Three-\(/ay Forest Management

woterghed

This is to tell more on 'ivhat is being done about forestry on the West Coast.

The'rvater supply of Seattle depends on a forested rvatershed of 91,000 acres. T'iventy-five years ago a management plan representing the three types of orvnership on the area '$'as set up. Today the record of the plan stands as a pattern of successful cooperation of forest industry ancl governrnent in productive conservation-that is, in conservation of natural resources rvith wise use.

The orvners of the l'atershed are the City of Seattle, tu'o forest industry companies and the federal governmeut. The plan is to harvest the old-growth Douglas fir, Wcst Coast hemlock, Western red cedar, Noble and white firs, an<l other species for "sustained yield." The sustained harvest on the watershed's billioff board feet of old-grorvth sa.ivtimber is set at 35 million feet per year. Last year only 22 million feet 'ivere logged.

The city acquires orvnership of all land, both private ancl supply, interview truck logger on mouniqin on thousqnds of ccreg that hqve been hcrrwster <rnd timber, through modern prcctices federal, after logging. acre of the watershed.

Eventuallv Seattle own every

Does logging endanger the purity of the city's water? Experts from all over the rvorld have looked into the question and say, "No." During the rvar, for example, Seattle water was carried to the South Pacific in tankers to supply the batteries of the fighting ships-a use that requires water of highest purity.

Nor has logging impaired the ability of the forest soil on the rvatershed to retain snorv melt and rainfall for slow runoff. The public is kept out of the watershed' Forest fires are ferv. With seed trees left by the loggers in adequate number and scientifically located, natural reforestation on harvested lands has been rapid and dense in growth.

This r.vatershed is but one of 200 and more on the 26,000,000 acres of commercially available forest land in the Douglas fir region. On all the picture of industrial forest nlanagement is inspiring.