Impact of Alternative Timber Management Policies on Availability of Forest Land in the Northeast

Abstract

Gaging the ability of the forest resource to satisfy future timber requirements is central to solving many problems arising from competition for use of forest land. In this study, production potentials of forest acreage in the Northeastern United States under management alternatives that range from extensive to intensive are weighed against several estimates of timber requirements for the year 2000. The different capabilities for fulfilling timber requirements in different parts of the region indicate areas likely to be affected most by further shifts toward nontimber use of forest land. The intermediate option for forest management combines forest management at the present level with emphasis on hartvesting the best timber-growing sites first. This option could meet timber requirements for year 2000 with roughly half the region's commercial forest area. Moreover, it could accommodate both intensive management and multiple-use objectives where they are most applicable by allowing flexibility in forest land use decisions.

Citation

Herrick, Owen W. 1977. Impact of Alternative Timber Management Policies on Availability of Forest Land in the Northeast. Res. Pap. NE-390. Broomall, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northeastern Forest Experiment Station. 14p.