Forests and National Prosperity A Reappraisal of the Forest Situation in the United States

Cover

Foreword

Acknowledgments

Summary and recommendations

The setting for American forestry
Highlights of the forest situation
Action needed
   I. Public aids and services to private owners
   II. Public control of cutting and other forest practices on private forest lands
   III. Expansion and intensified management of the national forests

Forest land and its uses

The timber resource

Timber is a crop
The timber stand
Ownership of the timber
Growth classes not well balanced
Much of the forest land is poorly stocked
Quality of timber is declining
Some of the timber is not operable

Our use of the timber resource

Shrinking supply limits timber use
Timber growth
Timber drain
Comparison of growth and drain
A 20-year projection

Goals for timber growth

Sound policy calls for abundant growth
Domestic requirements
Losses
Ineffective growth
New uses
National security
Foreign markets and supplies
Goal is to double saw-timber growth

The problem of meeting timber needs

What growing stock is needed to double saw-timber growth?
When could the growth goal be reached?
Where shall we get timber products in the meantime?
The job is a big one

How timberlands are being managed

Timber-cutting practices are far from satisfactory
How much sustained-yield forestry?
The status of timber management

Forest industries based on timber

The lumber industry
The pulp and paper industry
The veneer and plywood industry
Other timber industries
Timber industries in general handicapped by waning timber supply
Industries not geared to permanent timber supply

Wood waste

Quantity, source, and location of waste
Possible reduction and use of waste
Relation of better use to the forest situation

Nontimber uses and services of forests

Watershed protection — a prime function of forests
The forest range resource
Forest recreation a large and growing use
Forests and wildlife

Forests need better protection

Protection of the national forests from fire
Fire protection on other Federal lands
Fire protection on private and state lands
Forest insects and diseases take a heavy toll

How forest ownership affects the outlook

Public forests have an important role
National forests — a big undertaking
Other public forests are also important
Extension of public ownership
Private ownership is widely divided
Larger owners have some advantages
Small forest owners: the heart of the problem
Some economic factors affecting private forestry
Public interest in private forests should be safeguarded
Key issues related to ownership