About 30 per cent of our 470 million acres of land suitable 
for forests has virgin timber. Another 24 per cent, or 114 million 
acres, has been cut over and has come up naturally to a good stand 
of second-growth timber. Much of this timber is already of mer: 
-hantable size and is being cut for lumber, ties, pulpwood and a 
host of other products. Over 60 per cent of this area is in the 
Northeast within short distances of the large consuming markets 
of the country. 
A little more than 20 per cent of our 470 million acres has 
been cut over, but has not come back to a good stand of second- 
growth timber. The removal of old timber took away the source 
of seed, and fires frequently wiped out the young growth. The 
material that has struggled up is good only for fuel wood and other 
low-grade products. Since nearly a half of these lands are in the 
Northeast and Central States, there is a good opportunity for utiliza- 
tion of the poor stands in near-by markets. The next timber crop 
from these lands should be much better in quality and heavier in 
yield if forest fires are kept out. 
But 17 per cent of our total area of forest land is producing 
nothing of value whatsoever. These lands have been burned 
repeatedly since logging and there is now little chance of their 
ever reforesting except by planting. For these lands the National 
Chamber of Commerce advocates reforestation by State and Fed- 
eral Governments. Under present economic conditions it would 
not be feasible for private owners to attempt reforestation of these 
lands on a large scale. 
Summed up, on a national basis we have at present 470 million 
acres of forest land in the United States, 54 per cent of which has 
either virgin or second-growth timber suitable for saw logs, 29 per 
cent has a'partial stocking of timber fit only for low-grade uses, and 
17 per cent is now producing nothing of value. This is our forest 
wealth after three centuries of use with but little organized effort 
at reforestation. It constitutes a good working capital if reforesta- 
tion on a nation-wide scale is taken up promptly; it is a small re- 
serve if we continue use without adequate renewal. 
FOREST GROWTH 
Forest are dynamic. They grow. Forest wealth is a renew- 
able wealth; it may be used and then replaced for use again. The 
basis and permanent forest wealth is in the land. It is in its power 
to produce forest crops. 
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