Perpetuating Northwestern Forests

(Continued from Page 25) of grorving trees.

Douglas fir forestry begins when old timber i5 6uf-not before. The actual grorvth of the region has increased a; more old timber u,as cut and more acres put into crops of young trees. When enough virgin forests are harvested to put the productive capacity of the land fully at l,vork, the grorvtl.r u'ill equal or exceed the rate of cutting. The growing timber crops must, of course, be protected from fire.

The regrorvth of Douglas fir is still less than the 8 or 9 billion board feet now cut or burned every year. That is not alarming rvhen rve think of the pay rolls and communities and facilities for Defense which this 1'g211t cut is maintaining; and particularly of the acres of

Protected lrom fire, their worgt growing forest which are expanding every year.

Under the logging practices now followed by the industry, two things will bring the growth of Douglas fir into balance with the rate of cutting.

First; getting more acres out from under "lumber piles" and into timber crops.

Second; keeping forest fires under control. The burning of young forests is today the most serious thing which holds back the regrorn'th of Douglas fir.

When these are accomplished, the yearly growth of Douglas fir will be greater than the heaviest cut ever made.

This is the future which lumber men see for the Pacific Northwest. Industrial uses of wood will become more diversified and employ more workers per unit of raw material. They will remain the backbone of pay rolls and transportation and other sources of earning. Supporting these industries and pay rolls arc 26 million acres of forest land, more than half of which is in private ownership. The land must be kept in unbroken timber crops, as nearly up to its growing power as can be brought about.

The lumber industry will do its part in making this dream come true. It will move right ahead-testing and applying better fire control and forest practices, as it has for fortv nears, the splendidcooperqtion ol the hclrdwood cnd softwood mills, which hcs mcrde it possible for us to supply lumber lor many vitcrlly importcnt wcrr needs, qnd crt the sqme time to maintain our inventory lor quick deliveries to the wqr industries.