Lyford, Clark & Lyford, Forest Engineers, "Report on Limits 131, 132, and 143 – 1878-9, Algonquin National Park, Ontario", July 1, 1912

THE TRACT

The limits under consideration are situated in the Algonquin National Park, Ontario […] they comprise parts of the townships Wilkes, Pentland, Biggar, Osler, Lister, Deacon, Anglin, Freswick, and Bishop […] The area is 198 square miles of which 45.8 square miles are burn, 15.3 water, 9.3 swamp, and 2.1 windfall.

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THE FOREST

The forest consists of second growth and virgin white pine, Norway or red pine, hemlock, balsam fir, spruce, yellow birch, and a few cedar, maple, paper birch, ash and aspen.

Pine has been picked out for square timber all over the limits and the old pine remaining is more or less unsound. The average D. B. H. (diameter breast-high, i.e. 4 1/2 feet above ground) of the virgin merchantable trees is 30 inches. There are at least 1,000 M feet of sound pine left on the ground from the square timber operations. This can probably be taken out to advantage in connection with subsequent logging operations.

The second growth pine, which occurs in pure stands scattered thruout the burn or mixed with the other conifers, is generally clear and of good form. There are patches, however, where it appears crooked, low-limbed, and almost of a scrubby nature. The average D. B. H. is 12 inches.

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BURNED AREAS

Much of the tract has been burned over about 60 years ago. […]

FUTURE GROWTH

There is necessarily an element of uncertainty in estimating the future growth on an area which has been burned over so irregularly and often, breaking up the natural stands of timber and introducing continually a variety of new conditions affecting the growth. […]

The present merchantable stand of young pine has passed its period of rapid growth, and unless it is judiciously thinned out by partial cutting, will increase in volume at a very slow rate. About .3% of its present volume per year for the next 20 or 30 years is the average increase that may be expected. […]