Show Timber Operators Ask US U.S. Forest to Double Cut Ashley National Forest could sustain a 30 million board feet volume of timber cutting in- in if managed to its maximum potential This is 50 to 80 per cent more timber timber timber tim tim- ber than has been offered by bythe bythe bythe the Forest Service during the past 10 years stated Art Lynn professional timber manager for Crofts Lumber Company of Vernal Mr Lynn spoke before the Chamber of Commerce Directors Direct Direct- ors meeting Tuesday noon at atthe atthe atthe the Seven-Eleven Seven Cafe THE RECENT sharp rise in price of lumber and plywood and its impact on home construction construction construction con con- cost has resulted in national public attention focused focused focused used on the forest products industry industry industry in in- stated the speaker The problem started with a depressed market to start with and has continued by such problems problems problems pro pro- as Japanese exports in in- creased production costs the Vietnam war and nd severe weather weather wea ther conditions All these problems problems pro pro- have contributed to the present pressures on the demand demand demand de de- mand for lumber products THE ASHLEY National Forest Forest Forest For For- est contained about 23 billion board feet of timber inventory and contains the bulk of the supply in the area The condition of this timber is generally and unhealthy The mortality is high and is reducing the growth by as much as 60 per percent percent percent cent in some areas of the for for- est Defect in particular areas may run as high as 30 to 40 per cent in logs cut for timber SOME OF the timber is stagnated stagnated stagnated stag stag- because it has grown too dense and become too old stated Mr Lynn Because of its age the timber is more sus- sus to disease and damage damage damage dam dam- age by storms and over 60 to 70 per cent loss of growth is caused by these defects The price of timber has jumped from 2 to 3 per thousand feet to 30 to 40 The reason operators have been paying the high prices is that they must have a supply of logs or go out of the business business bus bus- iness mess stated Mr Lynn TIMBER operators should have at least two or three years supply of timber to tomake tomake tomake make them a healthy oper oper- Banks wont won't lend money on a month to month supply like at present Investments in new equipment cannot be made unless a reasonable supply supply supply sup sup- ply of timber can be assured Whereas the stumpage price of timber has increased to over 1000 per cent the low quality timber has not raised to this extent Artificial scar- scar of timber causes higher prices because you bid to get the timber or you die stated the timber expert LOCAL timber operators are forced to cut quality low-quality timber i and meet the present- present day high prices that have been set up by standards based on higher quality timber obtained in other forests Ashley National Forest has not been using the maximum off the forest because there has been no great de de- mand But now the demand is here because new equipment and mills can utilize the maximum maximum maximum max max- cut of feet by adding extra shifts and increasing increasing increasing in in- creasing production of present equipment stated Mr Lynn THE SPEAKER explained that board feet annually annually annually an an- would provide jobs in the area and add over 1 million in payroll to the Ute area Continued on page 4 Timber Continued from Irom page 1 If II the Ashley National Forest was at maximum cut it would be nearly twice this thia amount The benefits of maximum cut in forests were outlined as follows by the speaker It It increased recreation by providing access roads Over 60 to 80 per cent of the forest lorest roads are for lor timber operations open oper a Better administration of 01 the forest is enabled by the accesses provided by timber operations TIMBER harvesting will improve the forest by converting convert convert- big ing it from an unhealthy unhealthy un un- healthy forest to a young healthy forest lorest the speaker concluded Meetings have been held with personnel of the Ashley Forest to encourage them to apply for additional funds to allow greater cutting in the forest lorest and to increase the small range timber sales that are very important to carry the operators through the year between the larger high country country country coun coun- try timber sales |