Commercial pole production in the Northern Rocky Mountain Area in 1962

Historic, archived document

Do not assume content reflects current
scientific knowledge, policies, or practices.

U. S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE

ATION OARY
16 364
S V4
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
FOREST SERVICE
INTERMOUNTAIN FOREST & RANGE EXPERIMENT STATION
OGDEN UTAH
U.S. Forest Service
Research Note INT-9 1963

COMMERCIAL POLE PRODUCTION
IN THE NORTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN AREA IN 1962

Alvin K. Wilson, Research Forester
Division of Forest Economics and Recreation Research

ABSTRACT

The latest survey of commercial pole production in Idaho, Montana,
and northeastern Washington showed that nearly 310,000 poles were
produced in 1962. This figure is 29 percent below the output for
1960 (the latest year for which comparable data are available), Pro-
duction declined considerably between 1947 and 1962; most of this
decline occurred prior to 1955.

Commercial pole production in Idaho, Montana, and northeastern Washington
totaled 309,889 poles in 1962, according to results of the latest survey. Compared
to production in 1960--the most recent year for which fully comparable data are avail-
able--this reflects a decline of 29 percent (127,273 poles). Production for 1962 was
estimated to have been 16 percent (60,535 poles) below the output of 1961.

. Sponsored in northern Idaho (north of the Salmon River), Montana, and north-
eastern Washington by the Rocky Mountain Pole and Treating Association, Spokane,
Washington. The Association contacted all pole companies known to operate in this
area. The Intermountain Forest and Range Experiment Station made additional contacts
to obtain reports for operations in southern Idaho and compiled data from the reports
furnished by all companies that participated in the survey.

= Several companies did not furnish reports in the survey for 1961 production but
reported in the surveys of 1960 and 1962 production. To obtain estimates for 1961,
interpolations were made between the 1960 and 1962 quantities reported by these com-
panies and are included in the statistics shown here. Data for both 1960 and 1962
are based on reports from all known pole companies that operated within the northern
Rocky Mountain area or received poles from this area.

Table 1.--Poles produced in Montana, Idaho, and northeastern Washington,
by species, 1962

Species

4,962
105,328
AS) obs)

Western redcedar
Lodgepole pine
Western larch
Douglas -fir
Total
Percent

144

122920

40

+ Less than 0.5 percent.

: Northeastern :
sais : Washington :
Number

131,068 Tage poh ey?
9,245 0)
9,286 14,209
0) 0
149,599 38,061
48 12,

159,882
114,573
30,290

144
309, 889

Percent
of total

a2
37
ila

(2)

100

Table 2.--Pole production in Montana, Idaho,+ and northeastern Washington,

Year : Western

: redcedar
1947 235075372
1948 212,785
1949 280.16
1950 217,049
1951 1925271
1952 PATER Al
1953 bo sot
1954 138,624
1955 131,660
1956 193,393
1957 280,764
1958 127,039
159 140,410
1960 204, 894
1961° 188,922
1962 15955382

Average,

last 5 164,229
years

: Lodgepole :;

351,310
138,099
186, 262
92,338
136,628
T1LO.G21
1235022
101, 842

99,027
246 , 947
142,361
173,331
244,015
ereevA 06)
155,983
114,573

TOD 021

by species, 1947-1962

Species

Western Douglas -

larch fir

Number

221,990 6,473
90, 879 5,419
121,214 a0)
F1Z6oh 9,070
126,332 10,116
152; 701 19,049
90,245 3,010
36,938 768
61,688 5,941
1112268 36,334
82,209 13,009
By oulD2 23 7109
42,796 1,360
URINE 4,341
41,567 31,902
35,290 144
41,506 PAS AO)

Sey oS eae oo o ere cree

0

S75 202
447 ,986
399), SZ
390, 108
465 , 347
500, 152
413,835
2737172
294,516
987 , 942
918, 893
340, 231
428,581
437,162
370,424
309, 889

O77 Zoi

1 Data for 1952, and 1956 through 1962, are for the entire State; data for other
years are for northern Idaho only. For the years of record, southern Idaho's annual
output (all from lodgepole pine) did not exceed 6.2 percent of the State's total in any
year; output ranged from 6,000 poles (1952) to a high of 10,292 poles (1956).

v3

= Mainly ponderosa pine.

~ Based in part on interpolations from 1960 and 1962 reports. See text footnote 2,
page l.

Table 3.--Pole production in Montana, Idaho, and northeastern Washington, and
imported poles, 1947-1962

Poles grown and cut in : Poles imported

Year - Northeastern :from Canada and

: 1
: ura : ae Washington the west coast
Se Number <== = =-.- =} --.+7-"--"
1947 324,734 316,764 175,704 356 , 643
1948 166,856 205,035 76,095 227 ,069
1949 221,815 300, 808 76,689 312,291
1950 148,473 180,410 61,225 226,159
1951 216,188 193,341 55,818 132,966
1952 181,985 229,777 88,390 379,686
1953 177,130 206,915 29,790 262,017
1954 137, 5a! Tai, 110 9,531 229,119
1955 138,260 131,281 24,975 77,071
1956 303,635 2115451 72,856 125,569
1957 177,979 252,941 87,973 181,584
1958 181,627 132,054 26,550 126,971
1959 255,264 135,400 37,917 99,821
1960 190,487 188,719 57 , 956 96 , 980
1961= 147,205 177,638 45,581 58,018
1962 122,229 149,599 38,061 12,592
Average, last
5 years 179,362 156,682 41,213 78,876

1Data for 1952, and 1956 through 1962, are for the entire State; data for other
years are for northern Idaho only. For the years of record, southern Idaho's annual
output (all from lodgepole pine) did not exceed 6.2 percent of the State's total in any
year; output ranged from 6,000 poles (1952) to a high of 10,292 poles (1956).

2 Based in part on interpolations from 1960 and 1962 reports. See text footnote 2,

page l.

These marked declines occurred in all the principal pole species; western Ted-
cedar output for 1962 was down 22 percent from 1960, lodgepole pine was down 35
percent, and western larch was down 30 percent.

Severe declines likewise occurred in each of the northern Rocky Mountain pole -
producing areas. Montana's production (principally from lodgepole pine) declined 36
percent from 1960; Idaho's output was down 21 percent, and northeastern Washington's
production was 34 percent below 1960. In the same period, imports of poles from
Canada and the west coast to yards in the area fell off 87 percent.

8.8
bike

All
29.62
20.2

10

=0)

ike
ie,
2.2

2510)

Pexcent of totalk— = = = — = - —-)- — —)—)—) 9
5.8

A. S. A. Class

jl

WESTERN REDCEDAR

123

0.8
4.

0.4
lies

Washington, by species, length, and American Standards Association classes
0.3

Table 4.--Distribution of 1962 pole production in Montana, Idaho, and northeastern
1

0.5

Pole
length :

(feet)
40

25
30
35
45

12.3

N

4.0

ibe

od
14.8
100.0
44.0
15.8
22.3
12.8
4.6
100.0
Tad
32.8
36.6
10.7
4.0
8.2
100.0
ZNEA0)
WA5 /
Zo)
19.3
9.2
4.3
8.5
100.0

ZO

edi
su
0

4.4
10.3

5.4
4,2
RAT
Poses
2.5

al
pe)
2.4

ISyeo)
On /

ALL SPECIES

2.4
ie
2D
Soy
20.1

13.4
WESTERN LARCH

LODGEPOLE PINE

ee
Desh
9.4
30
Da?

Aull
Ihe
L7G Al

5d
8
Vay,
the
an)
eal
8

2k.
18.2
2
3.
1h
4,2
Dis
Ne
14,2

I.
4,
10.0
6.4
6.0

3.2

Ono
2.6
il

od,

alte
+ Dash (--) indicates production less than 0.05 percent.

= Zero (0) indicates no production.

50
DO
All
25
30
35
40
45
50
20
All
22
30
35
40
45
50
DD
All
25
30
35
40
45
50
eye)
All

Over the 16 years of record, production has declined appreciably from the high
point in 1947, when pent-up demand from the war years was pushing power and tele-
phone line construction. However, this decline has not been at a uniform rate. An
analysis of the trend in output from northern Rocky Mountain forests showed that (1)
nearly 89 percent of the overall decline for the 16-year period occurred before 1955,
and (2) the tendency in the late 1950's has been for production to level off at an annual
output of about 375,000 poles.

A similar production trend--a rapid decline from 1947 to about 1955, followed by
a much less rapid decline or a tendency to level off--was found in the analysis of data
from each of the three areas.

Prior to 1955, except for a single year, pole imports to northern Rocky Mountain
yards exceeded the output from any one of the three areas, but later fell behind both
Idaho and Montana. Since 1957, imports have declined steadily and, in 1962, fell below
the output of each of the three areas. The continuing and rapid downward trend for
imports is in marked contrast to the "leveling-off'’ tendency found in the production
figures of the northern Rocky Mountain area.

TRENDS IN POLE PRODUCTION AND IMPORTS
NORTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN AREA
1947 - 1962

Produced tn the northern Rocky WMoutain area

wn
=
oO
a
—
12)
wn
a
rs
<
nn
=.
12)
==
_

1950 1952 1954 1956 1958
YEAR

Figure |

ul

Average annual production was about the same for Idaho and Montana from 1947
through 1962. Idaho is estimated to have produced between 196,000 and 200,000 poles
per year~ in comparison to Montana's 193,000. Prior to 1955, production in Idaho
was somewhat higher than in Montana. However, for most of the years since 1955,
Montana's output has exceeded that of Idaho.

Western redcedar has been the leading species for all but 4 years of the 16-year
period. Since 1955, however, lodgepole pine has occupied top place three times (in
1956, 1958, and 1959), and will probably challenge western redcedar with increasing
frequency as a source of poles.

NORTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN POLE PRODUCTION
(BY SOURCE AREAS) AND IMPORTS
1947 - 1962

a Imports
\ % i

wn
a
O
o:
uw
oO
wn
Q
Ze
<
Y
=)
oO
ae
e

1950 D2. 1954 1956 1958 1960
YEAR

Figure 2

“Data are missing for all but one of the years from 1947 to 1955 for southern
Idaho. Estimates based on 1952 and 1956 figures for southern Idaho indicate the actual
production probably did not exceed the higher figure shown here.