. h.|inches d. b. h. Thousand Million Million Kind of annual growth Area calculation involved acres cubic feet board feet Gumrent, 1ps02e= se. oe =- ee neta 4,117 138 219 Probable, 1966: 50-00 1 Ba ees oe eek 10, 282 355 900 70-5045 Sree ee oa oto. 9, 499 325 815 Da? Gite ne Sao ee OS eS 8, 139 255 615 PROTAN Gin owe ee a ne ae ee 16, 168 658 2, 037 RATIO TO POTENTIAL VALUES Percent Percent Percent MAN TEON YOO ocean ee 25 21 11 Probable, 1966: BOR DO SERS oes Bart ee ee 64 64 44 5-80 '8 eee ee ee SY ae 59 49 40 SB = GRE ee eee Se Rs 50 39 30 1 Assuming 50 percent volume removal on all lands during first cutting cycle. ? Assuming 75 percent volume removal on private lands, 50 percent on other lands. 8 Assuming 95 percent volume removal on private lands, 75 percent on other lands. expected in time to increase materially, but such growth will for many years be low in quantity and even more so in quality. Differences in site- quality class of the areas shown in table 25 are negligible; average site quality of the areas in growing stands approximates that for the region’s total area of commercial forest land. The probable annual growth estimates as of 1966 are derived from the periodic growth calcu- lations. If past cutting practice continues, about 8.1 million acres will be occupied by growing stands by 1966 and their estimated net annual growth as of that date is 255 million cubic feet or 615 million board feet. Light thrifty maturity selection cutting applied to ponderosa pine stands of all ownerships could increase saw-timber growth to 900 million board feet by 1966. Effectiveness of Past Forest Practice Since nearly three-quarters of the commercial forest land is occupied by mature stands that are making no current net growth, a regional compari- son of current growth with total potential growth is of little value as an index of the effectiveness of past forest practice. It is more appropriate to compare current and potential growth on the 416 million acres of commercial forest land that is not occupied by virgin timber, of which 94 per- cent is now supporting growing stands of some sort and the remaining 6 percent is deforested. Here current growth in cubic feet is 73 percent but in board feet only 37 percent of the potential (table 26). Current growth in both cubic measure and board measure is less than the potential in Taste 26.—Current and potential growth on commercial forest land in the ponderosa pine region, exclusive of land occupied by mature timber State and unit Area Ratio of current to potential growth Current annual Potential annual growth growth Cubic feet | Board feet eer Gee | bs eee Thousand Million Million Million Million Eastern Washington: acres cubic feet board feet cubic feet board feet Percent Percent @helan-Colvilless eos aoe se =. stent a Ares es 1, 239 32 64 53 155 60 41 Wakima Rivers 22+ -2--=.-- 755 26 50 37 126 70 40 North Blue Mountain 164 6 7 7h 21 86 33 ROTI ee Fe ee Fa Se oe te ee ee ee 2, 158 64 121 97 302 66 40 Eastern Oregon: INOxtheB ineeviountain= sa. Pees pe eS Rr ee Ace 857 29 39 34 97 85 40 435 16 16 17 57 94 28 497 16 18 19 60 84 30 567 13 25 23 75 57 33 2, 356 74 98 93 289 80 34 4, 514 138 219 190 | 501 | 73 | 37 49 every unit, but the discrepancy in cubic-foot growth is relatively small. Cubic-foot increment is pro- gressing at a comparatively satisfactory rate in the existing immature stands, particularly in the Deschutes River and in the three Blue Mountain units. The deficiency of board-measure growth so pronounced in every unit is additional evidence of the low quality of current increment. The situa- tion is due largely to the dearth of saw-timber-size growing stock in the immature stands. As cutting continues to convert virgin to growing stands, and as the existing immature stands increase In age, board measure growth will increase sub- stantially without change in forestry practice, but the quality of such growth will be low for many decades. ume, and also materially in value, only by improved Growth can be further increased in vol- cutting practices. Comparison of Growth and Drain The Current Situation Normal regional mortality depletion ‘“—princi- pally from insect, windfall, and disease loss—added to the average depletion from cutting and fire dur- ing the recent past (table 27)—1,259 million board feet for cutting and 87 million board feet for fire— gives a total depletion figure of 2,272 million board feet, or twice the gross annual growth. The re- gion’s saw-timber stand is thus being reduced by 1,127 million board feet annually. comparison is made directly between that portion If, however, of the total growth which is currently effective, i. e., between net growth and cutting depletion plus fire loss, the ratio of saw-timber drain to growth is about 6 to 1. On the same basis but in terms of cubic feet, current gross growth is 73 percent of gross deple- tion. Current net cubic-foot growth is 52 percent of net cubic-foot depletion, and (table 27) the regional cubic-foot volume of wood is being cur- rently reduced by approximately 126 million cubic feet annually. The annual net reduction in timber volume in the region amounts to 0.9 percent of the saw-timber 7 Estimated normal mortality for immature stands plus loss allowance for virgin stands equal to total gross growth therein. 50 stand, but to only 0.4 percent of total cubic volume. The disparity between these percentages is further evidence that net growth is occurring principally on small trees of low quality while larger, more valuable trees are being harvested in logging and killed by insects. Net saw-timber growth is exceeded by depletion from cutting and fire in every unit in the region and net cubic-volume growth in all but the North Blue Mountain units. Growth in these units also is substantially exceeded by depletion on a value basis. Fortunately, as already implied, the region’s timber budget is not out of balance to the extent indicated by these direct comparisons of growth and depletion. The large excess of depletion over growth is partly explained by the fact that three- quarters of the region’s commercial forest land is still covered with virgin stands that are considered as making no net growth, although they contain a large saw-timber supply and the land they occupy possesses a substantial growth capacity. Because of this, the regional cut may exceed growth for several decades without damage; in fact, if such cut is confined to the most mature or decadent trees, the eventuality of greatly increasing net growth can be highly favorable; the extent and rate of increase and the quality are all directly depend- ent upon the character of forestry practice that will prevail. In the region’s principal sawmill centers, however, even the best of forestry measures cannot increase net growth to equal the current overcutting. Comparison of Potential Growth and Depletion Total growth exceeds recent regional depletion from cutting and fire by about 51 percent. The productive capacity of the ponderosa pine sites alone is about 5 percent greater than potential saw-timber In terms of cubic volume, however, the growth recent saw-timber depletion. capacity of the ponderosa pine sites is only 83 percent of total drain from cutting and fire. Potential cubic-volume growth of all sites exceeds depletion by 25 percent. As shown in the last two columns of table 27, physical opportunity for net saw-timber growth eventually exceeding cur- rent drain exists in all but Deschutes River and ay Tas_e 27.—Comparison of current annual growth and drain SAW TIMBER (MILLION BOARD FEET) Current Normal Current Average ah tl an minal a Potente ; State and unit gross mortality net : fire loss depletion | saw-timber innet growth! | depletion?| growth 1924-1935 1925-1936 volume growth Eastern Washington: Chelan-Colville is 228 164 64 49 161 146 344 Yakima River ‘ 202 152 50 6 145 101 292 NONE B ee ODNI RAIS oak gem eye ee es ee eer 15 8 | 7) oe Ee 21 14 29 GUC po aS Ne SA ar ae ee AEG 9 445 324 121 55 327 261 665 | Eastern Oregon: | INORG HE LUGE WOU Gan tee e se ae ee eee ere 133 94 39 1 113 75 221 Mesehutes River! = so-so ek: = eae a oe ee ek 162 146 16 11 257 252 236 SOULDY BE neu Vioun Cali sense eee ee ee 157 139 18 7 133 122 319 RUMAH intone sere eee ewan tls Seeker 248 223 25 13 429 417 377 Totaten ae eaten ee Mir ete 0 a ON Ie 700 602 | 98 | 32 932 866 | 1, 153 | | Repion totals eee re en ot a oe Eee 1, 145 926 219 87 1, 259 1, 127 1, 818 ALL STANDS (MILLION CUBIC FEET) Eastern Washington: @helan- Colville: 22 = ese. ae ote n ean ene ene 71 39 32 26 30 —24 108 WATT AGN GIRS = ee Se eS BE ree Ee 59 33 26 2 26 =?) 78 INOrungB liesViotintain's | eee ee a ee ee ee 9 3 (athe epee ipo 4 +2 6 | — SOT Cee nee eer ae ee Ea 139 75 64 28 60 —24 192 Eastern Oregon: INOrvHwBGMVLOULILaI ee seen st ens Foe a ea oes 54 25 20) eee 6 ene 21 +8 61 IDES NN CHRON Oe 2s ee Se Sea eee ee Ee ee 46 30 16 3 47 —34 63 SOUbhes lemon yaar ere ee ener ae 47 31 16 1 24 —1) 94 lama the Plateau Smee een e ae eee eee Se ce | 55 42 13 3 77 —67 110 | TIAL <1 SE sed ak AS Cc eae Re eS 202 128 74 7 169 —102 328 UCP TOUIC OLS Unease ee et Ie re emt Se eens 341 203 138 35 229 —126 520 1 On commercial forest land, 1936. 2 Insects, disease, wind throw, ete. 2 On commercial stands not more than 160 years in age, 1936. Klamath Plateau, the principal lumber-producing Local Trends in Saw-Timber Growth and Depletion units, and potential growth in cubic volume Cutting of saw timber assumed for the decade exceeds recent depletion by a substantial margin 1936-45 exceeds the 1925-36 average rate by in every unit. about 39 percent, in general conformity with the Despite the favorable spread between recent increase in timber cut since 1934. As supplies of cut and physical growth capacity of the region as privately owned timber diminish, a larger propor- a whole, it is conceivable that that portion of the tion of the timber cut will come from public and potential growth that proves to be economically Indian lands. For the bulk of such lands the cut accessible may fall short of future needs because is limited to volume that can be sustained without much of the remote forest land is unsuitable for serious interruption. Hence a reduction in cut is ntensive management. assumed for the 20-year period following 1945. 51 ed As cutting continues, growth will increase, the rate depending largely upon the prevailng cutting practice. If no significant change is made, it is estimated that by 1966 depletion will exceed net growth, not by the current ratio of 6 to 1 but by about 2 to 1, owing to anticipated increase in in- crement following conversion of mature stands to net growth condition by cutting. If cutting took the form of 50 percent selection of the most mature trees in the stands logged, it is estimated that by 1966 depletion would exceed growth by only about 44 percent. Growth-depletion relationships vary widely for the several units of the region (table 27 and fig. 25). In the Chelan-Colville and North Blue Mountain units, total net growth will either about equal or slightly exceed estimated depletion by 1966, depending on the quality of forestry practice. In the Yakima River unit growth will be approach- ing depletion. A substantial part of the net growth in these three units, however, will be in nonpine types of average low value and accessibility. In the Yakima River unit more than half the forest productive capacity is in these types. Even if all possible improvement is made in cutting practice there will still be a wide discrepancy between ponderosa pine depletion and ponderosa pine growth in 1966. But since total potential growth exceeds assumed depletion by a wide margin in each of these units, it would be possible, through reasonably intensive forestry practice, eventually to sustain an increased production if opportunity to market species other than ponderosa pine is developed. The average depletion assumed to occur in the Deschutes River unit during the 30-year period exceeds total potential growth by 15 percent—on the pine sites alone by 37 percent. Potential erowth' cannot be attained here by the time the existing mature timber will be gone, and hence a material reduction in cut is inevitable. However, 52 prompt and effective forest management can mitigate the severity of the The excess of cut over permanent productive capacity is even greater in the Bend area, the unit’s prin- cipal industrial center, than it is for the unit as a whole. The area tributary to Bend has been so badly overcut for several decades that drastic reduction in output will be unavoidable in less than two decades. In the South Blue Mountain unit, assumed average depletion for the period 1936-65 is 76 percent of the potential growth of the ponderosa pine sites. Properly managed, the timber resources are sufficient to prevent serious interruption of production for the unit as a whole, if the cut does not advance beyond that assumed. Local short- ages, however, already exist in this unit and may be expected to increase in severity. The Klamath Plateau unit includes the principal lumber-producing center in the region, Klamath Falls, and is assumed to yield more than 36 percent of the region’s cut for the next three decades. If this heavy cutting actually occurs, a drastic future reduction is inevitable. Necessary curtailment will be less severe if cutting is made under good forestry practice, but even so there will be a large deficit between anticipated growth and depletion as of 1966 (fig. 22). Since assumed average deple- tion for the period 1936-65 exceeds total potential growth by 36 percent, it is evident that production could not be maintained at that level, even though all the unit’s timberlands had been under reasona- bly intensive forestry management for many years. The longer the inevitable curtailment is postponed the more severe it will eventually be. These assumptions of heavy depletion for the period 1936-65, although justified by present trends, most decidedly are not recommendations. In the Deschutes River and Klamath Plateau units particularly, every constructive effort should be made to alter current depletion trends. curtailment. Board feet (Millions, log scale) 500 CHELAN - COLVILLE YAKIMA RIVER 300 200 300 200 100 Bes] (0) d = ‘ee 0% 600 500 400 300 1936-45 - - 1936-65 YY Periodic annual growth, 95-75 percent cutting & Periodic annua! depletion = Periodic annual growth, 75-50 percent cutting Ba Potential annual growth, pine sites NN Periodic annual th, 50-50 t cutti Potential ] th, other sites N ual growth, percent cutting ‘otential annual growth, other si Ficure 25.—Periodic annual growth, depletion, and potential annual growth by survey untt. 53 FOREST RESOURCES OF THE PONDEROSA PINE REGION Land Use Nonforest Land Use , \HE total area of the ponderosa pine region is 65.5 million acres, of which 22.1 million acres was Classified as forest land by the sur- vey, including 2.0 million acres classified as wood- land pasture and 0.15 million acres as woodland not pastured, by the 1935 census of agriculture. The 1935 census designates 21.5 million acres as nonforest land in farms. The remaining 21.9 mil- lion acres of nonforest, nonagricultural land con- sists of mountain barrens, alpine meadows, and desert land. Not all is waste land, however, as the mountain meadows and much of the desert land are grazed in some degree. This type of land is usually publicly owned and is used by neighboring stock- men on a fee-permit basis. Approximately 8.5 million acres of the total land in farms is available for crops and about 15 percent The total area of pasture land in farm ownership is 14.4 million of this area is under irrigation. acres, composed of 12.4 million acres of nonwood- land pasture and 2.0 million acres of woodland pas- ture. In addition a very large percent of public and private forest land is used for forage production. Water is the key element in the agricultural econ- omy. Irrigation is necessary where intensive farm- ing is practiced; elsewhere stock raising and dry- land wheat growing are the principal agricultural occupations. Forest Land Use There is no indication of any appreciable reduc- tion in the forest-land area through conversion to agriculture, and for all practical purposes the forest- land area can be considered as stationary at 22 million acres. 54 EE There has been little conversion of forest land to cropland, and agriculture and forestry are in har- mony in practically all parts of the region. The forests are largely confined to the mountains and high plateaus where topography is too rough and climate too rigorous for successful agriculture. The broad valleys, plains, and deserts are _ treeless mostly because precipitation is inadequate for tree growth. A significant feature of the forest situation is the extent of multiple forest land use. Timber produc- tion, forage production, watershed protection, recreation, and wildlife support are all important uses of forest land and all or nearly all are practiced Seldom is it neces- sary to restrict any extensive area to only one of these uses. simultaneously over large areas. Timber Production Approximately 16.2 million acres or 73.2 percent of the region’s forest land was classified as poten- tially productive of conifers on a commercial basis. An additional 40,000 acres of hardwood land has some slight value for timber production. Two mil- lion acres of lodgepole pine land classified as non- commercial yields occasional timber products. The withdrawal of public forest land for recre- ation and other uses has made little reduction in the area available for commercial timber produc- tion. Most of the reserved lands are at the higher elevations where the forest cover is either non- commercial or low in merchantable value. Cutting of timber is prohibited on about 900,000 acres. There is little likelihood of extensive future with- drawals as the land preeminently suitable for recreation or protection is almost invariably non- commercial, Grazing Next to timber production the most important use of forest land in the region is the production of forage. Under the open ponderosa pine forests many grasses, shrubs, and herbaceous species grow. Most of these are high in forage value. The range livestock industry is important. It is estimated that nearly 2 million sheep (figure 26) and a third of a million cattle valued, at more than $100,000,000, graze the ranges of this region. Practically all of the summer range available to only to the livestock industry but also to timber owners, who derive secondary income from rental of forest land for forage. It has been repeatedly demonstrated that through proper land manage- ment the same forest area can be used successfully for timber and forage production. Soil and Watershed Protection With but few exceptions the streams of this region rise in forested country. The dependence of agri- culture upon irrigation and adequate watering F372024 FiGurE 26.—Sheep on summer range in a national forest in eastern Oregon. the industry is in the forested area and over 20 million acres of forest land is grazed. The limiting factor in the livestock industry is the volume of summer range; there is sufficient spring-fall range and winter range or hay production to support a greater livestock population. One possible remedy is to increase forage production on summer range through improved management. The protection of forest ranges and correlation of this use with other forest land use is an important problem not 55 places for stock makes it imperative that the flow of streams be regulated and the water supply be conserved. This is best accomplished through pro- tection of the forested watersheds. Heavy invest- ments in engineering works for irrigation and hydroelectric power must be protected against abnormal silt deposits which reduce water storage capacity and cause other damage. Studies of the exact effect of removal of vegetative cover upon streamflow and erosion have not been made here. The open nature of the forests, the slowness with which they are reestablished, and the failure of shrubby vegetation to hold the soil on deforested slopes are evidence that a permanent forest cover must be maintained to protect the watershed values. This can usually be done without conflict with other important uses if proper forest manage- ment is followed. Water for domestic use in the larger cities and towns is usually obtained from forested watersheds. To protect the purity as well as the quantity of the supply it may be necessary to prohibit or restrict other uses, including timber production. The area involved is not large. Recreation The forested areas are rich in recreational and scenic values. The open, parklike ponderosa pine and alpine forests are easily accessible, and the mountain lakes and streams, alpine meadows, and rugged mountain peaks attract vacationists, hun- ters, fishermen, nature lovers, and _alpinists. Although the local population is sparse, the forests of the region are extensively used, many visitors coming from the coast. Outstanding scenic attrac- tions, such as Crater Lake, Lake Chelan, the North Cascade Primitive Area, and the Wallowa Mountains, draw visitors from all parts of the country. Crater Lake National Park is visited annually by 200,000 people. Approximately 856,- 000 acres of the national forests have been set aside as primitive areas and recreational areas. In 56 addition the Forest Service has developed many campgrounds and recreational facilities, so that the innumerable forested beauty spots can be enjoyed. Approximately 450,000 people use the five national forests for recreation each year. Wildlife An outstanding attraction. of the forested districts is the abundant supply of fish and game. The principal game animal is the mule deer and in season hunters from the entire Pacific Coast pursue this animal. Intelligent game management has resulted in large increases in the mule deer popula- tion. In fact the population on certain protected and managed areas has increased beyond the capac- ity of the winter range and in 1938 and 1939 it was necessary to open the season on does in certain localities. In addition to furnishing summer range for deer, the forests also furnish food and shelter for elk and many fur-bearing animals. Like the deer the elk population is increasing, and each year hunting of these animals which were once considered vanishing is permitted under close supervision. Mountain goats and big-horn sheep still inhabit the more remote sections and are protected. Antelope in limited numbers are found in the desertlike southern part of the region. The lakes and streams are noted for their trout. The forests are an important element in maintain- ing optimum conditions for fish through their protective influence on streamflow. ie % FeOeR CEH SS.) GROB ST Oru RGsEss OP Bip ite 2) a ONG Di heins Om Se Ayre li Ng Er oie sey) Girly ON Forest Protection 2» —-—— HE swift catastrophes, often involving whole- sale destruction, by which forests are con- stantly threatened make heavy demands for more adequate protective measures. ‘The en- tire timber supply supporting a substantial commu- nity may be wiped out in a few hours by fire. A forest industry may be seriously crippled through destruction of its timber holdings by an insect epidemic. The unavailability of insurance against such loss and the long time required to replace a merchantable forest further emphasize the need for systematic protection. It is believed that ade- quate protection is possible in this region without unreasonable cost. Ranked in order of damage, insects precede fire. Insect Control Insect depredators and the damage involved have already been discussed. The amounts spent in control operations in areas of heavy infestation are considerable. Expenditures for western pine beetle control work during the fiscal years 1931 to 1938 were $160,000 by the Forest Service, $461,000 by the Indian Service, and $118,000 by private owners, according to the Bureau of Entomology and Plant Quarantine. In Oregon, control of insects on private lands is required by statute. The law declares pine beetles and other insect pests and infestations 1n- jurious to timber and forest growth to be a public nuisance and authorizes public eradication meas- ures if the owner fails to control pests on his land. Upon notice of an infestation the State forester is charged with the duty of declaring and establish- ing the boundaries of a district or zone of infesta- tion. Upon application of owners of 60 percent or more of the timber or timbered lands within an 57 infestation district, the State forester notifies all owners of land therein to proceed with control measures. If any owner fails to comply, the State forester undertakes the eradication work, the expense thereof constituting a legal lien against the prop- erty. This law has seldom been invoked. No similar law exists in Washington. The Klamath Forest which conducts fire-protection work on private forest lands in the Klamath Plateau unit, also does insect-control work on the lands of its members. owners have voluntarily carried on control meas- ures individually on their own lands. The Bureau of Entomology and Plant Quaran- tine gives technical advice on insect control and conducts a program of forest-insect research. Two methods of controlling epidemics of bark beetles are (1) the burning method, which consists of felling infested trees, peeling the bark from the top half of the trunk, and burning the tree; (2) the sun-curing method, which consists of exposing the bark of the felled trees to the sun’s rays. The latter method is now used only in the control of mountain pine beetle attacks on lodgepole pine. Salvage operations are also used to control infesta- tions. Recent research. by the Bureau of Ento- mology and Plant Quarantine has demonstrated possibilities of averting or minimizing future through management. Keen (8) has evolved a system of classifying pon- derosa pine on the basis of susceptibility to insect attack. ‘The use of the Keen system in marking trees for selective cutting should reduce future Protective Association, Several private epidemics silvicultural losses from western pine beetle. The only epidemic fungus disease attacking forest trees in this region is the white pine blister rust which attacks the five-needle pines. Control activities consist of eradicating ribes plants, the alternate host. Ribes eradication work has been carried on in northeastern Washington under the supervision of the Bureau of Entomology and Plant Quarantine. Fire Control Even though losses from insect epidemics are much greater, fire loss is an important factor in saw-timber stands. The forests are dry for a large part of the year, resinous trees predominate, and lightning storms are common during the driest time of the year. Yet, in spite of these adverse conditions, fire losses are relatively smaller than in the Douglas-fir region. This is accounted for by the open nature of the ponderosa pine forests and the scarcity of the undergrowth, which retard the rate of spread and make fires less likely to crown. Also, the easy topography and open stands make possible a high degree of mechaniza- tion and effectiveness in fire suppression, at least in the ponderosa pine forests. The most critical fire problem area in the region is in northern Washington, where lodgepole pine and upper-slope types predominate. This dis- trict is comparatively inaccessible and the topog- - raphy is rough, making fire protection more diff- cult than in the areas where the ponderosa pine types predominate. Climatic conditions are un- favorable and lightning is common. The entire forest area is under organized fire protection, varying in degree, however, with forest-cover type, accessibility, timber values in- volved, and ownership. Naturally the areas of valuable saw timber have received the most in- tensive protection. In the past few years, help received from the Civilian Conservation Corps has made it possible to strengthen protection on all forest lands. National Forests The national forests with 10.9 million acres of forest land are protected by the Forest Service, which also protects alienated lands within the exterior boundaries through agreement with the State foresters. Isolated parcels of national-forest land intermingled with private land are usually protected by the State foresters and private asso- ciations through agreement with the Forest Service. Protection standards have improved steadily in recent years as a result of increased facilities, more scientific planning, training of personnel in organ- ization and technique, and cooperation of the Civil- ian Conservation Corps and other emergency work programs. Fire detection has benefited through the construction and betterment of guard stations, lookouts, and telephone lines. Attack on fires has been made more effective through construction of new roads and trails and airplane landing fields. Reduction of hazards along roads and in especially inflammable areas has prevented many fires from starting. Moreover, C. C. C. units have consti- tuted a mobile fire-fighting force which can be organized and trained, held in readiness, and its organized units quickly transported to fires, with the result that fires have been attacked more in- tensively and effectively than by pick-up labor. Other Federal Lands On most national parks and monuments, pro- tected by the National Park Service, protection is not an acute problem. Many of these areas are at high elevations where the fire season is short or are covered with types that are not unusually hazard- ous. The Indian-owned lands compare with the na- tional forests in fire danger and are protected by a system generally similar to that used on national forests. The public domain lands are usually scattered and are protected by the agency protecting the ad- joining lands. No separate organization is pro- vided. State, County, and Private Lands State and county lands are protected by the State foresters except where such lands fall in national- forest protective units, in which case the State for- ester contracts with the Forest Service to furnish protection. The fire-protective system is practically the same in both States, and close cooperation among Federal, State, and private agencies is the key to its success. Public land other than Federal- owned land is protected by the State foresters, and private land by the owner either independently or in association with other owners or by the State foresters. Where there is a commingling of lands differing in ownership, cooperative agreements provide for division of the area and assumption of responsibility for protection of each division by a single agency. Both States have progressive forest-fire codes requiring every owner of forest land to provide protection therefor. If an owner fails to protect his land, the State forester does so and the cost is assessed against the property on the county tax rolls. Both States have compulsory slash-dis- posal laws. Oregon has a law enabling the Gov- ernor to close forest areas to entry during critical fire weather; an operator’s permit law that gives the State forester authority to shut down logging operations during periods of high fire hazard; and a law requiring snag falling. In Washington hazardous areas may be closed or other restric- tions applied thereon by the State Director of Con- servation and Development, and the Supervisor of Forestry is authorized to suspend logging, land clearing, or other industrial operations during periods of extreme fire hazard. The private timberland owner has the privilege of protecting his own holdings or of paying the State to do it. In only a few instances have tim- berland owners exercised this option and formed protective associations. All private forest lands in eastern Washington are protected by the State forester. Eastern Oregon has three forest-fire protective associations, the strongest being the Klamath Forest Fire Association covering a large acreage in Klamath and Lake Counties, and the other two, the Walker Range and the Black Butte, both comparatively small. ‘The work of the associations is inspected by representatives of the State forester to see that adequate protection is given. ‘The State may contract with an association for the protection of tax-roll land within the asso- ciation’s territory. The States receive fire-protection funds from three sources; from private owners through county tax rolls, through direct appropriation by their legislatures, and from the Federal Government under the Clarke-McNary Act. Federal contri- butions have been of valuable assistance to the development and maintenance of fire protection on private lands, not only through the Clarke- McNary Act, but also in recent years through Federal emergency work programs, notably the Civilian Conservation Corps. EP ORRGE eS be Ree SOU Re Geb Ss O7Es he Be PON DB RIOrS AYP LN ERY Be Gale ON Forest Industries >> ANUFACTURING in this region is \Y Ge chiefly to forest industries. Pro- cessing and canning of agricultural prod- ucts is the only other manufacturing industry of any consequence. Even this industry is small and by far the greater part of the agricultural produc- tion is shipped in the raw condition. The regional population was 528,000 in 1939. The population density of 5.2 persons per square mile indicates the rural character of this region and absence of populous metropolitan centers. Approximately 40 percent of the population was engaged in gainful occupations. The fact that forest industries accounted for only 7.6 percent of the gainfully employed in 1930, whereas agricul- ture employed 39.5 percent, fails as an indicator of the importance of the forest industries as a source of basic income. For one thing, these industries furnish relatively more secondary employment within the region than does agriculture. Even here where agriculture is chiefly of a large-scale, single-crop type—wheat growing, stock raising, and orcharding—farmers are much more self- sufficient than forest-industry workers and make less demand upon service industries and generate comparatively less retail buying. It is a safe esti- mate that at least 20 percent of the population is dependent either directly or indirectly upon the forest industries. It is estimated (1939 Census of Manufactures) that the forest industries produced goods valued at approximately $50,000,000 during 1939. During the same year it is estimated that about $16,500,000 was paid in salaries and wages and that the total value of sawlogs, fuel wood, poles, fence posts, and other forest products was approximately $14,000,000 to $16,000,000. As already noted, lumber manufacture is the only primary wood-using industry of any magni- 60 Ke tude and this has been a large-scale industry only since the beginning of this century. The develop- ment of the industry has been greatly retarded by lack of water transportation which normally costs less than rail shipment. Being dependent almost entirely on rail transportation to markets, the industry has had to ship products dry to reduce freight costs and hence has made heavy invest- ments in dry kilns, extensive air drying yards, and large inventories. Kiln drying and remanufacture are much more prevalent here than in the Douglas- fir region where much of the lumber is shipped by boat. The typical large lumber manufacturing plant (fig. 27) consists of sawmill, dry kiln, planing mill, sash and door factory, and box factory. This region has no open log market, another result of the lack of water transportation, and this has forced lumber manufacturers to acquire suf- ficient timber to last the entire operating life of a mill or to depend partly upon public-owned tim- ber. ‘This condition has tended to preclude inde- pendent logging operations. Few lumber operations have been started with the expectation of obtaining all raw material from public forests. A number of operations have counted on public forests for part of their supply, assuming that by virtue of the location of their plants, or through the intermingling of their own holdings with public timber, they would be assured eventually of the opportunity to purchase the public stumpage within their sphere of operation. ‘The investment of private money in the forest industries, including standing timber, logging improvements and equipment, manufacturing plants, and working capital, is estimated roughly at $125,000,000 under current conditions. Principal problems that contribute to imperma- nence of forest industries are: (1) Distance from markets, (2) lack of markets for species other than 3 ~% _ “3 - F 348122 Ficure 27.—Large sawmill plant located in eastern Oregon. ponderosa pine, and (3) concentration of manufac- turing capacity in Klamath Falls and Bend. Logging Since logging is controlled by the manufacturer and all the large concerns own their logging opera- tions, there are no large-scale independent logging operations that own timber and sell their output either on contract to manufacturers or in an open market. A few large manufacturers contract part of their logging, but in these cases they usually own the timber. A few small manufacturers obtain all or most of their sawlogs through con- tract logging of their own timber or through pur- chase from small independent logging operators. Or a single phase of the logging operation may be commonly contracted, such as felling and bucking. Logging is seasonal on nearly all operations, although the shut-down period on account of cli- matic conditions seldom exceeds 2 or 3 months. Geographic, silvicultural, and economic condi- tions are particularly favorable to partial cutting in the ponderosa pine forests, and nearly all operations, even those on private lands exclusively, 462119°—42-__5 61 leave some trees standing after logging. In some cases the first cut is so heavy as to approximate clear cutting and in other instances the residual stand is practically worthless. Constant improve- ment is evident, however, and better methods of management are becoming the rule. Logs have been almost universally ground skid- ded, until recently with horses, chains, tongs, carts, wagons, or big wheels. The earliest use of tractors for logging was in ponderosa pine forests, and tractors are now in common use, chiefly with an arch and cable; big wheels have just about passed out of use. Horses are still used in some operations for bunching logs at a landing and with the cross haul for loading trucks and even in some cases railroad cars. Loading, on the large opera- tions using railroads for transportation, is done with power loaders or ‘‘jammers”’ (fig. 28). Flex- ibility in selection of logging equipment has been facilitated by the easy topography and open type of forest. The light stands of the ponderosa pine forests necessitate that large mills have extensive tributary territory and exceptionally long rail hauls. In spite of this apparently adverse factor a number of the large mills have located on the edge of the forest zone or in some cases many miles from the nearest timber. Such locations have sometimes been nec- essary to obtain main-iine rail facilities but some- times are the result of more obscure reasons. For- tunately logging railroads can be constructed cheaply owing to the easy grades and rare need for bridges. Little excavation and rock work is neces- sary in railroad construction. Logs are usually moved from the woods to the mill either by railroad or truck. Water transporta- tion is used in only a few isolated instances. Flumes are unknown and log chutes are seldom Lumber Manu ifacture Sawmills The region had 230 sawmills in 1937, of which 203 were active at least part of that year and 27 were completely idle but not dismantled or aban- doned. The largest city in eastern Oregon, Kla- math Falls, is dependent for its economic existence mainly upon sawmill pay rolls. Other good-sized communities, such as Bend, Oreg., are vitally de- pendent upon the lumber industry. Spokane, a short distance outside the region, is an important Ficure 28.—Loading ponderosa pine logs on flat cars with gas ‘“‘jammer.” used any more. In the 1931—40 decade, both large and small operators steadily increased their use of trucks for hauling logs (fig. 29), owing to the construction of many miles of new highways. Dirt roads can be constructed relatively inexpensively and there is only a short period in the year when rain or snow makes them impassable. While the advent of truck transportation has meant much to small operations and independent loggers, there is little likelihood that motor trucks will completely displace railroad transportation on large opera- tions, Owing to the fact that beyond a certain maximum distance the use of trucks appears to be unprofitable. 62 F348264 Tractors with arches are used to bring logs to the landing. lumber-manufacturing center, but only small quan- tities of logs from this region reach the Spokane sawmills. Sawmills range in size from small portable mills (fig. 30) operated by a few men and having an installed daily capacity of some 20 M board feet to large plants employing hundreds of people and turning out as much as 500 M feet (table 28). Roughly one mill in every nine was idle during 1937; but it is significant that more than three- quarters of the idle mills were of the smallest size class. No mill with a daily installed capacity greater than 100 M feet was idle; the aggregate capacity of the idle mills was but 6 percent of the a Ficure 29.—Loading ponderosa pine logs on truck with a Diesel converted shovel loader. total sawmill capacity; and these idle mills were well scattered throughout the region (table 28). Of both idle and active mills, the Chelan-Colville unit has the largest number, but many are small and the Klamath Plateau unit with half as many mills has a much larger capacity. The greatest con- centration of mills, both by number and capacity, is in the vicinity of Klamath Falls (fig. 31). East- ern Oregon, with its greater area of forest land and Ficure 30.—Portable tie mill which cuts approximately 300 ties a day. 63 timber volume, has a score more mills than eastern Washington and more than double the sawmill capacity. Lumber Production and Its Relation to Installed Saw- mill Capacity The total installed capacity of all sawmills in 1937, computed for a year of 300 8-hour working days, was approximately 2.4 billion board feet ine , F348163 Three men operate it—a sawyer, offbearer, and stacker. Four horses, used singly, yard logs from the woods. (lumber tally), and the annual capacity of the Tasre 28.—Number and daily installed capacity' of sawmills mills active in 1937 was 2.3 billion board feet. SUE OT ESG STU INO) POUAET OST: Paes ee Lon 127 Ecos NR ate eer ee The lumber production in 1937 (table 29) was 1.8 Forest-survey unit and Active} Idle Total |Active| Idle All billion board feet, or approximately three-fourths capeclty e0Up sas if mas malls) | lls) | smnilss | aus of the total installed capacity. Many of the large M Num-| Num-| Num-| board | board | board mills operate two shifts daily even during periods Eastern Washington: ber | ber | ber | feet | feet of low regional production and the mills of the OEM CO NAMC: os ues Glee 100) at 810) eel 5 Yakima River. ____ __ 34 3 37 882 65 region can actually exceed by a large measure North Blue eNroun: the installed capacity rating computed on the YM cea aoe ace Upton = Uae He |e aa basis of one daily 8-hour shift. In spite of this Totalsiias cae 95 9| 104 | 2,321 | 179 apparent maladjustment of installed capacity to ene 5 a f - astern regon: production, several new mills have recently been North Blue Moun- constructed and others proposed for early con- Mee Boe cots 20 Cilia corals eee anog 5 : Deschutes River______ 27 4 31 | 1, 203 47 struction. Of course, some of the older mills are South Blache Nioune nearing the end of their operating life owing to se Shee aaa os Balke Sere POeD eee ! . 3 Klamath Plateau_____ 30 2 32, | 2, 292 110 exhaustion of available raw material. In the Klamath Plateau unit installed capacity does not Weer eee Pe doe ae sd so greatly exceed lumber production as in most of Daily capacity (M board the other units. As a general rule the large mills feel): pice 5; : TeD02s i Meee ere 14} 21| 135| 973] 151 maintain production more evenly and at a higher ZiesOue neeee nares 46} 4] 50] 1,549| 150 : h oO the small mills. Th tay EN 010 ee i ea RE 29 2 31 | 2, 204 155 Comparative rate t an a E a € LOTR 200 SN eevee es iA | (areas a 11 1,915 EAA bs excess of installed sawmill capacity over normal 20 500E eae ees ee 3) |eaeseaw 3] 960) [Sees ion i in this region than in some production is much less in this region tha Regional total. | 203} 27 | 230] 7,601 | 456 other forest regions—the Douglas-fir, for example— P| indicative of the more stable conditions. 1 Per 8-hour shift. Tasie 29.—Annual lumber production in the ponderosa pine region, by survey unit and species, 1925-38 | [In million board feet—i. e., 000,000 omitted] S | | | | | Forest-survey unit 1925 | 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 | 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 | 1988 | 1939 and species | | | | | | : : Chelan-Colville______- 135 124 116 113 142 119 115 85 115 107 128 137 171 139 Yakima River____-__- 155 173 145 166 196 156 132 101 110 104 143 166 174 137 North Blue Mountain_ 199 181 116 82 145 97 59 31 53 44 94 117 134 105 Deschutes River_____- 363 | 320 270 306 334 242 159 92 147 162 237 281 301 281 SouthBlue Mountain_ 94 | 97 70 73 88 138 117 83 105 96 171 208 234 182 Klamath Plateau_____ 397 448 389 506 537 466 377 220 355 373 524 690 759 602 Region total....| 1,343 | 1,343 | 1,106] 1,246] 1,442] 1,218 959 612 885 886 | 1,297] 1,599] 1,773 | 1,446 Ponderosa pine_-_____- 1,204} 1,205] 1,016] 1,129] 1,300] 1,118 892 582 824 818 | 1,192] 1,444] 1,619 | 1,324 Douglas-fir__-..-----_- 105 107 69 89 95 81 55 26 50 50 77. 109 116 78 Sugarpiness23-5-= 2" 1 1 (2) 6 3 1 1 1 2 6 15 30 16 29 Western larch ______-- OI) Ie ie SD 13 11 18 12 1 1 3 4 5 10 7 5 Western white pine__- 1 2 1 aU losers 1 6 (2) (2) 4 (2) 1 9 3 White firs 3___.____-_- 3 6 6 i 23 4 2 1 4 1 5 3 8 3 Western hemlock__-_- 8 1 (?) 2 2 (2) (2) (?) 1 1 2 1 1 1 Other conifers_-___---- 1 1 1 it 1 1 2 il 1 2 1 11 4 3 ar diwood Sines ee sistas se (2) Be ec Sat ad eo eeals @) ra ee ee | eee ae | _ | ! Motalecneo 1,343 | 1.343] 1,106] 1,246) 1,442] 41,218 959 612 885 386 | 1,297 | 1,599 | 1,773 | 1,446 1 Compiled from original data obtained by Forest Service under cooperative agreement with the Bureau of Census. 2 Less than 500 M board feet. 3 Includes Pacific white fir and grand fir. 64 @ Spokone ao Ben | | | UNI 6 al | oll @ OKlomath Falls, ome om ° | de ™@ 10! M or more per 8-hour doy @ 21-50 M per 8-hour day O 51-100 M per 8-hour doy © 1-20 M per 8-hour day Ficure 31.—Location of sawmills in the ponderosa pine region, by capacity class. 65 it! Lumber production here deviated from trends in other regions and for the country as a whole in not receding proportionately as much during the depression period 1931 to 1934 and in recover- ing thereafter more rapidly (table 29). Oregon sawmills produced more than three-quarters of the average annual regional production during the period 1925-38, inclusive. Ponderosa pine amounted to 96 percent of the total lumber production in the pine region of Oregon, 77 percent in Washington, and 91 percent in the entire region. This region produces about two-fifths of the entire cut of ponderosa pine lumber in the country (fig. 32). Lumber transportation and markets Transportation of lumber to primary consuming markets is almost entirely by rail. It is estimated that less than 1 percent of the regional lumber production is exported to foreign countries, and about 40 percent is sold in Oregon and Washing- ton. It is doubtful, however, that more than 10 percent of the lumber sold locally is finally con- sumed within the region; the remainder is re- manufactured and shipped to other parts of the country in such forms as sash and doors and box shook. The principal outside markets for lumber are California, New York, [llinois, lowa, Wiscon- sin, and Minnesota. A large part of these ship- ments consists of factory or shop lumber destined for further finishing. Freight amounts to a large part of the delivered price of lumber shipped to middle western and eastern points. The rail rate from Bend or Klamath Falls to Des Moines is 69% cents per hundredweight, to Chicago 73% cents, and to points eastward to the Atlantic Coast 82 cents. Assuming an average shipping weight of 2,000 pounds per M board feet, these rates amount to $13.90, $14.70, and $16.40, respectively, per M board feet. Partly, at least, because of the heavy burden of freight charges which ponderosa pine must bear, this species is marketed in a more orderly fashion and with better control by the manufacturers than many other woods. Because of the high freight cost, the shipment of the lower grades to distant markets is not justified, but a large part goes to local box factories. Manufacture of cedar shingles is the only other primary wood-using industry and it is of little importance. There are only a few small mills producing cedar shingles. Other Manu ifactures The chief sawmill byproducts are lath, fuel wood, hogged fuel, and sawdust. The use of hogged fuel and sawdust for industrial fuel is limited almost entirely to the wood-using industries. Saw- dust, slabs, and edgings are used as fuel in homes, schools, and office buildings in the forest-industry communities, but this use is limited by the sparse- ness of population in these localities. The leading secondary wood-using industry is manufacture of box shooks. It is estimated that in the Klamath 4,000 Falls district two-thirds of the | lumber cut is manufactured into T = a + UNITED STATES | box shooks. In other parts of the 3,000 region the amount going to box factories is much less but still a substantial part of the total cut. Most of the large sawmills and 2,000 BOARD FEET (MILLIONS) many of the small mills operate box factories. In addition there are a number of small independ- 1,000 +— PONDEROSA PINE REGION ent box factories that either buy lumber or more commonly - fe) operate a small sawmill to supply their box factories, disposing of 1925 1926 ©1927 1928S 1929s «1930-1931 193219331934 Ficure 32.—Comparison of production of ponderosa pine lumber in the United States lumber. In all, there are about and in the ponderosa pine region of eastern Oregon and eastern Washington. 50 box factories with a total 66 Sigh ese es7 ae better, quality “boards= ton installed capacity of 2.5 million board feet of shooks per 8-hour shift. These plants range from small factories with 1 cut-off saw and a daily capacity of 8 to 10 M board feet per day to large factories with 10 to 15 cut-offs and daily capacities of 100 to 150 M feet or more. The excellent qualities of ponderosa pine box shooks give them a commanding position in consuming markets. Among many kinds of shooks manufactured, the principal types are designed for apple and pear boxes for local markets, orange boxes, lug boxes for grapes, tomatoes, etc., vegetable crates, and cannery cases chiefly for the salmon canneries. 67 Sash and door factories and planing mills are also operated by most of the large lumber manu- facturers. Sash, doors, cut stock, casket shooks, mouldings, paneling, and various other specialty items are manufactured. In addition there are a few plants located in Klamath Falls manufactur- ing moulding and other planing-mill products exclusively. The region has one veneer plant also located at Klamath Falls, but the use of ponderosa pine for veneers and plywood is still new here. Small quantities of ponderosa pine logs have been shipped from central Oregon to a Portland basket and veneer plant. FOREST RESOURCES OF THE PONDEROSA PINE REGION Forest Management >> S already intimated, success in establishing a A permanent forest economy in this region depends on the solution of two major problems in forest management in the ponderosa pine types. First, and most important, the large area of stagnated old-growth forests must be con- Second, growth of the immature forests, which on the whole is much less than half capacity, must be increased. Except in a few instances it is doubtful if other forest types are suitable for even fairly intensive management. Approximately 12 million acres, amounting to 74 percent of the region’s commercial forest land, is classified as ponderosa pine land. And about 75 percent of this is occupied by old-growth saw- timber stands (fig. 33), most of which contain more than 80 percent ponderosa pine. Some 10 percent supports second-growth saw-timber stands (type 21), and 12 percent small second-growth stands. The remainder is deforested. verted to growing condition. Selective Timber Management Selective cutting apparently offers the most effective method of vitalizing stagnant old-growth stands. The great importance of advance repro- duction in ponderosa pine management has been conclusively demonstrated. If not destroyed dur- ing logging or slash-hazard abatement, the young growth already established under cover of the virgin forest will perpetuate the forest without interruption. On the other hand, if the advance reproduction is destroyed, vagaries of climate and seed crop may delay establishment of a satisfactory second crop 30 or 40 years or even longer. The uneven-aged character of the virgin pon- derosa pine forest favors selective cutting of some form or other. The growth characteristics of indi- KE vidual trees range from those of young rapid- growing trees to those of overmature slow growing. The range in immediate conversion value is as great; some trees are high in value, others are of low or negative value. Partial cutting, loosely called selective cutting, has been practiced for many years, not only on the publicly owned national forests and Indian reservations, but also on private lands. The de- gree of cutting has varied, but generally it has been heavy, with 80 percent or more of the original stand removed in the first cut (fig. 34). Marking of trees for cutting on national forests and Indian lands has been based on silvicultural characteristics. On private lands the general rule is to remove all trees of positive conversion value. Basic Principles Fundamental rules for management of ponde- rosa pine stands are clearly evident. Briefly stated the objectives of management are, other things being equal: A. To cut heavy enough to: 1. Reduce insect loss to inconsequential levels. 2. Provide an economic operation. 3. Stimulate growth of reserve sawlog trees, poles, and reproduction. B. ae cut light enough to: . Harvest rapidly the high-value trees over the entire operating tract. Reduce subsequent windfall losses to a minimum. Leave an adequate reserve stand for an early second cut. 4. Provide a seed supply where needed. wr To accomplish these objectives the following cutting rules are proposed. A. Cut high-quality trees of: 1. High-mortality probability. 2. Low-value increment. B. Leave low-quality trees of: 1. Low-mortality probability. 2. High-value increment. groupwise occurrence. Forest showing of ponderosa pine on the Malheur National trgin stand E 33.—) FIGUR F348253 Malheur National Forest of the volume, SO percent ai GURE 34.—Reserve stand after removal Fi 69 Figure 35.—RKeserve stand after 40 percent cutting. In actually applying these rules to specific stands many trees fall into one or anotber of these cate- gories without question, but conflicts also occur. For example, what shall be done with low-quality trees of low-value increment, high-quality trees of high-value increment, and low-quality trees of high-mortality probability? Many other conflicts occur in practice. It is not always possible to eliminate all highly insect-susceptible trees through logging and still cut lightly enough to avoid accel- erated windfall losses. The Maturity-Selection System Recent studies by Brandstrom (2) on the eco- nomics of ponderosa pine management demonstrated the advantages of a light initial cut on areas being managed for sustained yield. These studies resulted in the development of the so-called maturity-selection system based on the removal of the high-value overripe trees that are generally the least productive in the stand both economically and_ silviculturally. This system results in a first cut far below past practice, in one have 70 F 347937 Trees felled were high in quality and large in size. instance as low as 40 percent (fig. 35). Excep- tions from the basic rule allow cutting of certain low-value trees of poor vigor and leaving high- value trees of above-average vigor. Generally there is close correlation between silvicultural and economic objectives under this system, and _ re- moval of the high-value trees converts the stag- nant forest to a growing condition. Under this light cut it is unnecessary to dispose of slash except in certain vulnerable locations, thereby so improv- ing soil conditions as eventually to increase the productive capacity of the forest site. Region-wide application of such a system would greatly facilitate and hasten sustained-yield man- agement, thus stabilizing industries and communi- ties. As already demonstrated in the chapter on forest growth, light selection will increase regional growth at a faster rate than heavy selection. The more rapid spread of logging over the entire region will result in the development of an extensive net- work of roads which will assist in fire control and make more feasible salvage of insect-killed, fire- killed, and wind-thrown timber. Furthermore, universal application of the maturity-selection system should assist in control of insect epidemics by establishing healthy growing conditions and ridding the forest of many insect-susceptible trees. Even on public forest lands the maturity-selec- tion system has been used only in recent years. Its development, of comparatively recent origin, has been fostered to a great extent by increased mobility of logging equipment. ‘Tractors, trucks, motorized log loaders, and improved road-building machinery permit greater flexibility in logging. The exchange policy of the Forest Service, whereby Government stumpage is exchanged for selectively cut pine land in good condition, has stimulated light selection cutting on some private land, but as yet not widely. It is generally agreed among foresters that a lighter cut than has been practiced on private or even on most public lands is desirable. Under the impetus and leadership of Federal forest agencies, it is safe to predict that the maturity-selec- tion system will spread more widely to private lands. Disadvantages in the System It is obvious that the maturity-selection system cannot be universally applied even in this region. Some forest stands are not suitable; for example, those more nearly even-aged with a large part of the stand in the same size, value, and maturity classes. In this case a heavier first cut would be advantageous. In other logging units in this region, particularly in northern Washington where the mature stand is not more than 5 to 10 M board feet per acre, the volume taken under a light selection system would be too small to make a profitable operation under present conditions. Such stands will probably continue to be cut heay- ily. (Fig. (36). Removal of too few trees from heavy mature stands, in order to harvest quickly the highest value trees on the entire tract, may leave an ade- quate reserve for an early return cut, but growth will be little stimulated if at all. It is frequently impossible to cut stands on rough ground lightly enough to cover the tract quickly, avoid excessive windfall loss, leave an adequate reserve stand, and still maintain an economic operation. Cutting to eliminate all insect-susceptible trees in over- mature stands may result in not leaving sufficient volume for an early return cut or not providing adequate seed sources for restocking the area. It is not often that all desirable silvicultural and eco- nomic objectives can be achieved during the initial cut. Compromise is inevitable, and obviously a F 34824) FicuRE 36.—Results of clear cutting on private land. Liquidation dictates this type of cutting on many operations. 71 rational plan must rest upon analysis and weighing of the relative physical and economic factors which may differ widely tract by tract. The most serious obstacle to general adoption of this system has its roots in the concentration of Such uneven distribution of sawmills with respect to raw material creates a pressure to cut that makes it seemingly impossible to ration supplies unless ownership is concentrated in a few hands. The outstanding example of this condition is Klamath Falls. It is not likely that mill owners in such localities will drop out of the competitive race for raw material as long as stumpage can be _ pur- chased. Mills that have been fully depreciated from an accounting standpoint are able to bid higher, other factors being equal, than mills still charging off annual depreciation. As a general rule most mills in the areas of industrial concentra- tion fall in the first category. Sharp competition for stumpage between such mills forces timber on the market and makes sustained-yield operations difficult to establish. Manufacturers holding stumpageée reserves, who might operate on a sus- tained-yield basis if they could be assured of obtain- ing additional stumpage at reasonable prices to supplement their own stumpage, are forced into liquidating by the abnormal stumpage price. This results in maintaining high production in the con- centrated industrial areas until the available stump- age is virtually exhausted and a sharp and drastic curtailment is unayoidable—a process repeated time and time again in various other forest regions. Fortunately, in this region the substantial backlog of operable public-owned timber insures a mini- mum continuous production that will at least main- tain forest industries on a reduced scale. The chances of a liquidating operation adopting selec- tive timber-management practices _are small. There is no great advantage in this system if liquidation is the objective of an enterprise. The size of the manufacturing unit may have some influence on the application of sustained- yield management and selective timber manage- ment. Superficial reasoning would indicate that the mammoth industrial plant with heavy capital investments implies permanency. Actually the reverse may be true. Such plants have large over- head costs and often must maintain high produc- tion during adverse market conditions. Geared to high continuous production during their operating manufacturing capacity in a few localities. life as determined by the period of depreciation, they draw raw material from a wide area. Gen- eral adoption of a light-cutting practice can extend the territory of operations beyond the limits of economical transportation. For these reasons small- and medium-sized manufacturing units would seem to fit better into selective timber-management plans for private operations. The most logical means ot checking too rapid liquidation is through stabilizing ownership of standing timber. Various methods have been pro- posed to accomplish this end, but the most likely appears to be public acquisition of key properties and organization of cooperative sustained-yield units composed of Federal and private timber. There are a few instances of prospective adoption of sustained-yield policies by private owners whose holdings will make a feasible operating unit. Un- doubtedly stabilization of ownership will promote. selective timber management. Slash Disposal Under the forest practice of the immediate past, involving approximately an 80 to 90 percent cut, slash disposal has been a serious problem and one that has been the subject of intensive study (73). Neither in Oregon nor in Washington have the compulsory slash-disposal laws been enforced as long and as consistently as in the Douglas-fir region. For a number of years they were inter- preted by private operators as requiring burning; and as broadcast burning was cheapest, this meth- od was used. Other methods were considered . too costly, although piling and burning was and still is practiced on public lands. ing is exceedingly destructive to advanced repro- duction and usually delays forest regeneration several decades or in many instances longer. Revision and recent liberal interpretation of the laws permit partial burning and other methods of hazard abatement than burning. Intensive pro- tection of slash as a substitute for burning is now practiced. In spite of this progress, the slash- disposal problem is not satisfactorily solved on all land, and broadcast burning is still practiced on some operations. Widespread adoption of the maturity-selection system or any type of lighter cutting would automatically ease this situation and, if comparatively inexpensive protection were provided, the slash could be left to enrich the soil. Broadcast burn- — Eh Cae eh A AN ey eee oe FLOUR ES fT RoE S¥O UR GlEws OVE he tint) | PlOUNY DFE ORY Oy SssAyire L NUE RBG, LON The damnaber Supply > ITALLY important to forest industries and \ communities is the timber supply upon which both depend. Appraisals of the adequacy of this primary resource for maintaining flow of tim- ber have in many instances resulted in conflicting conclusions. Discrepancies have arisen both from variation in method of analysis and from differ- ences in statistics employed. The forest survey eliminated inconsistencies in basic data, but con- siderable variation in interpretation of these data persists. Relation of Timber Cut to Timber Supply In the past, forest industry has generally been migratory, the life of the principal operation in each locality being determined largely by the avail- able stand of virgin timber. Based on a system of liquidation, the duration of forest industry has frequently been estimated simply by dividing total timber stand by annual production. For example, it would be computed that this region’s present tim- ber supply, subjected to an annual depletion equal to the average cut of saw timber for the period 1925-36, would endure for about 101 years. Such crude calculation disregards entirely the effect on timber supply of depletion by agencies other than cutting on one hand and effect of growth on the other. It ignores the fact that a portion of the timber supply is economically inaccessible owing to remote location, undesirable composition, or poor quality, and also that approximately two- thirds of the timber resource is in Federal and Indian ownership and not available for unrestricted cutting. Furthermore, such a calculation fails to reveal the maldistribution of timber with respect to established communities. An average figure such as 101 years for the life of the timber supply is grossly misleading and Ke fails to emphasize the urgency of the forest problem. For example, similar calculations made by unit and by species groups show an indicated life of ponderosa pine supply for the region of only 73 years, while, for example, in the heavy-producing Deschutes River and Klamath Plateau units the hypothetical life of ponderosa pine is but 60 and 65 years, respectively, and for communities such as Bend and Klamath Falls the time must be halved or quartered. Privately owned timberlands, however, are being cut over much more rapidly than the average. The one-third of the region’s ponderosa pine saw timber that is in private ownership is suffering about 70 percent of the pine depletion. In addition the rate of depletion has accelerated rapidly since 1936. For example, if cutting continued at the 1937 rate, the region’s privately owned pine would be completely exhausted in 21 years. Sustained- Yield Capacity The Region as a Whole A far more rational analysis of the forest resource, anticipating timber harvest under a forward-look- ing plan of management, involves computation of sustained-yield capacity, i. e., the volume of timber that could be cut annually without interrup- tion or substantial future reduction. lf future curtailment is to be avoided, the current regional cut from ponderosa pine types should be limited to 930 million board feet annually. ‘This is the estimated cut that these types can sustain over an initial cutting cycle (based on 95 percent volume removal per acre on privately owned lands and 75 percent on lands of other ownerships) without reducing their future productivity. ‘This sustained-yield cut for the pine types is 74 percent of the average saw-timber cut of all species in the region for the period 1925-36, inclusive, and only 53) percent of the-rate for the period: 1937/39; inclusive. Virtually all cutting has been in the pine types. The allowable cut under sustained yield can be materially increased by two means—first, by changing cutting practice to a light selection sys- tem; second, by cutting in the nonpine saw-timber stands. By cutting on a maturity-selection basis, removing in each cycle only 50 percent of total vol- ume per acre, the allowable annual sustained-yield cut for the pine types is increased 21 percent, total- ing 1,126 million board feet. ‘This increase is justi- fied by the increased speed with which virgin forest is converted to a condition of net growth under a system of lighter volume removal per acre, and the consequent saving in mortality. Within the limits assumed for volume removal per acre, it is obvious that the less volume removed from any one acret he greater is the sustainable cut for the entire area, provided that cut is confined to the most mature and the least thrifty trees in the stand. Assuming a volume per acre removal of 75 percent of the virgin stand on privately owned pine lands and 50 percent on those in other ownerships, the allowable cut from this type group is 1,069 million board feet. The sustainable annual cut from the nonpine saw- timber types is 387 million board feet, but until there is greater assurance of their ultimate economic availability and utilization, they can be given little weight in balancing the timber budget. The pon- derosa pine types contain 16 percent by volume of so-called inferior species. An eventual increase in the use of nonpine species is anticipated; in fact, unless use of them is increased, the sustained-yield capacity. of the type group will be reduced. Only a negligible amount of ponderosa pine occurs in the nonpine types. Under reasonably intensive silvicultural practices and protection from fire and insects, the region’s ponderosa pine types could in theory maintain an ultimate annual production of 1,404 million board feet; the nonpine types, 589 million. However, it is doubtful if this level of productivity could be at- tained in less than a century, even if the entire forest area were put under sustained-yield management immediately. 74 The Situation Within the Units The advantages of sustained-yield management are many but they may be generalized into two: (1) Assurance of a continuous supply of forest prod- ucts to the consuming public, and (2) assurance of the permanence of the communities and economic institutions that are built around and are dependent upon the wood-using industries. Although an anal- ysis on a regional basis is adequate from the stand- point of the consuming public, it gives a grossly in- adequate portrayal of the community problems. For this purpose individual and coordinated case studies by production units are indispensable. Such studies are beyond the province of the present report, but analysis of sustained-yield capacities by forest-survey units materially localizes the problems involved and adds to the practical usefulness of the calculations. From table 30, comparing allowable cut by three classes of cutting practice and by type group with recent rates of saw-timber cut and ultimate sus- tained-yield capacity, it is apparent that in no unit can the 1937-39 rate of saw-timber production be maintained in the ponderosa pine types, regardless of the intensiveness of forestry that is practiced. Although future curtailment can be materially reduced by adopting improved cutting methods now, a lapse in production is unavoidable. In the Deschutes River and the Klamath Plateau units, the 1937-39 rate of cut from ponderosa pine stands exceeded their ultimate sustained-yield capacity, attainable only after years of intensive forestry, by substantial amounts. The 1937-39 cut was 63 percent greater than the ultimate in the Deschutes River unit, 94 percent in the Klamath Plateau unit. In other words in the latter unit, the most important pine producer in the region, the cut during these 3 years was nearly twice the permanent productive capacity. Under a light selection system, the present allow- able cut of ponderosa pine types in the Deschutes River unit is only 2 percent lower than the ulti- mate sustained-yield capacity; in the Klamath Plateau unit it is 13 percent greater. This is due to the fact that both units still contain a larger timber volume than would be required (in younger trees) to yield the total potential growth. Although the Klamath Plateau unit has a greater volume than any other unit of the region, the Selatan ak a talent aa ie Tasie 30.—Average annual cut of trees of saw-timber size 1925-30, 1937-39, theoretical allowable cut under sustained yield 1936, and ultimate sustained-yield capacity on available lands {In million board feet—i. e., 000,000 omitted] Tea as : tee yh aR Ultimate sustained- Allowable under sustained yield, 1936 yield capacity 4 Annual Annual = = i= Unit cut cut Pantecocatpinarnenese SEEN Orne rosa pine types 1925-36 1937-389 panies (Re Suen a Other Ponderosa Other types pine sites sites 50-50 75-50 95-75 Eastern Washington: @helan=C@olwilley- eee oak eee oe ok 161 190 126 123 106 114 224 171 AWiSUEIN AW LUV Gla ease ate ee CO a 145 161 108 103 88 119 152 181 NOL BineViountainess soe n see ae 21 23 8 8 7 13 18 18 POLS sie oa ee eas ean e se aeece as 327 374 242 234 201 246 394 370 Eastern Oregon: INOFUD Blue DMOUNLUS Ie ee ee ee 113 131 94 88 77 57 166 91 BYESCHUCESHNLV ORs ee ee a es ee aCe 256 343 205 195 170 36 210 39 South Blue Mountain__--_---_--_--_--- {ee 133 232 195 187 168 27 290 47 Kilamathvblateatees ao eee oe 430 667 390 365 314 21 344 42 Motel he 8 sa ae 2 ea eter eo RS 932 1, 373 884 835 729 141 1,010 219 Regionstotal ee esse seeea een a= sete 1, 259 1, 747 1, 126 1, 069 930 387 1, 404 589 1 Allowable cut under sustained yield if cutting in the ponderosa pine types during the period 1936-65 takes the form (50-50) of light maturity-thrift selection on both private and public lands; and (75-50) of heavy maturity-thrift selection on private, and light maturity-thrift selection on other lands; and (95-75) of virtual clear cutting on private, and heavy maturity-thrilt selection on other lands. 2 Potential annual growth. timber-supply problem is most acute here, owing to the heavy concentration of sawmill capacity and the extremely high cut in the Klamath Basin. In fact if the relation of cut to timber supply is analyzed for Klamath County alone, or for the so-called Klamath production area,’ the situa- tion appears even more critical. Some of the timber in eastern Jackson County (in the Douglas- fir region) may move to the Klamath Basin, but the volume available from this source would not support production at the present rate in the Klamath Plateau unit for more than 2 years. On the other hand, a substantial timber volume in northern Klamath County will be milled in the Deschutes River unit. Some students of the situa- tion have predicted that timber in northern Cali- fornia will move to Klamath Basin mills. The maximum supply that could be derived from this source would furnish not more than a 5-year cut at the present rate. The amount that will actually s Includes the territory from the northern boundary of the Klamath Indian Reservation, south to the Oregon- California line, and from the divide in Lake County between the Klamath Basin and the Goose Lake and Summer Lake drainages west to the summit of the Cascade Range. be derived from this source will likely be much less, owing to competition for stumpage from northern California mills. Saw-timber cut at the average rate for 1925-36 could be sustained from the ponderosa pine types without change of forestry practice only in the South Blue Mountain unit. Since that period, pro- duction in this unit has increased considerably be- yond the sustainable volume. The timber budget could be balanced at the 1937-39 level of cutting in the Washington units and the North Blue Mountain Oregon unit if the volume in the nonpine types were economically available. However, the production capacity of these types in the Deschutes River, South Blue Mountain, and Klamath Plateau units, the large producers of the region, is of minor importance. Immediate adoption of a sustained-yield policy would mean reducing the present cut drastically in the principal producing centers and considerably elsewhere. In spite of the difficulties now involved in reducing the cut, the longer such reduction is postponed the more severe will be the eventual cur- tailment enforced by lack of merchantable raw material. Adequacy of the Forest Resource in Relation to Production Trend The desirability of sustained-yield management is widely appreciated, but the obstacles involved are so formidable that its wide-scale adoption, if achieved on private lands, will unquestionably be gradual rather than instantaneous. ‘Thus the ques- tions arise—-What of the timber supply in the ab- sence of sustained-yield management? What will be the opportunities of maintaining timber produc- tion in the future if apparent trends continue? The Situation Predicted for 1966 It should be borne in mind that future depletion figures used in these calculations are not presented as estimates and by no means as recommendations. They are purely assumptions based on analysis of depletion trend and associated factors, made in _ order to direct attention to consequences of a con- tinuation of present trend. Assumptions of forest drain from cutting and fire for the period 1936-65 (table 20) were based upon a detailed analysis of depletion records and lumber- production trends, of timber volume, and owner- ship and location of existing timber supplies, mak- ing allowance for the fact that roughly two-thirds of the region’s timber resource is in public and Indian ownership and now being managed with the objective of sustaining production. By applying these depletion assumptions to the 1936 saw-timber inventory and making allowance for the growth that would occur, estimates of saw-timber volume as of 1966 (table 31) are obtained. It is estimated that by 1966, if future cutting is largely a continuation of past practice (95-75), the saw-timber volume in ponderosa pine types, which totaled 96.8 billion board feet in 1936, will be reduced to 63.1 billion board feet. If, however, an equal volume of timber were removed in lighter cuts (50-50), it is estimated that in 1966 the pon- derosa pine types would contain 68.2 billion board feet. The favorable effect of lighter cutting on growth has been emphasized previously. it is apparent again here. Thus spreading an equal volume cut over a greater area and concentrating it in the most mature trees, the anticipated saving in mortality and increase in growth over the 30- year period is 5.1 billion board feet. ‘This volume, at the 1937 regional average price of ponderosa pine in stumpage sales, would be valued at approxi- mately $15,000,000. Since the trees lost by mortality are of better than the average quality Tasie 31.—Saw-timber volume as of 1936 and estimated volume as of 1966, by type group, class of cutting practice, and forest-survey untt [In million board feet—i. e. 000,000 omitted] Volume 1936 Estimated volume as of 1966 . T 1 1 Unit Ronde: Bane Ponderosa pine types aie Total rosa pine types Total types types i 50-50 75-50 95-75 50-50 75-50 95-75 Eastern Washington: @helan-Colvallese es owe eee ese 10, 970 -| 8, 317 19, 287 | 8, 677 8, 406 7, 804 | 9, 043 17, 720 17, 449 16, 847 YialkkimaeRiv erss sane wa i ake Soe a 9, 512 9, 568 19, 080 7, 660 7,473 7, 167 8, 855 16, 515 16, 328 16, 022 North Blue Mountain___-__--_---.------- 552 | 494 1, 046 474 446 407 408 882 | 854 815 | | | La Roy a5) (paar ce Uo 21, 034 18, 379 39, 413 16, 811 16, 325 15, 378 18, 306 35, 117 34, 631 33, 684 Eastern Oregon: North Blue Mountain______-------------- 8, 269 3, 576 11, 845 6, 583 6, 368 6, 124 4, 022 10, 605 10, 390 10, 146 Deschutes RiV.ehaer sees eee 17, 463 | 3, 182 20, 645 11,012 10, 719 10, 151 3, 120 14, 132 13, 839 13, 271 South» Blue! Mountains ieee sae 19, 396 2, 295 21, 691 14, 752 14, 515 14, 068 2, 187 16, 939 16, 702 16, 255 Kilamatheelateaiasess sas enw e ee 30, 654 2, 845 33, 499 19, 018 18, 515 17, 348 1, 890 20, 908 20, 405 19, 238 TRotal s/t eee ee ce ee ee 75, 782 11, 898 87, 680 51, 365 50, 117 47, 691 11, 219 62, 584 61, 336 58, 910 Regionstotal ene see cee tees se ee 96, 816 30, 277 | 127, 093 68, 176 66, 442 63, 069 29, 525 97, 701 95, 967 | 92, 594 | a (ee —EEEE——EEE 1 Estimated volume under three forms of cutting in the ponderosa pine types during 1936-65: (50-50) light selection on all areas; (75-50) heavy selec- tion on private, light selection on other lands; (95-75) virtual clear cutting on private lands, heavy selection on other lands, 76 Tas.e 32.—Average annual cut of trees of saw-timber size 1925-36, 1937—39, assumed cut 1936-65, and allowable cut on available lands 1966, by type group, class of cutting practice, and forest-survey unit [In million board feet—i. e., 000,000 omitted] Assumed, 1936-65 Allowable under sustained yield, 1966 Unit 1925-36 1937-39 Ponderosa pine types ! Ponderosa ea ot ia [Leech aban = ar type. pine types Other types Other types 50-50 75-50 95-75 Eastern Washington: @helan-Colwiligesseeseeee ee ee 161 190 147 13 113 107 75 120 WAIT aA Vel noes eee 2 eh ON 145 161 108 45 108 100 84 123 North Blue Mountain_.___._--_.-____..--__-- -| 21 23 9 11 7 6 5 14 | — | - CN ss Se Ne Ge al ce ee 327 374 264 69 228 213 164 257 | ar | ; ‘ : = Eastern Oregon: | North Blue Mountain e): 25-2 nope oe 113 131 102 8 87 a 61 67 DI GSCOUILGSHEULV Glee eens aoe eee ys ee A 256 343 | 275 5 150 141 116 38 SOUpn sD MGs VLOUN Tales so ee eee ee 133 232 207 5 188 175 152 28 am athwblarealices se epee. sok eee yo 430 667 500 32 256 231 184 15 UNG) RE SS Te. 2s ee eee ee Z 932 | 1, 373 1, 084 50 681 | 624 | 513 148 | _— —— } — Repionito.alee teres ae ta ee ene 1, 259 1, 747 1, 348 119 909 837 | 677 405 | | ! Allowable cut under sustained yield if cutting in the ponderosa pine types during the period 1936-65 takes the form (50-50) of light selection on all lands; (75-50) heavy selection on private, light selection on other lands; and (95-75) virtual clear cutting on private, heavy selection on other lands. and value of the whole stand, the actual saving should be considerably more. Assuming that cutting takes a middle course (75-50), the esti- mated volume in the ponderosa pine types as of 1966 would represent a saving of 3.1 billion board feet. In the types other than ponderosa pine ° a small net volume reduction, from 30.3 billion board feet to 29.5 billion board feet, is shown for the period 1936 to 1965. Thus it appears that a materially reduced but still substantial supply of saw timber will remain in the region in 1966 if, from 1936 on, forest prac- tice is at least as effective in maintaining a growing stock as it was previously. Allowable Cut, 1966 If the rate of saw-timber cut from 1936 to 1965 approximates that assumed for this period (1,467 million board feet annually), and there is mean- while no material change in method of cutting, the sustainable annual cut from the ponderosa ® Owing to the small amount of exploitation anticipated in this type group within the next 30 years, clear cutting only was assumed for this group. This assumption does not imply that there may not be real advantages in selective cutting for these as well as for the ponderosa pine types. 77 pine types for the succeeding cycle will drop from 1,348 to 677 million board feet (table 32), or about 50 percent. If a heavier cut is made under these circumstances even greater future reduction will be necessary. If accessible, the upper-slope, Dou- glas-fir, and other nonpine types could build up a total annual cut of 1,082 million board feet, or 74 percent of the assumed annual cut for 1936-65. The sustainable cut as of 1966 from the ponderosa pine types could be increased more than one-third, or to 67 percent of the 1936-65 cut, if maturity- selection cutting (50-50) were immediately put into practice and applied uniformly (table 31). The prospect of an enforced 50 percent reduction in. sawlog production, or even a 33 percent reduc- tion, for the region as a whole, although unpleasant, fails to emphasize the gravity of the local situation with respect to the ponderosa pine saw-timber sup- ply. The outlook in the Klamath Plateau and the Deschutes River units is most unfavorable. For example, if the current trend continues, the cut from pine types in the Klamath Plateau unit may aver- age 500 million board feet annually for the period 1936-65. If it does, the remaining saw timber would support production at only 37 percent of this level for the following cycle. In the Deschutes River unit the trend indicates that the pine types may yield an average annual cut of 275 million board feet from 1936 to 1965, but if so, the residual forest resource would not be sufficient to maintain output at more than 42 percent of this volume dur- ing the succeeding cycle. The relation of cut to supply of ponderosa pine is more rational in the Yakima River and South Blue Mountain units than elsewhere in the region, but even here extensive curtailment is anticipated unless cutting methods are improved. In spite of all that can be done in the latter unit, maintenance of cut in its principal lumber centers, Baker and Burns, will present serious problems. As shown in table 32, the sustainable annual pro- duction following 1965 can be increased materially by the adoption now of a light cutting practice of the maturity-selection type. In addition, the eco- nomic advantages of this method of making the initial cut in virgin ponderosa pine stands may be even greater than is apparent in the favorable effect on volume growth, mortality, and sustained-yield capacity (2). As already pointed out, not only may the volume of saw timber available for future har- vest be increased, but also the quality of such vol- ume averages higher under light cutting. Conclustons For the region as a whole, the ponderosa pine types will be badly overcut during the next few 78 decades, owing to the large volume of privately owned timber, the cutting of which is restricted by little else than market demand, unless radical changes in ownership or private operating practice take place. During the cutting cycle following: the 1936-65 period, a 54 percent reduction in the region’s average annual ponderosa pine production will be necessary to avoid serious depletion of the forest resource, necessitating even more drastic cur- tailment later. Approximately one-third of the anticipated deficit in the pine types could be avoided, without reducing the total volume re- moval, by an immediate and wide-scale application of light maturity-selection cutting. During the next few decades nonpine types will probably support less than one-third of the cut they could permanently sustain. Owing to their rela- tively low quality and accessibility they cannot be given equal weight with the pine types in balancing the region’s timber budget, but a substantial in- crease in their utilization is anticipated. Although establishment of sustained-yield man- agement on privately owned lands is highly desir- able, it is equally urgent that current cutting prac- tice on all lands not so handled be rapidly shifted to a light maturity-selection basis. To reduce effec- tively the severity of the inevitable future curtail- ment of cut these measures must be adopted without delay. MIOURSE Sai RoE SOU, RIGEeEeSs Ol te Heh = PON Den eR Ors, As Pil Ne Ee eRe EG TON A Summary of Regional Forest Problems > ECAUSE recognition and definition of prob- B lems constitute the first essential step in the proper handling of forest lands, major atten- tion is directed to this phase. Effort is made to point out critical situations, both current and prospective, so as to focus attention on the neces- sity of formulating rather promptly a detailed program of action aimed at permanent forest management as a second step. Solutions are touched on only to bring out and emphasize the problems. Problems of Supply and Utilization The regional inventory showed 11.6 million acres of mature stands and only 3.8 million acres of immature stands. As a partial consequence of this excess of mature stands, current annual growth is but 11 percent of total potential annual growth. Excluding land occupied by virgin forests, current annual board-foot growth is 37 percent of the potential. Current annual depletion from all causes is 6 times current annual net growth. The chief natural forest enemies, fire and insects, are responsible for 35 percent of the current drain. Such depletion is uneconomic and practically a total loss whereas depletion from cutting is serv- ing an economic purpose. The control of fire damage and insect epidemics and the utilization of fire- and bug-killed trees would result in the conversion of such losses to economic use. The transformation of inert old-growth stands to grow- ing condition would increase the productivity of the region’s forests. ‘The accomplishment of these two objects would increase growth considerably beyond current depletion but this will require many years. Ponderosa pine forms 64 percent of the standing Us KE saw-timber volume, 87 percent of the average annual timber cut, 79 percent of the average an- nual total saw-timber depletion, and 69 percent of the potential growth. It is estimated that, given adequate protection against fire and insects and reasonably intensive forest management, the ponderosa pine forests can maintain permanently a forest industry of approximately the same magni- tude as now exists. This would necessitate, how- ever, rearrangement of forest industries through- out the region. The existing heavy concentration of forest industries in certain localities, a system which in the past has led to tremendous economic losses in other forest empires, is rapidly heading this region toward the same history of rise and decline. The most critical situation with respect to future timber supply exists in the heaviest producing cen- ters, the Klamath Plateau and the Deschutes River units in Oregon, which include the industrial towns of Klamath Falls and Bend. These two units, which together contribute approximately three- fifths of the region’s lumber production, must antic- ipate reduction of cut to about 28 and 34 percent of their present respective levels within three de- cades if the apparent trend continues. In eastern Washington the situation is somewhat better, but not satisfactory. Present cut is about twice that allowable under sustained yield and about three times the current annual growth. The Yakima unit, including the industrial center of Yakima, deserves first attention. Even though only about one-third of the ponde- rosa pine is privately owned, it is this strategic one- third that is being seriously overcut. There is doubt that this situation will be corrected volun- tarily. Public acquisition of key tracts or some form of control may be needed. Forest Protection Unless adequate protection against fire, insects, and disease can be assured, opportunity for private forestry will be narrowly limited. Fire is usually the greatest forest enemy, but in this region forest insects have in some years caused destruction equal to the volume of cut. The individual private owner is helpless and cooperative action on the part of public and private agencies is essential to meet this problem. In the main the Federal Government will have to assume the greatest burden. Added expenditures for research and annual surveys to discover impending epidemics are needed. When epidemics threaten, provision must be made for control by concerted action on the part of private, State, and Federal agencies. A fire-protection system is in force that with some additional expenditure should keep losses to a reasonable minimum. It is increasingly evident that additional funds needed to provide satisfactory fire control must come from the Federal Govern- ment. The Clarke-McNary Act provides the ma- chinery for giving aid and the maximum additional appropriations for which it provides should be made. This would still fall short of funds needed, however; the authorization must be increased be- fore adequate aid can be given. Forest Management Unsolved problems in the actual physical man- agement of the resource are no serious impedi- ment to public or private forestry. Known methods and tools of forest management are far in advance of their application. Employment of recently developed tools and methods of fire control is limited by the inability of the forest owner to pay higher protection costs. Critical examination shows that many so-called manage- ment problems really stem from economic malad- justments, which frequently prohibit use of the best method of cutting to obtain regeneration and improved slash disposal methods that research and trial have developed. Research may show, however, as in the case of the maturity-selection system, that adoption of improved silvicultural practice results in immediate pecuniary rewards. A fundamental measure has been proposed by Keen (8), namely, consideration of insect sus- ceptibility in selecting trees to be cut. Foresters generally agree that light selection cutting is best in managing ponderosa pine forest. However, the silvicultural, economic, and entomological factors. cannot always be harmonized perfectly in select- ing trees to be cut. When conflicts occur, de- cision must be made on the basis of the economical- ly feasible procedure that will benefit the forest most in the long run. Continued studies of growth and mortality following various types of selective cutting are needed to furnish information to guide the selection of the trees that will best serve this objective. Achievement of full productive capacity rests on utilization of species other than pine, which make up one-third of the region’s growing stock and potential growth. Research in utilization of these species, now little used, is urgently needed. Studies in thinning and pruning ponderosa pine stands are now being conducted. Possibly results of these studies may not be applied for many years but it is desirable that research be well in advance of application. Economic Problems Obviously, stability of forest-land ownership is fundamental to stability of forest management during transition from liquidation to sustained yield. Once sustained-yield management is firmly established, interruption in continuity of tenure will be less important. Partial removal of certain economic obstacles to stable private ownership would probably result in immediate adoption of sustained-yield management on the part of certain private timber owners who have sufficient timber to form an operating unit. Others, who have only sufficient timber to make the nucleus of an opera- tion, would have to negotiate cooperative agree- ments with Federal or State governments or pur- chase additional timber from other private owners. Owners possessing only a small volume of timber would probably continue the same general course followed in the past. Some manufacturers would find their plants entirely too large to be operated continuously; in such cases adjustments in plant capacity would have to be made. Chief among the economic problems, in some respects interrelated, are taxation, difficulty of il inlet Me Si Sn asthe ere ever ay =a financing long-time operations, unavailability of insurance protection of standing timber, unstable and inadequate markets for forest products, fluctu- ating and unpredictable price levels, and rising costs of operation. Forest Taxation Taxation of forest properties has been the sub- ject of more discussion and study in recent years than any other forest economic problem (6, 7). It is generally designated as one of the serious obstacles to private forestry not only in this region but also in practically all forest regions in the country. Although scientific investigations are revealing that the influence of taxation has been exaggerated in many cases, it still deserves first mention in our list of economic problems. The property tax is the chief factor in the taxa- Owing to the nonliquidity of forest investments, the necessity of paying taxes imposed tion problem. on property transfers upon the owner’s death may interrupt continuity of ownership to the detriment of good forest management. Since no study has been made here of the specific influence of inheri- tance and estate taxes on forestry, and since in- come and other taxes create no problem peculiar to the practice of forestry, further discussion of forest taxation will be restricted to the property tax. A study made in 1936-37 (74) showed the aver- age assessed value per acre of eastern Oregon timberland to be $10.10, the full value per acre $19.15, and the average tax levy 2.8 cents per $1 of assessed valuation. It gave the estimated annual carrying charges on 2,125,173 acres of private timberland in eastern Oregon as: Taxes $604,908, fire patrol $41,689, and interest (3 per- cent on full value) $1,220,991, making a total of $1,867,588. The area involved in this calcula- tion was roughly three-quarters of the privately owned area of saw timber in eastern Oregon. The average annual tax per acre on the basis of the figures given was 28 cents, which is considerably less than comparable figures for a decade previous. Analysis of reports of the State Tax Commission (75) shows that in Oregon the annual taxes levied on all real property reached a peak of about $51,000,000 in 1928, but by 1937 had receded to about $40,000,000. In Washington there has 81 been a marked decrease in annual property tax levies on all real property from a peak of $81,000,- 000 in 1929 to $42,000,000 in 1937 (78). In Washington this recession was brought about by enactment of over-all limitations of 37 mills on urban and 25 mills on rural property (Iniat. Meas. 64, 1932) accompanied by a tremendous increase in the sales tax and various business and occupa- tional taxes, from $13,000,000 in 1930 to $44,000,- 000 in 1937. In Oregon the increase in other taxes was not as great. In both States practically all property tax reve- nue goes to local government and the State depends upon other forms of taxation. In 1939 the Washington State Government received only 5 percent of its total income from the property tax. Although the States have been assuming many of the functions formerly performed by the counties and are turning over to local govern- mental bodies an increasingly large proportion of their receipts from all sources, the property tax is still the mainstay of local government. Conse- ° quently, the forest-land owner has a definite inter- est in the functioning of local government. The annual tax charges, taken alone, are evi- dently not high enough to precipitate widespread liquidation of old-growth timber. It has been found (6) that interest on invested capital far exceeded taxes as a factor contributing to pre- mature and excessive cutting. But taxation has contributed to that undesirable practice; the property tax favors old-growth timber that is being liquidated and thus tends to accelerate cutting of such timber. The only special tax legislation that has been enacted to date are laws (Oregon in 1929, Washing- ton in 1931) removing from the ordinary operation of the property tax certain cut-over and burned- over lands suitable for reforestation and not con- taining timber in merchantable quantities. Lands classified under these laws pay a small annual land tax and a yield tax on timber products cut. In eastern Oregon the land tax is 4 cents per acre and the yield tax is 12'5 percent of the value of forest crops harvested. Under the Washington law, clas- sified properties in counties east of the Cascade Range are assessed at a fixed valuation of 50 cents an acre. A yield tax is also imposed on the market value of timber or other forest crop cut, the rate being 1 percent for each year that has expired from date of classification for the first 12 years and there- after 12% percent. Cut-over lands have been classified under this legislation in only two eastern Oregon counties, Deschutes and Klamath. From 1930 to 1939, in- clusive, 208,269 acres were classified, of which 39,467 acres were later declassified and 51,497 acres acquired by the Federal Government were withdrawn, leaving a net total of 117,305 as of 1939. This and approximately 13,000 acres classified in Klickitat County, Wash., in 1932 constitute the entire area classified in both States. The most urgently needed action towards more equitable forest taxation includes: (1) More ac- curate assessment of forest properties, placing in- creased emphasis on their income possibilities and their treatment in natural operating units; (2) revi- sion of local government organization and operation to fit the needs of scattered rural populations in areas predominantly forest; and (3) enactment and effective administration of a special forest tax law which would equalize the tax burden on deferred- income forest properties with that imposed on prop- erties yielding a regular annual income. ‘The last is urgently needed because of the preponderance of virgin forests not covered by laws mentioned in the preceding paragraph. Solution of the forest tax problem must come as a part of a general reform in local government and taxation, but adoption of one of the three forest tax- ation plans developed in the Forest Service publica- tions already cited (6, 7) would produce substantial benefits. ; The problem, being chiefly concerned with the property tax, is primarily a State responsibility, but its solution vitally affects the economic status of forestry on privately-owned land and therefore is of national concern. Financing Long-Time Enterprises The liquidation method of exploiting forest re- sources is encouraged and in some cases forced by private banking policies which demand rapid repayment of credit advances. Private forestry needs an available supply of long-term credit at low interest rates. Conversion of a private opera- tion from liquidation management to sustained- yield management often means that not only must the present financial structure based on short- term liquidation financing be replaced by a stable financial structure, but also additional properties may have to be acquired to build up growing stocks and consolidate holdings, and logging and milling facilities must be modernized or shaped to fit the new management policy. Forestry is the only major use of land for which adequate credit facilities are not available. Farm- ing and stock raising, the major uses of land unoc- cupied by forests, are more generously provided with credit facilities chiefly because of action by the Federal Government. The Farm Credit Administration, the Home Owners Loan Corpora- tion, the Federal Housing Administration, and the Reconstruction Finance Corporation provide credit for all forms of rural and urban land use except forestry. Private credit quite reasonably is not available at rates and terms that will encourage conservative forest management. The public con- cern in this objective is great enough to justify making Federal credit available at low interest rates, as with other objectives deemed in the public interest. Insurance for Standing Timber The fear of disastrous loss of capital investment through destruction of timber by fire and insect epidemics is a real obstacle to private forestry and encourages rapid liquidation. Insurance against this loss at reasonable premium rates would effec- tively remove this obstacle. In a study of the feasibility of commercial fire insurance in the Pacific Northwest recently published (76), com- mercial fire insurance at rates within the reach of the private operator is judged feasible under cer- tain reasonable conditions. Establishment of favor- able conditions rests upon at least the partial solu- tion of the other economic and physical problems discussed here. No systematic studies have been made of the feasibility of insect epidemic insurance, but the need for it is as urgent as forest-fire insur- ance or more so. The threat of major fire catastrophes such as the Tillamook Fire of 1933 in the Douglas-fir region probably accounts for the reluctance of insurance companies to enter this field actively. In order to break the deadlock that exists, participation by the Federal Government may be _ necessary. Several possible avenues for such action exist; it might be done through a federally sponsored corporation, or through a federally owned corpora- tion. If Federal aid becomes necessary, its exten- sion should be predicated upon observance of satisfactory forest practice on the part of the private owners benefited. Instability of Markets for Forest Products Lumber from this region is almost entirely dis- tributed in domestic markets, most of which are distant: exports are a negligible factor. Compared to some other forest regions, the element of in- stability represented by a fluctuating foreign market is absent or at least of little importance. Ponderosa pine lumber prices are less sensitive than Douglas-fir, but are much more sensitive than many other commodities. The general feel- ing of uncertainty of future markets is current among lumber manufacturers in this region, as in other forest regions. A large part of the lumber produced in this region is used in the manufacture of box shooks. Competition of paper box containers and other substitutes for wooden boxes is a con- stant threat. The bulk of the remaining produc- tion is used in building construction where the threat of wood substitutes is also present. Owing to excessive cost of transportation, marketing of lower grades of ponderosa pine is restricted. Dependence upon the box-shook market for dis- position of the low-grade material is unsafe. Other uses and wider markets for this material must be found. Continued research is needed on reduction of manufacturing waste, development of new products, and general diversification of products. This should be coupled with expansion of utilization extension. These activities should be undertaken jointly by public and private agencies. Conclusions The ponderosa pine region offers encouragement to private forestry in many respects, in spite of the obstacles previously discussed in this report. Its products enjoy a comparatively stable market. Grazing under proper management offers a stable secondary revenue. Fire-protection costs and fire losses are relatively low. Satisfactory growth rates can be obtained through methods of cutting that also have many economic advantages. Existing private holdings are fairly well consolidated. Public timber is so located and of such character that it can be used to stimulate private forestry in many Cases. A serious problem in this region is maldistribu- tion of forest industries in relation to forest-land productive capacity. ‘There are no geographic ob- stacles which prevent correction of this situation or give one part of the region great advantage over another with respect to transportation. Difference in quality of timber stands, however, has been an important factor in the concentration of forest industries. It is improbable that private initiative alone will correct the liquidation process and coordinate the industrial capacity of the forest land so as to produce raw materials permanently in this region. The program presented by the Forest Service to the Joint Congressional Committee on Forestry established by the Seventy-fifth Congress (S. Con. Res. 31) contains measures of Nation-wide appli- cation designed to correct critical situations such as obtain in this region. Measures of special signi- ficance to this region are those relating to (1) cooper- ative protection against forest insects and disease, (2) public credits to owners of forest land, (3) utilization research and extension, (4) cooperative sustained-yield units, (5) public regulation, and (6) extension of public ownership. A program for specific action in this region, to be of highest value, should be based on analyses of local situations, such as it is now planned to present in a series of reports analyzing in consider- able detail forest problems of smaller units and recommending specific remedial measures. BH OVR Hasan Rabe) OF Our Cols) Olha we Et bee PieOnN Dib ROS As Pili Nabe Rush. (Gusle@) IN| Literature Cited (1) Anprews, H. J., Aanp Cow in, R. W. 1940. FOREST RESOURCES OF THE DOUGLAS-FIR REGION. U.S. Dept. Agr. Misc. Pub. 389, 169 pp., illus. (2) Branpstrom, AxeEL J. F. 1937. THE ROLE OF SELECTIVE CUTTING IN PROMOTING SUSTAINED YIELD, WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO PONDEROSA PINE. Jour. Forestry 35: 142-147. (3) Bruce, DonaLp, AND Rerneke, L. H. 1931. CORRELATION ALINEMENT CHARTS IN FOREST RESEARCH, A METHOD OF SOLVING PROBLEMS IN CURVILINEAR MULTIPLE CORRELATION. U. S. Dept. Agr. Tech: Bul. 210; 88 pp; illus. AND SCHUMACHER, FRANCIS X. 1935. FOREST MENSURATION. 360 pp., illus. New York and London. (5) Dunninc, Duncan. 1928. A TREE CLASSIFICATION FOR THE SELECTION FORESTS OF THE SIERRA NEVADA. Jour. Agr. Res. 36: 755-771, illus. (6) FarrcuiLp, Frep ROGERs, AND ASSOCIATES. 1935. FOREST TAXATION IN THE UNITED STATES. U.S. Dept. Agr. Misc. Pub. 218, 681 pp., illus. (7) Harz, R. Ciirrorp. 1935. THE FOREST-TAX PROBLEM AND ITS SOLUTION SUMMARIZED. U. S. Dept. Agr. Cir. 358, 18 pp. (8) Keen, F. P. 1936. RELATIVE SUSCEPTIBILITY OF PONDEROSA PINES TO BARK-BEETLE ATTACK. Jour. Forestry 34: 919-927, illus. (4) (0) aes 1937. CLIMATIC CYCLES IN EASTERN OREGON AS INDI- CATED BY TREE RINGS. U.S. Weather Bur. Monthly Weather Rev. 65: 175-188, illus. KS (10) McAroprz, Ricuarp E., AnD Meyer, WALTER H. 1930. THE YIELD OF DOUGLAS FIR IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST. U.S. Dept. Agr. Tech. Bul. 201, 64 pp., illus. (11) Meyer, WattTeER H. 1934. GROWTH IN SELECTIVELY CUT PONDEROSA PINE FORESTS OF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST. U.S. Dept. Agr. Tech. Bul. 407, 64 pp., illus. (12) 1938. YIELD OF EVEN-AGED STANDS OF PONDEROSA PINE. U.S. Dept. Agr. Tech. Bul. 630, 60 pp., illus. (13) Muncer, THornton T., AND WESTVELD, R. H. 1931. SLASH DISPOSAL IN THE WESTERN YELLOW PINE FORESTS OF OREGON AND WASHINGTON. U.S. Dept. Agr. Tech. Bul. 259, 58 pp., illus. (14) Orecon SprcIAL COMMITTEE ON TIMBER TAXATION. 1937. OREGON’S TIMBER TAXATION PROBLEMS AND RECOMMENDATIONS TOWARD THEIR SOLU- TION. 40 pp., illus. [Salem, Oreg.] (15) Orrecon State Tax Commission. 1939, FOURTEENTH BIENNIAL REPORT. 80 pp., illus. [Salem, Oreg.] (16) SHeparp, H. B. 1937. FOREST FIRE INSURANCE IN THE PACIFIC COAST states. U.S. Dept. Agr. Tech. Bul. 551, 168 pp., illus. (17) SupworrH, Grorce B. 1927. CHECK LIST OF THE FOREST TREES OF THE UNITED STATES, THEIR NAMES AND RANGES. U. S. Dept. Agr. Misc. Cir. 92, 295 pp. (18) Wasuincton State Tax Commission. 1938. sEVENTH BIENNIAL REPORT. 70 pp. Olympia, Wash. FOREST RESOURCES OOP hr EPO Ne DEAR, O;SyAw Pal Neb REG, TON Appendix > Methods in Inventory Phase Existence of considerable information, particu- larly on the saw-timber areas which comprise 60 percent of the 22 million acres of forest land in the region, permitted use of the so-called compilation method in making the inventory. This method consisted of obtaining information on forest-type areas and timber volumes through compilation and checking of existing records—such as forest-type maps, timber cruises, land-exchange examinations, aerial and panoramic photos, cut-over land surveys, extensive reconnaissances, fire reports, and similar records—from private timberland owners, or their agents, and various public agencies. Areas for which no reliable records were available were cov- ered by intensive field reconnaissance. Field work was commenced in the summer of 1934 and com- pleted in the winter of 19306. In the compilation method all forest-type area and timber-volume information was obtained in place, which made possible the preparation of a forest-type map and timber-volume estimate for a specific area. The same procedure was employed on all the forest lands in the region, regardless of ownership. The inventory phase was conducted in four steps; first, collection of existing information; second, checking usable timber estimates and adjusting them to a common standard; third, field examina- tion of areas not covered by usable information; and fourth, compilation of data collected. Collection of Existing Information The first step in the collection of existing informa- tion was to compile all available timber cruises from various sources. The majority of the acreage of privately owned forest land in the region was found to be covered by intensive cruises, either in the pos- session of the owner or his agent or county cruises made for taxation purposes. In the counties in which the county cruise gave a complete coverage of privately owned timber and was known to be sufficiently consistent and reliable, no private cruises were collected. Each owner who furnished timber cruises was guaranteed that information ob- tained from the cruises would be held strictly con- fidential and released only in conjunction with other cruise data. Intensive cruises were available for the bulk of the ponderosa pine timber and for a considerable acre- age of other types in national-forest ownership. The Klamath, Warm Springs, Yakima, and Colville Indian Reservations, and Oregon & California Railroad revested grant lands in Klamath County were covered by intensive surveys. Detailed forest-type maps of all national-forest land covered by intensive surveys were available, as well as generalized type maps made at the time of the 1922 extensive reconnaissance of the region’s national forests. Although these maps were not exactly in accordance with the type scheme adopted by the Forest Survey and had to be checked in the field and transposed to the standard scheme, they very materially lessened the amount of field typing. Vertical aerial photos covering a considerable acreage in Union and Umatilla Counties were obtained from a private owner and proved _a very valuable aid in the mapping. Also, during the survey, oblique aerial photos were taken of between 4 and 5 million acres of rough and inaccessible mountainous country in Chelan and Okanogan Counties, Wash., and Wallowa, Baker, Union, Umatilla, and Grant Counties, Oreg. Locations and year of cut of logged areas were obtained from records in the offices of the county assessors and private timber owners. Locations of areas deforested by fire were obtained from the Forest Service Office of Fire Control, State Forest- ers of Oregon and Washington, Indian Service, and private fire-patrol associations. Checking and Adjusting Timber Estimates After all available private and public timber cruises had been collected, the next step was to bring each individual cruise to the specifications set up by the Forest Survey. This step, known as check cruising consisted in cruising sample areas covered by the original cruise according to survey standards and computing an adjustment factor from a com- parison of the original and check cruises. The sample areas, usually 320 acres in extent, were so distributed throughout the area covered by the original cruise as to give a representative check on 2 to 5 percent of the total acreage. In cruising, quarter-acre circular plots were taken at 2\-chain intervals along compass lines run twice through each 40-acre tract, making a total of 16 such plots and giving a 10-percent cruise. All cruise lines were carefully referenced to section and quarter-section corners, assuring the same coverage as the original cruise. Volume was recorded for all trees 11.1 inches d. b. h. and larger on the plot and the locations of all doubtful-line trees were determined with a tape. All large trees were measured for diameter with a tape and sufficient smaller trees were measured to check the cruiser’s estimate of diameter. Tree heights to a utilizable top were obtained with the Abney level and by taping an occasional windfall. Deduction for breakage and defect in each species was made for each 40-acre tract. All beetle-killed ponderosa pine trees were recorded by diameter class, and the number of poles—trees 5.1 to 11.1 inches d. b. h.—was also recorded by species for each 40-acre .tract. The check cruises were compiled currently in the field and were compared with the original cruise. Through this comparison the check cruiser was able to determine when sufficient samples had been obtained to give a reliable adjustment factor. Whenever records were available, a comparison of actual cut and original cruise was made. The results of this comparison provided a good check on the adjustment factors set up for that particular cruise. Type Mapping The accuracy of the resultant type map was very largely dependent upon the detail and ac- curacy of the base data. In most counties in the region, the land survey was from 50 to 70 years old and section corners and lines were usually difficult to locate. Although the mappers checked on corners whenever these could be readily found, they depended greatly on the base-map location of roads, trails, streams, and triangulation points for orientation. The volume per acre and composition of all previously uncruised saw-timber stands were esti- mated ocularly by mappers, who frequently checked their judgment by taking a series of equally spaced -acre sample plots along a compass line. The mapping of a county was assigned to a party chief with from one to five or more assistants. Usually a township was entirely mapped by one man. Daily coverage varied widely depending upon accessibility, topography, and density and character of the timber. Mapping procedure consisted of working in cars along roads, on foot along trails, ridges, and random compass lines, and of using all lookout stations and points. cut stands much of the mapping was done by running random strips. All mapping was done on 1-inch-to-the-mile township forms of transparent In mature and selectively vellum. These vellums were overlaid on a base map of the township prepared through the enlarge- ment of the most recently revised }4-inch-to-the- mile lithographed national-forest base map. These national-forest maps were found to be the most accurate and covered the bulk of the forested por- tion of the region. In two of the Indian reserva- tions, not completely covered by national-forest base maps, maps prepared by the Indian Service were used. For regular townships standard town- ship forms of vellum were used for the mapping overlay sheet; for irregular townships the section lines and quarter lines were drafted on a blank sheet of vellum. Type boundaries as determined were placed directly on the vellum overlay by the use of sym- bols indicating the type, composition, and volume per acre of saw-timber stands, and the type, com- position, age, and degree of stocking of immature stands. ee ee ee paghintiens lice Stocking was determined by the stocked-quad- rat method, which consisted of examining four contiguous squares at regular intervals along a compass line. For trees less than 3.1 inches d. b. h. a 13.2-foot square was used and for trees 3.1 to 11.1 inches d. b. h. a 20.9-foot square was used. The 13.2-foot square was considered stocked if it contained one well-established seedling and the 20.9-foot square if it contained one tree of pole size. Clear-cut areas and burns were also exam- ined by the stocked-quadrat method to determine if they were restocking. Before considering a township type vellum com- pleted, the mapper carefully matched the type boundaries along the four sides with the vellums of adjoining townships. Determination of the site quality of the forest land and the preparation of township site maps were carried on in the field concurrently with the type mapping and check cruising. Although height at any given age is the precise measuring stick of site, it was necessary to use methods that did not involve a large number of age and height determinations. In general, the procedure fol- lowed in the field was for the type mapper to make frequent age and height determinations in a large number of stands until he was able to estimate the site accurately through comparison, after which an occasional measurement kept his eye in prac- tice. Age was determined by the use of the incre- ment borer and by counting rings on nearby stumps, and heights were measured with an Abney level or by taping windfalls. Usually a minimum of 9 or 10 measured determinations were made to a township. The minimum site unit was about 640 acres. In recording site-quality classes, the area of sur- veyed townships, by sections and rounded off to the nearest 5 acres, was obtained from the original General Land Office plats. The area of unsur- veyed townships was determined by carefully planimetering -inch-to-the-mile _ lithographed base maps of the national forests. Total national- forest, Indian-reservation, and national-park areas were determined by combining township area data. This method was also used for several of the counties, which were principally forested, and for which complete area statistics were compiled. The total area of the counties in which there was a large acreage of nonforest land was obtained from statistics of the Bureau of the Census. The location of site determinations was platted on a vellum township form (Form 974) and the boundaries of site classes were shown in pencil on the same form. These township maps were later used in the office in the preparation of the county site map. Two kinds of forest-type maps resulted from the forest survey. ‘ype maps, on a scale of 1 inch to the mile and showing all of the type detail mapped in the field, were prepared for each forested county in the region. In the preparation of these maps, the type data shown on the township field vellum were traced on a brown-line print of the base map of the county. A vandyke negative of the tracing was then made, from which _blue-line prints are obtainable. The prints can be used uncolored but are much more easily read if hand colored with pencils or inks. The vandyke nega- tive of a county type map is lent to anyone desir- ing the map who has a blueprint machine at his disposal, or is lent to a Portland blueprinting firm from which the interested person can purchase the prints. The other kind of map is a generalized forest- type map, on a scale of \ inch to the mile, litho- graphed in colors to show the principal forest types, and issued in four parts, covering the States of Oregon and Washington. These are for sale by the Pacific Northwest Forest Experiment Station at a nominal price for each quarter. Compilation and Release of Data AREA COMPILATIONS The exact land area of each forested township in the region and of each township within the boundaries of all national forests, Indian reserva- tions, and national parks, whether forested or not, was determined. The land area of nonforested townships outside any of the public forest units was not determined except in a few counties where complete area statistics were compiled. Complete area statistics were compiled for all public forest units. Timber volume and forest-type acreages were compiled by ownership classes, and determined from the most reliable sources. The ownership a ne a of county and municipal lands was obtained from the county offices; State lands from State offices; Indian, O. & C. revested grant, unappropriated public domain, and national-park lands from various offices of the Department of the Interior; and national-forest land from Forest Service records. The area of the various types and subtypes—seg- regation by age class and degree of stocking— in each section was computed for each ownership class from the original township field vellums. Type areas in surveyed townships were computed by a method known as square counting in which a celluloid scale divided into \%-inch squares was used as an overlay on the field vellum. ‘Type areas in unsurveyed townships were determined by use of a polar planimeter. A summary of the type areas, by ownership class, was made, first, for each township and, finally, for each county. The area of the site classes in each township was computed by planimeiering and the percentage of the total area of the township occupied by each site class was then determined. From these com- putations site statistics by county, survey unit, and region were summarized. VOLUME COMPILATIONS In order to obtain satisfactory estimates of volume of standing timber it was necessary to have for each of the commercial saw-timber species an table that could be applied Investigation and check accurate volume throughout the region. of the existing tables showed that some of them could be used as they were and others could be made usable by adjustment and extension to include larger trees, but that for some species new tables would have to be made. The ponderosa pine table, made by James W. Girard in 1932, was based on a diameter factor of 67 percent, which assumes that the diameter inside the bark at small end of the average 16-foot log is 67 percent of diameter at breast height. The table was based on a top-diameter utilization ranging from 40 to 60 percent of diameter breast height, with an average of approximately 50 percent, which corresponded to actual top utili- zation in the region at the time the table was made. In checking the table against actual scale in several 88 parts of the region 428 felled trees were measured. The variation of the volume-table scale on average areas ranged from + 1.9 percent to —4.5 percent, but for all trees averaged —0.29 percent. The sugar pine table was also constructed by Girard in 1932 in the same way as the ponderosa pine table and was based on a diameter factor of 60 percent. The top diameter varied from 8 inches for small trees to 20 inches for large trees. For western white pine, a species of limited occur- rence in the region, the Girard-Bowman table made in 1932 for the Inland Empire of northern Idaho and northeastern Washington was used. This table was based on a diameter factor of 65 percent for 20-inch trees and 57 percent for 60-inch trees; the factor for other d. b. h. classes was read from a curve. ‘Top diameter varied from 6 to 12 inches. This table was thoroughly checked in the Inland Empire and found to be satisfactory. The Ochoco National Forest table made by E. J. Hanzlik in 1913 was used for lodgepole pine and whitebark pine. For Douglas-fir along the Cascade Divide, Gir- ard’s table made in 1932 for the Douglas-fir region was used. In making this table the formula, D. b. h.+4 2 foot log, was used for trees 32 inches d. b. h. or more, and below this diameter the average estimated form and taper was used. For the remaining Douglas-fir and for western larch, Girard’s diameter-factor table for western larch and Douglas-fir was used. In making this table the diameter factor varied from 60 percent for 20-inch trees to 54 percent for 50-inch trees and top diameter varied from 8 to 14 inches. Girard’s. western hemlock table, based on the DP bs bias 2 average 16-foot log, made for the Douglas-fir region, equals the diameter of the average 16- formula equals the diameter of the was selected for western hemlock and mountain hemlock, and H. B. Steer’s table was used for west- ern redcedar after being adjusted to 16-foot logs. Table 79 of Volume Tables for the Important Tim- ber Trees of the United States: Part I, Western Species, was used for Pacific silver fir, white fir, alpine fir, noble fir, Shasta red fir, and Engelmann spruce after being adjusted to 12-inch top and ex- tended to 70 inches d. b. h. ‘Table 91 of the same publication was selected for California incense- Sic NSA SS atl 5 SS ein ae BT cedar and table 11 for second-growth cottonwood was extended and used for all hardwoods. Timber-volume data were computed in three units of measure: In board feet, log scale, Scribner rule; in board feet, lumber tally; and cubic feet. In determining the board-foot volume in log scale, Scribner rule, all live conifers 11.1 inches d. b. h. and larger that would make at least one 16-foot log to an 8-inch top diameter and all live hardwood trees 11.1 inches d. b. h. and larger that would make at least one 8-foot log to a 10-inch top were included. Utilization of all conifers to a top diameter about 40 to 60 percent of the breast-high diameter was assumed. Decay and other defects were subtracted from the gross estimate. Ponder- osa pine, western white pine, and sugar pine trees were totally culled for defect only when over two- thirds of their gross scale was unmerchantable. All other species were totally culled only when over one-half of their gross volume was unmerchantable. Timber-volume data in board feet, log scale, were computed by species and ownership class for each section in surveyed townships and for each mer- chantable-timber type area in unsurveyed town- ships. Compilation of the volume on areas covered by reliable preexisting cruises consisted of adjusting the cruise by factors previously determined through check cruising. Volume on areas not covered by preexisting cruises was computed by the application of stand-per-acre values, determined in the field, to the acreages of merchantable-timber types. Vol- umes resulting from these computations were then posted by section, species, and ownership class on township summary sheets and finally combined into a county total. Volume of merchantable saw timber in board feet, lumber tally, was determined by applying a conversion factor of 1.10 to the log scale, board-foot volumes. Cubic-foot volume of solid wood in all living and standing dead trees 5.0 inches d. b. h. and larger from stump to a 4-inch tip inside bark, excluding bark and limbwood, was computed, by species and ownership class, for each county. Cubic-foot volume of trees of saw-timber size was determined by applying a conversion factor to the merchantable board-foot volume. ‘This conversion factor varied by species; for ponderosa pine and sugar pine the board-foot-cubic-foot ratio was 5.5, and varied from 3.8 to 5.8 for other species. The cubic-foot volume of trees less than saw-timber size was com- puted by several methods. The volume in under- story trees in saw-timber stands was determined from data obtained in field samples taken in the growth phase of the survey. The volume of even- aged pole stands other than ponderosa pine was determined from partial yield tables, and in pon- derosa pine pole stands by multiplying the number of poles per acre by the volume. of the average pole, as determined from growth-study samples. The latter method was also used for lodgepole pine pole stands. Some of the cubic-foot volume was derived from cordwood estimates of such species as Sierra juniper, mountain mahogany, and aspen. A converting factor of 65 cubic feet of solid wood per cord was used for Sierra juniper and mountain mahogany and 72 cubic feet for aspen. Methods in Depletion Phase ‘The immediate purpose of the depletion phase was to determine the quantity and kind of timber annually removed by cutting or killed by insects, fire, wind throw, disease, and other causes, and the area deforested by all causes; in short, the extent and character of the drain on the forest capital. The ultimate object was to determine the trends of depletion and growth, present and potential, and the net result of the two. trends. To estimate the quantities of wood material in the future it was necessary to project the depletion figures into the future. Cutting Depletion The estimate of the average volume of material removed annually during the 12-year period, 1925-36, from the forests of the region as sawlogs was determined from statistics on sawlog produc- tion compiled annually by species and counties by the Forest Service in cooperation with the Bureau of the Census. Unavailable, however, was any similar statistical record of the volume of material removed annually as minor products, such as fuel wood and fence posts. In estimating the production of fuel wood from live timber, a per capita consumption for each county was set up for both urban and rural districts. This assumed consumption, based chiefly on a study by H. M. Johnson of the production of minor products in Oregon and Washington in 1930, varied widely between counties and urban and rural districts, depending upon the availability of other kinds of fuel, such as dead timber, limb wood from logging operations, slabs, edgings, planer ends, sawdust from mills, coal, or gas. After the average total fuel-wood consumption had been determined for each county in the region, the average fuel-wood production in the county was computed, due regard being given the importation and exportation of fuel wood and the species avail- able for such use. The estimate of the annual drain on saw-timber stands due to production of round and split fence posts was determined by computing the number of post replacements needed on the farms annually. In computing this figure the number and _ total acreage of the farms in each of six size classes were obtained from statistics of the Bureau of the Census. A varying fencing-acreage ratio was used to de- termine the total number of posts in use, and this figure divided by a life expectancy of 12 years gave the number of posts replaced annually. A converting factor of 1.08 cubic feet per post was used. Since most of the posts are produced locally, the species utilized depended largely upon avail- ability. Data on the quantities of other minor products produced annually, such as poles, piling, ties, mine timbers, cross arms, and shingles, were obtained from the 1930 minor-products study. Fire Depletion The average annual rate of fire depletion in the region was derived from an analysis of fires that occurred during the 12-year period 1924-35 This analysis consisted of translating the data obtained from the individual reports for fires 40 acres and larger, obtained from the Forest Service, Indian Service, State Foresters of Oregon and Washington, and private fire-patrol associations, in forest-survey types and species and adjusting the derived figures to agree with the total area burned and timber volume killed during the period. The adjustment of the derived figures was based on an extensive examination in the field of approxi- mately 80 percent of the total area burned. Modi- fication of the individual reports was made pri- marily on the judgment of the field examiner. 90 Two broad ownership classes were recognized— national-forest land and all other land. The former includes only net national-forest land; the latter includes all private, State, county, munic- ipal, and Indian-owned lands, both inside and outside the national forests, and unappropriated Federal lands. There were practically no area adjustments of individual reports for net national-forest land. The total area of net national-forest land burned was obtained by summarizing the individual reports of fires 40 acres and larger for the period and adding the acreage of smaller fires reported by forest. For practically all national forests this summary was considerably each national lower than the acreages reported in the annual national-forest fire reports owing to incomplete coverage of large fires or loss of reports. The annual summary reports were apportioned by counties on the basis of fires of which record was available and used as the total net national-forest land burned for the period. It was assumed at the outset that the records of the State Foresters of Washington and Oregon would cover all lands other than national forest, but it was found that they did not include the fires that occurred on the Colville and Yakima Indian Reservations in Washington and_ only partially included those on the Warm Springs and Klamath Indian Reservations in Oregon. It was also found that not all of the acreage of burned-over alienated lands inside the national forests was included in the State reports. Addi- tion of the Indian-reservation fires and unreported fires on alienated lands in the national forests and adjustments made by the men in the field increased the total area of other lands burned over in the 12-year period about 57 percent over the area indicated in the State reports for the same period. The volume loss as compiled by the Forest Sur- vey was considerably greater than that shown by the national-forest reports. Although there was some downward adjustment in individual reports, this was more than offset by upward adjustments, and there was also additional loss of volume on areas reported as protection forests for which no loss was indicated. Since the State reports on fires on other lands did not include the Indian reservations, no direct ee ee comparison of timber volume lost as shown by the reports and that compiled by the survey can be made. After all adjustments of the data derived from the individual fire reports had been made, esti- mated annual averages of area deforested and timber volume lost were compiled by forest type and county. These averages were then summar- ized by Forest Survey units. Methods in Growth Phase General procedure followed in the Forest Sur- vey growth study and detail of the results obtained have been previously presented in the station’s Forest Survey Report No. 78, “Forest Growth in the Ponderosa Pine Region of Oregon and Wash- ington.” Nevertheless. several significant details of methodology are included here in the belief that they may contribute to facility in interpreta- tion of results given in the text of the present report. Gross Growth Study in Virgin Stands This study was undertaken primarily to appraise the prospects of net growth, under management, from the region’s extensive virgin timberland areas. In so doing 323 growth samples were taken dur- ing the summers of 1935 and 1936 throughout the virgin saw-timber types. on type maps in the office as to sample with reason- able uniformity the principal virgin stands in the region. Number of samples taken within a type was determined roughly by the type’s extent and economic importance. The samples, taken in strip form, consisted of stand tallies by tree class, growth rates by tree class being determined from increment cores of sample trees. The sample unit consisted of 1 day’s work for the crew of three—usually 16 acres but varying from 8 to 32. Average annual growth rate was based upon the period 1900 to 1935 or 1936, depending on date of sampling. Growth rate of On the basis of Keen’s tree-ring analysis (9) supplemented by additional region-wide investigation as a part of the survey growth phase, these periods were selected as ones during which actual growth approximated Plots were so located ponderosa pine is characteristically cyclic. 91 the normal rate. the gross rates made by trees that survived to the date of measurement. Growth of trees that grew for part of the increment period, but succumbed The growth rates employed were before measurement, could not be included. On the other hand it is believed that the average incre- ment of the trees that survived was superior to that made by those that did not. Biases involved by these two factors tend to be compensating. Average annual increment of poles that grew into saw-timber size during the growth period was of course included. Sample stand tallies were converted to stock tables by use of height curves, prepared for each Bor athe sample trees grouped into broad classes ratios of volume as of 1900 to volume as of 1935 or 1936 were computed for each sample. were applied to the appropriate portion of the stock table to compute estimated stand volume as of 1900. This value was subtracted from volume found at time of survey; the remainder divided by years in the growth period and acres in the sample gave a measure of the average sample, and regional volume tables. These ratios annual growth per acre made by the sample stand. Methods of Analysis Preliminary study of the samples indicated sig- nificant differences in growth rate by forest type and by the various stand variables shown below by type. each type as a means of quickly estimating growth stand variables encountered. ‘The charts for the pine woodland type were constructed by the empirical alinement chart method (4), those for all other types were made by the mathematical-graphical method of successive approximation (3). Alinement charts were constructed for corresponding to any combination of Making Mortality Estimates As employed in the growth estimates, mortality in virgin stands was dismissed by assuming loss 10 The grouping into Dunning tree classes (5) approxi- mated that employed by Meyer (77). The Keen tree- classification system (8) widely adopted in the region recently was not devised until after completion of the growth-phase field work. equal to gross growth. Normal mortality rates for even-aged immature stands were automati- cally allowed for by use of the normal yield tables. Loss in the uneven-aged immature stands, how- ever, was computed as a separate step. For such stands estimated loss (as percent of volume in reserve stand at start of growth period) varied con- siderably, depending on estimated gross growth, ' but averaged about 0.55 percent annually. The relation between annual loss as percent of volume and gross growth was based on the measurements of mortality (from all causes) made by Meyer (7/7) on 169 of the 179 sample plots upon which his growth study was based. Methods in Requirements Phase The requirements phase of the forest survey con- sisted in a determination of present and prospec- tive requirements for wood products. Estimates of the quantities of these products needed in the future cannot be made solely on the basis of needs within the region. Interchange of products be- tween regions necessitates determination of future requirements on a national basis, followed by allocation of the quantity determined among the Nevertheless requirements for certain classes of wood materials must be computed separately for each region. Estimates of future requirements were based upon studies of (1) urban construction needs, (2) rural construction needs, and (3) the requirements of the secondary wood-using industries. In the Pacific Northwest studies were made of the first two subjects named. The complete results of the requirements studies made in this region are not presented in this report. They will be integrated and correlated with data from other regions and published in a report on several timber-producing regions. national requirements. It is manifest that the Pacific Northwest with its extensive and varied forest resources and sparse population can supply its requirements for prac- tically all kinds of forest products indefinitely. The only wood products consumed in this region that must be imported are small amounts of hardwood material such as flooring and interior finish, and articles manufactured of woods not grown in this region, such as certain kinds of furniture and imple- ment handles. The principal sources of these items are eastern and southern United States, the Philip- pine Islands, and South and Central America. Supplemental Tables In this report all saw-timber volume data have been expressed in log scale, Scribner rule. How- ever, in some of the other regions in the United States similar data are expressed in lumber tally. For the purpose of comparison, tables showing saw- timber volume data in lumber tally for this region have been prepared. These are included in this section as supplemental tables. ‘Table 33 shows the volume of timber in millions of board feet, lumber tally, in the region by species and forest-survey unit, and table 34 by species and ownership class. A comparison of annual saw-timber growth and depletion, in millions of board feet, lumber tally, is shown by unit in table 35. Also shown in lumber tally is the current annual gross growth in the region by unit and broad age class in table 36, cur- rent and potential annual net growth in the region by unit in table 37, and periodic net saw-timber growth in the region, 1936-65, by unit, decade, and class of cutting practice in table 38. Detailed fire-depletion data are given in supple- mental tables as follows: Table 39 shows the area deforested on national forests and lands other than national forests in the region in 1924-35, inclusive, by type and forest-survey unit; table 40 shows the loss of timber volume in log scale on the same areas; and table 41 is a regional summary of estimated an- nual average of area deforested and timber volume lost. Rates used in calculating potential growth of — conifer timber in the region are shown in table 42. Taste 33.—Volume of timber, lumber tally, in the ponderosa pine region, by species and forest-survey unit, 1936 {In million board feet—i. e., 000,000 omitted] ow —_————————— i Eastern Washington Eastern Oregon Species North North De South Hecign Chelan- | Yakima | Blue Total Blue eohutes Blue | Klamath} popa) 0. Colville River Moun- Moun- RaGON Moun- | Plateau tain tain tain | = | RONICGLOSE&s LUC sass ne eee ere Ss ho rn eee 9, 028. 6 8, 198. 3 434.2 | 17, 661.1 6, 604.1 | 16, 748.7 | 19,053. 1 | 29, 572.6 | 71,978. 5 89, 639. 6 \ Shiraate ye Re ee a ee ee Se EE eel | oer D525) Ween eee 795. 0 810. 2 810. 2 | Western white pine_______------- Se ee 182.9 296. 3 .4 479.6 4.6 141.6 2.7 246. 9 395.8 875. 4 ' Lodgepole pine 190. 1 261.6 14.9 466. 6 83.9 163. 5 71.4 441.5 760. 3 1, 226. 9 | Douglas-fir______--- 5, 870. 5 5, 756. 4 198.7 | 11, 825.6 2, 593. 4 2, 499. 4 2, 144.6 1, 307. 1 8, 544. 5 20, 370. 1 { Western redcedar 140. 3 WES) |eeeetseee 2456) | eae eee GNO [eae ean ie ae 5.9 251.5 Alaska yellow-cedar_-_.______--_------------- 6 Sr) eee BOCA eee Le FS ia ite) TR a) 5 32.9 ' | @aliformianncense-cedars 9-9 enna nse a ene enn le fies tae eee ea pel ie fap eh a ates ope re B57 | nae sees 185. 1 243.8 243. 8 i . Nesternnemiock. 2s oe fe ere BOR Chlhn 12240 Pe ee = pA foseen ete LO 7a eeenecee 50.6 | 47.7 | 1,368.7 i MOMMA NOMLOCKS onan eae oa ge 248.7 S7Oaip | beeen 1, 124. 4 3. 5 3205/9 |b eee 553. 6 1, 886. 8 3, 011. 2 f VLD ON Vee 3S I fi ae eee ee ra 107.5 835. 1 212.6 1, 155. 2 1, 388. 4 884. 6 1, 060. 6 2, 504. 5 5, 838. 1 6, 993. 3 ‘ IN ODIG Ti sae te ee ee ee Ue Rh ale ei eel 39525 nee! 2335 4a | pees ee 1, 142. 4 1, 375.8 1, 415.0 Pacific silver fir_ _- 966. 9 (000) )seae een PPL a er ne SAO il Reece a eee SS 34. 0 2, 757. 4 Ly JN poy ba Qi oe re a ee peer eae Peer 218. 0 329. 3 34.8 582. 1 106. 5 30.9 37.2 11.3 185.9 768. 0 Western laren oe Sonne eee Se te 2, 331.0 1, 344.6 182.6 3, 858. 2 1, 854. 3 284. 2 Use byt) Ge oe 3, 498. 1 7, 356. 3 LOS a Mab AUR) a) eles) ee Oe PO ee 1, 494, 3 403. 1 72. 2 1, 969. 6 379.0 79.9 126. 4 36. 1 621. 4 2, 591. 0 Reda Or esse nares eee eee aa EE A bee Gal ee ea? esha | Reeseen es | ete slat nsere oO | ee get ees | eso ee | ree eee 1 { TERI OG NCES) Oh oe or eae See O) fetesere= Ss eenemeemes @) lemectetoss|eo Seco neal Soca ester eee cael Peer ssseas (1) f Northern black cottonwood ___---_----------- 36.8 32. 2 ot 69. 7 11.6 2.5 4.5 ait 18. 7 88. 4 BES G1 oo en ee ee -6 ai | ese tee ee Oi eee De tems ee Ne 1.9 1.9 a Motalvics = ss ew eo wee once | 21, 215: 4 | 20, 988. 1 1,151.1 | 48, 354.6 | 18,029.3 | 22, 709.8 | 23, 860.1 | 36, 848.7 | 96, 447.9 | 139, 802.5 H p 1 Less than 50 M board feet. \ Tasie 34.—Volume of timber, lumber tally, in the ponderosa pine region, by species and ownership class, 1936 ; {In million board feet, i. e., 000,000 omitted] State Federally owned or managed { f | Public domain National forest j | Species Private sane Ree, County aaa ee aa a | Se | LOL. | : gutting “trom heey Vand Avail- | , Hell: Ge a| Avail- Bee a i cutting grants | able for jeoki Bee ris ais able for os we i cutting pending |cutting! cutting cutting i | Ponderosa pine_-_------------ -.|29, 935.8 | 1,777.3 0.3]; 416.4 8.6 |16, 442.8 157.7 847.6 379.8 185. 1 |39, 180. 4 307.8 | 89, 639.6 f Sngac ping 422.0 co-e 424. 6 197.8 | 38.3 SBP eegtiak oe 5] 141.6 7| 810.2 “a Western white pine__-___- = 77.0 52. 4 7.8 .2 35.2 7.3 625.1 64.8 875. 4 Lodgepole pine-_-__--..------_-- 149.4 7. Hl PTE eae des s 2:1 (2) 36.3 -4 3.7 12.0 33.9 850.0 115.0 1, 226.9 MW Douglas-firs) 52205-22255 5h 5, 129. 1 WSALO ere 177.6 8.1 | 2,199.1 67.1 139. 5 288. 2 4.6 |11, 132.6 440.2 | 20, 370.1 i Western redcedar _-_-_--__---_-_-- 42.9 1456) |-se2 eae: -4 LOH} | ose ee 158. 6 13. 2 251.5 gy Alaska yellow-cedar______-_-__- 72 AO) | epee a ae pe Qe E See toetlh 26.0 3.6 32.9 i California incense-cedar_______- 132. 3 52.1 11 at Jal ae ae -6 54. 6 8 243.8 ti Western hemlock 3 8:20 eae ee 8 73.0 5.6 861.9 93. 8 1, 368. 7 : Mountain hemlock u .0 ZS ets eee | eee aE): 112.4 183.4 | 2,142.9 245.1 3, 011. 2 RVVUR teeth eee oe a one ean .9 677.7 49.5 16.9 28:9 24.3 | 3,967.1 101.4 6, 993. 3 INO DIG Une! c= o-e ee ee ee 4 52.5 15.9 3.6 6.7 218. 5 828.0 135.4,.|° 1,415.0 RAC TICISILVER Tikes =a = sae ee -4 (ed eae (2) pal? Oy pees ie 1, 792. 1 303. 7 2, 757.4 Alpines ie eee SO 3 WAST |e (2) 2249) | sea eee es: 442.1 126.7 768. 0 WeSsLernilanclissts > soc eae bP VA) | See eee ae 69.0 O14 | Eee 4, 760. 2 126.3 7, 356. 3 Engelmann spruce 4 TOS 6) | See 2.8 42.9 1 |} 1,477.6 770.3 | 2,591.0 : Redialder=s---2-"" =-25 =e it ‘ | Bigleaf maple__- (2) Northern black cottonwood___- 88. 4 f PS GTI eee weiter te eo sekee 2.7 4 Le aioe ard See PE ace heer fs ; | otal cos ae sae eae ae 40, 328. 8 | 3, 015. 0 .3 694. 6 24.3 |20, 963. 8 397.8 | 1,086.1 | 1,315.6 663.9 |68, 460.9 | 2,851.4 |139, 802. 5 f | | | 1 Crater Lake National Park. 4 Less than 50 M board feet. 93 462119°—42--_7% t Tas_e 35.—Comparison of annual saw-timber growth and depletion, lumber tally, by unit, 1936 {In million board feet—i. e., 000,000 omitted] Average Reduction or k Siete andtanit owe. avommal: Current net | Average fire cutting increase in | .Potential growth ! depletion 2 growth 3 loss 1924-35 | depletion | saw-timber aét SOME 1925-36 volume alot é Eastern Washington: @helan-Colvilles:) =) 222 eae ee 250. 8 180. 4 70. 4 53.9 135. 3 —118.8 378. 4 BY LIN AeEULV Cle sa ee cy Es Bs peel ir Sea) 222, 2 167. 2 55.0 6.6 136. 4 —88. 0 321.2 North: Blue Mountain=-- 22 2-2 16.5 8.8 Tad te| ies DE UE Se 4.4 ~ +3.3 31.9 CA NY 2 [iia te ey et rey rte ees in ee 489.5 356. 4 133.1 60.5 276.1 — 203. 5 731.5 Eastern Oregon: z North Blue Mountain_________--__-__--__-___ 146.3 103. 4 42.9 tall 90. 2 —48.4 243. 1 Meschutes River: sss. ee es See 178.2 160.6 17.6 : 12.1 255. 2 —249.7 259. 6 South Blue Mountain____- 172.7 152.9 19.8 Lows 119.9 —107.8 350. 9 Klamath) Plateaw iso se ee ee 272.8 245.3 27.5 14.3 457.6 —444.4 414.7 Totals ese aye See se ee ieee a ee. 770.0 662. 2 107.8 35. 2 922.9 —850. 3 1, 268.3 Region to tale ic sus Skee eee ae ae a es 1, 259.5 1, 018. 6 240.9 95.7 1, 199. 0 —1, 053. 8 1, 999.8 1 On commercial forest land, 1935. 3 Exclusive of fire loss. 3’ On commercial stands not more than 160 years in age, 1935. Tasie 36.—Current annual gross growth, lumber tally, in the ponderosa pine region, by unit and broad age class, 1936 Mature stands ! | Immature stands ? Total i) af Growth of ¢ | . 0 a Bia ana Current an- Current an- Current an- | ponderosa val Area nual gross Area nual gross Area nual gross pine as por- i growth ; growth growth tion of total | ’ growth f Thousand Million Thousand Million Thousand Million Eastern Washington: acres board feet acres board feet acres board feet Percent yy @helan-Colvillesei 22: oases See See 2, 285 169. 4 1, 103 81.4 3, 388 250. 8 39 i WakimatRiversos: 222-28 se scsene— nee 1, 422 158. 4 713 63. 8 2, 135 222. 2 37 | North Blue Mountain_-_......--------------- 124 toll 162 8.8 286 16.5 35 3 ‘Total cso is. cee ee ee Se 3, 831 335. 5 1,978 154.0 5, 809 489. 5 38 * _————SSSSSan}E>_@e_ONQWNFE=lH—aaa{=aaj|>|]|L=—eE——[—=S= a | Eastern Oregon: 3 North Blue Mountain.__.......----------_--- 1, 387 97.9 799 48, 4 2, 186 146.3 43 | DMeschitesekyivens ase eee re ee ens 1, 582 158.4 401 19.8 1, 983 178. 2 70 ee) South Blue Mountain_____-.----------------- 2, 428 149. 6 457 23.1 2, 885 172.7 75 f KidamathsPlateausssses nese see eee 2, 426 240.9 482 31.9 2, 908 272.8 77 P ‘ i Totaliees 0 wees Heese SSN iee ~ 7, 823 646.8 2, 139 123.2 9, 962 770.0 69 ES { SSS 0 Bf, Regionitotalsse se enes sat Sue ee wiles 11, 654 982. 3 4,117 277.2 15, 771 1, 259. 5 58 a i} 1 Stands more than 160 years old, on commercial conifer forest land. ; F 2 Stands 160 years or less in age, on commercial conifer forest land. aa 94 Taste 37.—Current and potential net annual growth, lumber tally, in the ponderosa pine region, by unit a " Current annual net growth Potential annual net growth F Growth of Growth of State and unit Area Total ponderosa Area Total ponderosa immature net pine as commercial net pine as stands growth portion of forest sites growth portion of total total Thousand Million board Thousand | Million board Eastern Washington: acres feet Percent acres feet Percent GnelanColvi lies ssn ocean ee Ce te eee tn 1, 103 70. 4 33 3, 525 448.8 55 aim ates War ea ee ees sae eee