Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 30, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 February 1918 — Timber Sales on National Forests Doubled in Year [ARTICLE]

Timber Sales on National Forests Doubled in Year

Sales of national forest timber In the fiscal year 1917 were more than double those, of 1916, according to the annual report of the government forester. The total amount sold exceeded 2,000,000,000 feet and Is valued at more than $3,715,000. During the same period about 727,000,000 feet w’ere cut and removed, for which the purchasers paid $1,507,303 into the federal treasury. The largest sales were made in Oregon, where about 688,000,000 board feet were disposed of. / In addition to the timber sold, approximately 113,000,000 board feet, valued at almost $150,000, was cut under free use permit by more than 41,000 settlers living near the national forests and depending on the forests for firewood and building material to improve* their homesteads. The timber business on the eastern purchase areas, while still small as compared with the western forests, showed a decided increase. More than three times as much timber was sold and than twice as much cut as in 1916. The material disposed of Is largely of poor quality and Its removal will Improve the forest growth.