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Douglas Fir Region Developments Boost \(/ood Utilization

Washington, D. C.-Timber worth half a million dollars was salvaged by relogging operations on industrial Tree l.'arms in the Douglas fir region of Western Oregon and Washington last year.

W. D. Hagenstein, forest engineer for the Forest Consevation Committee of the Pacific Northwest Forest Industries, estimates the salvage added more than 5O million board feet of timber to the inventory of the 55 industrial Tree Farms concerned.

In a recent report to subscribers, Mr. Hagenstein called 1950 the "busiest forestry year in the 125 years of the Douglas fir industry." He pointed to an all-time record high log harvest of about 12 billion board feet which suppl.ied more than one-quarter of the wood needs of the entire country. This forest harvest brought nearly one and a half billion dollars into Western Washington and Oregon during the year.

Developments during 1950 emphasized the increasing trend of more complete wood utilization in the Douglas fir region, tl-re forest engineer declared.

The beginning of construction or actual operation of six hardboard plants srrbsisting primarily on leftovers from other primary manufacturing.

Construction begun on seven new plywood plants, including some designed for partially decayed low grade logs for utility grades of plywood.

llenovation and improvement of several hundred sawmills of all sizes to furnish more products and.more jobs from a given amount of raw material through closer utilization.

Installation of equipment for the hydraulic barking of logs.

Increased use of pres-to-log machines and the manufacture of pressed wood briquettbs.

The use oI gang saws for utilizing small logs.

Installation of remanufacturing facilities for turning out secondary products like furniture sub-assemblies, box material and laminated wood.

. The use of new wood chipping plants to utilize sawmill and plywood leftovers for pulp chips.

"The ultimate in wood use has by no means been reached," Mr, Hagenstein's report adds, ,,but good markets and successful merchandising of low-grade wood show how the forest industries can continue to contribute to the economy using fewer trees to provide each unit of forest products."

The forest engineer credited the forest industries well organized fire protection program working in cooperation with the state forestry departments and private fire associations with cutting 1950 fire losses for the region to less than half those of the preceding year.

"One couldn't visit private land anywhere in the Douglas fir region between the spring and fall of l95O without running into foresters examining lands for acquisition, inventorying growing stock, planning artificial reforestation, studying fire protection problems, laying out slash burning plans, marking immature stands for thinning, shaping up Tree Farms, or just studying how a specific problem in