Chippewa National Forest

FORESTS FOR THE FUTURE

Chippewa timber is cut to provide the greatest certainty of natural reproduction. If adverse factors prevent natural reproduction in an area, restocking is accomplished by a full or partial planting with the species of tree best adapted to the site.

The policy of the Chippewa is to harvest the timber as it matures, without reducing the acreage in growing stands and, through this harvesting, to increase the thrift and value of the trees left standing. It is a policy of partial cutting, leaving all trees below a certain size to grow and leaving certain larger trees to scatter seed.

The Chippewa has approximately 100,000 acres of land supporting merchantable timber and 300,000 acres of well stocked young stands. This timber has an estimated volume of 571,476,000 board feet and is valued at $1,725,000. It increases approximately 20,000,000 board feet each year through growth, and each year a volume equal to the growth is harvested by timber sales to private operators.

This growth is like the annual interest on an investment. It makes it possible to use the forest and yet make it last forever.

STAND IMPROVEMENT

In addition to the merchantable timber, there are large areas on the Chippewa supporting young reproduction, saplings, and pole-sized stands. These young stands have been surveyed and, in many cases, given timber stand improvement treatments. Side branches are pruned to improve the quality of the lumber eventually cut; dense stands are thinned to allow faster growth of the best formed and thriftiest trees; and valuable trees are liberated from overtopping by trees of lower value.

Selective cutting leaves a well-stocked, thrifty residual stand and favors establishment of pine seedlings which when mature will yield additional crops. F—392268

REFORESTATION

Clear cutting in the early days and the forest fires that followed left large areas practically denuded of tree growth. The Chippewa National Forest is reforesting approximately 5,500 acres of such land each year.

At the end of 1940 a total of 40,000 acres of barren lands and lands supporting brush and tree species of low value had been planted with jack, red, and white pines, and white spruce. These plantations will provide a valuable addition to the timbered areas on the Chippewa if forest users and visitors cooperate in protecting them from fire.

The Chippewa has had the help of the Civilian Conservation Corps and the Works Progress Administration in its reforestation program. Many of the CCC enrollees and all of the WPA workers are from forest communities. A number of other local people obtain seasonal employment through the planting work.

TREES FOR PLANTING

The Cass Lake and Lydick Nurseries at Cass Lake supply all the seedlings used on the Chippewa National Forest, shipping about 7,500,000 little trees a year—jack, red, and white pine, tamarack, spruce, and cedar. The Lydick Nusery is the larger of the two, covering 70 acres of land directly behind the supervisor's headquarters.

A trip to this nursery is a thrilling experience for anyone interested in green and growing things. Row upon row of miniature trees stretch out with the precision of military lines. One, two, and three inches tall, they stand close together, replete with sun and food and water.

Scientific care is given the nursery. The land is worked on a 4-year rotation basis, each section lying fallow for 2 years before seeding. Fertilizer and crops of rye and soy beans restore its strength during this rest period.

From seedlings to sawlogs—weeding red pine seedbeds in the Cass Lake Nursery. In the background are piles of lumber stacked for drying around a sawmill and box factory. F—401065

Seeds are taken from pine cones at the Cass Lake extractory and samples sent to the Lake States Forest Experiment Station at St. Paul for germination tests. The nurseryman then determines how much seed he must plant in order to get 35 jack pine seedlings (or 55 seedlings of the other pines and of spruce) per square foot. A system of water pipes extends the length and width of the nursery, and a cold storage building is available to hold stock lifted to be sent to the field.

The hardy jack pines, which outnumber all other species grown here, are sent to the field for planting at the age of 2 years. They are then from 4 to 8 inches high.

Red and white pine and spruce are kept in the nursery for 4 years, 2 years in seed beds and 2 years in transplant beds, where they stretch up to 8 or 10 inches in height.

The little trees are packed in damp moss for shipment to various parts of the Chippewa. Forest giants of the future, many of them will outlive the boys and men who plant them. Perhaps no other phase of Forest Service work emphasizes quite so clearly the long range view of the forester, planning and planting for generations yet unborn.

EXPERIMENTAL FORESTS

Two experimental forests were established on the Chippewa in 1923 for study of various phases of logging, planting, growth, and cultural operations. The Pike Bay Experimental Forest comprises 3,500 acres on the east side of Pike Bay, the Cut Foot Sioux 3,000 acres west of State Route No. 46 and north of Cut Foot Sioux Lake.

NATURAL AREA

A third area has been set aside as the Pine Point Natural Area, in which no improvements will be made. This area lies within 10 sections of virgin red pine permanently reserved from cutting, and nearly 600 acres of it are covered with virgin red and jack pine. The remaining 500 acres are meadowland and aspen growth.