FOREST FIRES IX XORTH CAROLINA. 



33 



Gazettc-Xews, as well as iu editorial comments by that paper, Senator 

 "Weaver of Bun-combe drew up and introduced into the General Assembly 

 of 1913 a bill which is now one of our important forestry laws. 



THE LAW FOR THE PROTECTIOX OF CITY WATERSHEDS. 



The following law, while only applying to municipal watersheds, has 

 an important and increasing usefulness in this State, because of the 

 recent rapid development of the forested watershed idea : 



AX ACT TO PROTECT WATERSHEDS OWNED BY CITIES AND TOWNS 

 FROM DAMAGE BY FIRE.7 



The GenemJ Asscmhh/ of Xorth CaroJina do enact: 



Sectiox 1. That any person, firm, or corporation owning lands or the stand- 

 ing timber on lands within 400 feet of any watershed held or owned by any 

 city or town, for the purpose of furnishing a city or town water supply, upon 

 cutting or removing the timber, or permitting same to be cut or removed, from 

 lands so within said 400 feet of said watershed, or any part thereof, shall, 

 within three months after cutting, or earlier upon written notice by said city 

 or town, remove or cause to be burned, under proper supervision, all tree-tops, 

 boughs, laps, and other portions of timber not desired to be taken for commer- 

 cial or other purposes within 400 feet of the boundary line of such part of 

 said watershed as is held or owned by such town or city, so as to leave such 

 space of 400 feet immediately adjoining the boundary lines of such watershed 

 so held or owned free and clear of all such tree-tops, laps, boughs, and other 

 inflammable material caused by or left from cutting such standing timber, so 

 as to prevent the spread of fire from such cut-over area and the consequent 

 damage to such watershed. 



Sec 2. That any such person, firm, or corporation violating the provisions 

 of this act shall be guilty of a misdemeanor. 



Sec 3. That this act shall be in force from and after its ratification. 



Ratified this the 6th day of March. A. D. 191.3. 



Pure water means health. A protected watershed insures unpolluted 

 water. An abundant supply of pure water is the best advertisement a 

 city can have. To secure and maintain such a supply is the best invest- 

 ment a city can make. 



Many cities and towns in Xorth Carolina own their own "catchment 

 areas" or watersheds ; others secure their water from small streams whose 

 drainage area is o-\vned by private individuals. In both cases the State 

 insists that certain general precautions be taken by the city authorities 

 to prevent pollution of their waters, and monthly inspection patrol is 

 insisted upon for this purpose. 



The most obvious and most effective measure to prevent pollution of 

 streams, namely, the protection of the woodlands on their watersheds 



tChapter 56, PubUc Laws 191.3. 



