Plants To Convert Sawmill \7aste Into Power Developed By Arizona'Lumber Firms In 1948

By Flatt Cline Editor oI the Arizona Daily Sun, Flagstafi, Arizona

For the third consecutive year, in 1948 the sawmills of Arizona cut in excess of 250 million board feet of lumber, contributing more than eight million payroll dollars to the economic lifestream of the state.

In addition to this huge supply of lumber (enough to construct 25,W0 two-bedroom residences) the industry also produced valuable by-products, including box shook for packing the great fruit and vegetable crops of the Salt River valley and other areas. The sawmills rvere also large suppliers of commercial quantities of electric energy generated by porver plants lvhich utilize sawdust and other "trvaste" materials as fuel.

The 250 million board feet of lumber cut during the year probably represents the peak of the unprecedented postrvar demand, and is approximately double the cut in this state 10 years ago.

It is expected that the 1949 cut r,vill be somervhat less than 200 million feet. The leveling off in production rvill result from the closing up of some of the smaller mills which u'ere able to operate during the period of great demand, but which cannot operate economically u'hen the market returns to normal.

Closing of these smaller mills is expected to make available the more skilled sa'ivmill and rvoods rvorkers, thus increasing the efficiency of the larger, more stable sau'mill operations.

Although cutting in Arizona has been at an all-time high rate, even the peak years of 1947 and 1948 sa'lv more actual timber rate of grorvth than the cut amounted to.

Harvested Scientifically

Arizona's forests are scientifically harvested under the direction of the Forest and Indian services. The allorvable cut each year is calculated from the estimated growth of ner,v timber. Because of this fact, the forests in this state will never becon.re any smaller than they are at present, barring Coconino, the cut is approximately 60 million feet each year, 'n'hile the gro'rvth is estimated by scientists to be something more than 80 million feet a vear.

New Power Supplies

Probably the major development in Arizona's lumbering industry during the year rvas the constrnction of huge electric po\\rer generating plants at the major mills, plants