Hardwood Resources in Michigan and Their Current and Potential Uses

In Michigan there are nearly 19 million acres of commercial forest land of which only about one-sixth is unstocked. Thirty percent of the stocked area is in aspen, 45 percent in other hardwoods, and 25 percent in softwoods. Slightly less than half of the 95.4 million cords of standing hardwood is sawtimber size (11 inches or larger). In quality, the present cut of sawlogs runs 13 percent first grade, 27 percent second grade, and 60 percent third or lower. Production of first grade lumber could be increased if good, small trees were allowed to grow larger before cutting. In 1952, the total hardwood cut was 148.5 million cubic feet. This included 300,000 cords of pulpwood and 42 million board feet of veneer. Fifty percent of the annual cut is converted to lumber for furniture, flooring, panelling, handle stock, and other products. One-sixth of the cut goes into pulpwood and a small fraction into veneer. Hardwood growth amounts to 298 million cubic feet per year but much of this growth is unmerchantable. More of the poor timber should be cut out to make room for good young growth. An increase in demand in line with population growth is anticipated in all uses except fuelwood. A rapid increase in demand is expected for pulp, hardboard, and particleboard thus allowing greater utilization of fiber, particles, and cuttings from low grade timber.

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