Best Wishes To All For

much to the point," he added. "We can't consider forestry in a vacuum. It isn't enough for the present forest trends to continue; we must consider those trends in relation to population and other things in the national economy that will influence future demands for timber."

Overall comparison of current timber grou.th and cut are almost meaningless, it rvas explained, because they obscure the important differences between softwoods and hardwoods and because they fail to reckon rvith the future relation of demands and growth.

"Whether there is time enough to gear up to levels of future demand by the end of the century, and still meet increasing needs in the meantime, is a pretty debatable question," McArdle said.

"If we accept the assumption that the population oI the United States is going to keep on increasing.at a rapid rate, and if we accept the estimates of potential timber demand at all seriously, it is going to require an intensification of forestry effort above and beyond what most of us have visualized," he said.

NIcArdle said the preliminary report presents the facts found in a nationwide survey, and interprets the facts, but makes no program recommendations.

"I hope thatthis study will add to America's leadership in forestry," McArdle continued, "that it will be useful to other nations of the world in relating our timber situarion to theirs, and that it rvill serve as basis for a long-ran5;e forestry planning for progressive forest industries and for state governments and the federal g'overnmeltt.

"I believe the study will convince the reader that we

THE TAENZERS and STAFF wish to extend sincere thanks to all

OUR FRIENDS, CUSTOMERS and MILTS are not faced with an acute timber shortage in the United States. I earnestly hope that it will also convince the reader that we face a tremendous challenge if we are to grow enough timber so that our children may enjoy the timber abundance thatwe ourselves have known."

\U7e \fish to Assure You We rUTill Do Our [Jtmost to Render a Complete Service During All the Years to Come r$Zhen You Need Domestic and Imported Hardwoods from Reliable Mills.

Highlights of the Report

1. The United States now has 489 million acres capable of growing timber for commercial use. The survey indicated, however, there no longer appears to be an excess of forestland and any substantial reductions in the acreage of land devoted to timber crops may adversely affect future timber supplies.

2. Some 115 million acres, one-fourth of all the country's commerical forestland, is poorly stocked or nonstocked. About 50 million acres will require planting if it is to become productive within a reasonable time. The study shows that over-all timbergrowth is increasinS i on a national basis, saw-timber growth was neatly 9/o more in 1952 than comparable growth in 1944. The review indicates that the quality of timber in the forests is declining.

3. Condition of recently cutover lands was found generally to be best on lands owned by the forest industries and on public forestlands. Condition of such lands was poorest on farm and other private forestlands. Some 4l million farm owners and other private non-industry owners of timberland hold the key to the nation's timber supplies, the Review indicates. On the average their holdings are small ; 85/o of. them own less than 100 acres of timberland each. But in the aggregate their holdings comprise 60/o ol the country's total commercial forestlands and supply a substantial part of the rarv material for forest industries.

4. The Timber Resource Review shows that greatest loss in potential timber growth comes from insects, diseases, and fire. Each year these kill an amount of sawtimber equal to one-fourth of the annual growth. Insects and diseases now outrank fire as damaging agents' Much progress has been made in prevention and control of fire; a similar reduction in the toll of insects and diseases would contribute substantially toward increased future timber supplies.

5. One-fourth of the timber cutisnot now utilized, according to Review findings. Closer utilization of timber and reduction of unused plant and logging residues would help to make available supplies go farther.

6. The Review indicates that greatest possibilities for adding permanently to the nation's timber supplies lie in improving the stocking on the one-fourth of the commercial forestland that is poorly stocked; in obtaining sufficiently prompt and adequate restocking on cutover areas so as to maintain their productivity; in realizing the 8 billion board feet a year growth potential of the 5O million plantable acres, and in reducing the loss due to insects, diseases and fire.

The present preliminary report is the latest of a series of periodic appraisals made at 8- to l0-year intervals to obtain up-to-date information on the extent and condition of the nation's forest resources, and rates and trends of timber growth.

Timber Resource Review Finds Growth Exceeds Removol, Soys Corpenler, Heqd of AFPI

For the first time since America began the harvest of its virgin forests, the country is growing timber faster than it is being used, according to a preliminary draft of Timber Resources Review, a report covering appraisal of the nation's timber resources by the U.S. Forest Service.

Leonard G. Carpenter, Minneapolis lumberman and president of American Forest Products Industries, said his analysis of the TRR gave "satisfaction over what has been accomplished and optimism for the future." American Forest Products Industries, an association of the nation's wood-using industries, sponsors nationally the American Tree Farm System and the Keep America Green fire-prevention educational campaign.

In a prepared statement, Carpenter said: "The release of the Timber Resources Review completed by the U.S.F.S. after three years of field survey and analysis has been eagerly awaited by the private enterprises who look to the forests for their raw materials. While we respect and concur in U.S. Forest Service Chief Richard E. McArdle's rvarning against 'smugness or complacency,' our analysis of the TRR gives us both satisfaction over what has been accomplished and optimism for the future.

"According to the preliminary draft of Timber Resources Review, timber is actually being grown 32/o faster than it is being removed. This is in contrast with a drain 2/o in excess of growth in 1944 and a drain 8O/o in excess of growth in l9D. In view of the increasing use of forest materials for pulp and paper, for synthetic fabrics, and for plastics, this is an extremely significant fact.

"Furthermore, the drain in sawtimber is now within 3% of being in balance, which is a tremendons improvement over the situations disclosed by the U.S. Forest Service surveys made in l9D and in 1944. In 1929 sarvtimber was being removed 5.1 times more rapidly than it was being grown and, in 1944, 1.6 board feet were being removed for each foot which was being grown.

"The 3/o current deficit in sawtimber we believe is largely attributable to the fact thata considerable volume today is coming from the virgin stands of the northwestern part of the United States. In this area the cut still exceeds the growth by 5O/o. However, as the old grorvth forests are replaced by vigorous fast-growing young timber, this ratio can be expected to move toward balance. In other sections of the country where virgin forests have already been harvested, the TRR appraisal shows an excess of saw-timber growth over drain. In the north, the growth is 1.8 times removal and in the south, the growth is LZ2 times removal.

"We feel that it is encouraging to note that the nation's total commercial forest area has increased from 461,044,000 acres in 1944 to 484,430,000 acres today, not including timberland in Alaska.

"I salute the foresters throughout the nation, the forestusing industries of the country and, above all, the host of tree farmers who have brought about this splendid result and whose efforts, if extended, makes possible optimism over the nation's forest situation for the future even though our population increases," Carpenter concluded.

'The Speciqlist' ond ( Con t inrred whom the sponsors care to and

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