A Perpetual Supply Of Redwood

By Lawrence H. Price The Pacific Lumber Co.

E

OR TWO centuries the coastal I redwood has been the source of one of man's best performing, most naturally beautiful building materials.

Today, redwood continues to be the most commercially valuable softwood species. And resulting from the industry's scientific forest management, redwood Products will be available on a permanent and perpetual basis.

The establishment of the controversial Redwood National Park raised many questions about the future supply of redwood. So it is appropriate for The Merchant's readers to be advised that redwood products will always be available and to know why.

Redwood is one of the fastest regenerating and growing of all commercial species. It's interesting to know that redwood reproduces both by seeding and by sprouting from stumps which is something no other commercial softwood species can do. These characteristics led the Society of American Foresters to estimate recently that there are more coastal redwoods in existence now than when logging first began. Once on its way redwood proves to be the fastest growing commercial conifer in the country, producing more board feet per acre per year than any other species.

In the redwood industry there is extensive forestry research. Because redwood is a very valuable species plus its unusually good regenerative and fast growing characteristics, it's a particularly rewarding species on which to apply advancements in forest science.

We'd like to tell readers of The Merchant about Pacific Lumber's resource management which guarantees a perpetual supply of Palco redwood.

Pacific Lumber Company's vast area of timberlands are the source of raw material for all of the company's forest products. The com- pany owns sufficient timberlands to provide 1000/o of the wood necessary for its redwood and also its Douglas fir products.

A perpetual supply ofredwood is assured through the company's forestry techniques. Since the late 1800s Pacific has been producing redwood products from old growth redwood stands. And we will continue to do so for decades.

The company has used a modified selection system in logging its old growth redwood stands for over 40 years. Mature and over mature redwoods are harvested with the younger trees left for an accelerated growth stand.

Our timberlands now also contain a considerable volume of young growth redwood reaching harvestable sizes, especially in the 60-80 year old stands. These young growth stands are being thinned in a scientifically determined manner to promote maximum quality and growth of the remaining trees.

Pacific's forest management practices have developed over a number of years concurrent with the continued growth of the company as a major redwood producer. Our company has had professional foresters on its staff for more than 50 years.

The continuous yield practice means Pacific will have a perpetual supply of redwood products, and also of Douglas fir products. This is a diligent and very disciplined practice. Dtrring periods as in the last couple of years when the demand for lumber and plywood are so high, there is, of course, a temptation to increase timber harvesting volumes. Needless to say, to do so would have a deteriorating effect on continuous yield practice results, and could destroy the perpetuity of a timber supply.

Pacific does not increase the cut. Instead the volumes of products shipped are increased through inventory reduction. When the cycle turns and demand slows, inventories are allowed to build.

Pacific's timberlands are 40 miles south of the Redwood National Park. None of these lands were involved in that controversial legislation.

However, Pacific was park land conscious as far back as the 1920s. They recognized the aesthetic value of the unusually great redwoods in certain of their accessible alluvial areas. They set aside some park-like

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