THE APPALACHIAN HARDWOOD FOREST
The Appalachian Hardwood Region is the mountainous area
between New York and North Georgia with an approximate boundary at the
1,000-foot altitude contour. Within this area grow the finest
hardwood timber to be found in the world.
Thousands of years ago this area was bounded on the
north by glaciers and on the east, south and west by a shallow sea.
When the glaciers receded and the seas subsided, the mountains were
the garden spot that seeded the surrounding areas. All species of
trees found in the east are also found in these mountains. For nearly
200 years after the settlement of the coastal plains, the Appalachian
mountains were the "Far West." The first white man to explore the
Appalachian mountains is reported to have been Desoto in about 1540.
He made no real settlement and few pioneers attempted to cross the
rugged mountain ranges. Hunters who ventured into these lush
mountains returned with glowing tales of the grandeur of the country.
With the discovery of Cumberland Gap about 1750, a
relatively easy route became available across the mountains. However,
westward migration did not start until 1779 when Daniel Boone was
commissioned by the Virginia Legislature to build a road through the
Gap. He built what became known as the "Wilderness Road." From 1779
to 1795 a steady stream of settlers flowed across the mountain trail.
Few stopped to settle in the rugged mountains to work out a living.
Most of the people moved on through the mountains into the low rolling
hills and river bottom lands of central Kentucky and beyond.
The results of this migration can be seen in the
timber stands of the region today. Within the Appalachian mountain
territory there are vast areas of forest land containing billions of
board feet of timber. Farther west beyond the mountains in Kentucky
and Tennessee, the forest lands are mostly small tracts and farm wood
When steam boat traffic started on the Ohio River,
travel largely left the overland route, and the mountain section was
nearly isolated from the outside world. Scattered logging operations
were active near the river courses as early as 1825. However, it was
not until about ten years after the Civil War when deposits of coal
and iron were discovered that the railroads pushed into the mountains
providing new transportation systems. The coming of the railroads was
important to the timber industry because it provided outlets for the
forest products so bountiful in the country. The demand for forest
products, job opportunities, and new accessibility made the mountains
more hospitable and hundreds of new settlements were established along
the rail junctions.
Lumbermen from New England and New York and
Pennsylvania were looking for new sources of timber, having moved
through the virgin forests of the northeast. Here was a new area of
timber, the grandeur of which they had never seen. Great band mills
were built throughout the mountains to saw the giant poplar, oak and
ash. These Appalachian hardwoods found their way into furniture,
flooring, wall paneling, railroad ties and hundreds of other
products. They matched in elegance and beauty the foreign woods
favored by woodworking craftsmen of the day.
The area remains primarily a timber-producing region
because the rugged nature of the country discouraged extensive land
clearing for farming and conditions of soil, climate and topography
are nearly perfect for growing trees. The Appalachian mountains,
which represent about 15 percent of the hardwood forest land area,
furnish more than 20 percent of the total hardwood lumber production.
The story of early hardwood harvesting in the
Appalachians is one of popularity for the different species. The
first loggers went into the woods and cut white oak and yellow poplar
24 inches and larger in diameter. Timber harvest in the mountains
continued to rise, with peak production reached in 1909 and 1910.
During this period of timber production, the supply
seemed infinite. Mammoth machines moved through the woods, knocking
down what was not harvested and leaving great quantities of wasted
wood in their wake. Following the harvests, fires often moved through
the area, burning not only trees, but the soil as well, causing
serious damage to the forest environment. The miracle of nature
provided the vitality to recover from the devastating fires and today
the forests have regenerated.
In the old days of virgin timber, trees were cut for
use and to clear the land. Now, with our frontier gone and our second
growth timber before us, we are growing trees for use and changing our
forest practices to meet not only the demands of today but the
anticipated demands of generations to come. Today, landowners and
operators alike have professional foresters in their employ who guide
the destiny of our public, private and industrial forests.
As our ancestors found wood important to their daily
lives, we find it essential today. Have you ever wondered what it
would be like to live a week without touching anything that required
the cutting of a tree. There would be no newspapers, magazines or
books. Food would be very hard to find. New homes could not be
built. Railroads could not operate. There would be no paper
products---no toilet tissue, paper napkins, bags, boxes or containers.
Fortunately for all of us, we will not run out of
wood in the immediate future. Trees are our only major renewable
resource. Unlike the oil and mineral resources of this nation, trees
can go on forever. If we are intelligent enough as a society to grow,
harvest and manage trees scientifically, we can count on a bountiful
supply of wood forever.
In the harvesting, sawing and processing of logs in
the Appalachian region, thousands of jobs are created. People are
needed to cut the trees, saw them into logs and haul them to
sawmills. There the logs are cut into lumber. Other manufacturing
plants process them into flooring, cabinets, panels, furniture and
various finished products.
Wood industry jobs now require highly skilled people
and provide lifetime occupational employment for those who want
meaningful productive work. Altogether the basic forest industries of
the Appalachian region employ more than 50,000 people, with payrolls
generating millions of dollars. Thus, you can see the forests of this
region play and important part in the daily economic lives of
Forest management practices in the region are making
rapid strides. Future progress will depend on public cooperation and
support. Trees were put here to use. Remember, timber is our only
major natural resource.
There is a direct relationship between the quality
of timber and the quality of all other forest resources. When trees
are maintained in a healthy vigorous condition, all other resources
benefit. When trees are "cultured" or managed, watershed values,
wildlife food and cover, recreational opportunities, and all other
enjoyment values for people are the greatest.