FOREST FIRES IX XORTH CAROLIXA. 39 



(5) "The Banks" and similar areas along our coast were originally covered 

 with forests. Now they are mostly bare sandy wastes. The best methods of 

 reforesting them and making them permanently productive, and at the same 

 time stopping the ceaseless drifting of the sand, can only be shown by doing 

 actual work in reforestation on the ground. 



These and many other just as important problems in forest management 

 and forest protection have to be solved to the satisfaction of the people of 

 North Carolina, and this can 'best he done hy the State on State-oivtied forest 

 land. 



FURTHER BE>v"EFITS OF STATE FORESTS. 



While the most important use of State forests is their educational value 

 through demonstration and experimentation, they have several other uses, any 

 of which in itself is generally considered sufficient excuse for their crea- 

 tion, and. added to the primary object, double their value to the State. 



(a) Protection Forests. A forest covering a city watershed or lying on the 

 headwaters of a stream or on a steep mountain slope serves as a protection 

 against muddy or polluted water or against floods and extreme low water. 

 Such forests should be publicly owned and controlled by the Nation, State, or 

 municipality as protection forests. Asheville, Marion, and other of our towns 

 own such forests, and the Federal Government is purchasing the Appalachian 

 National Forests with this object primarily in view. All the spruce and 

 balsam forests in North Carolina should be publicly owned, if only for this 

 one reason. 



(b) Park Forests. There are areas in all States which are noted for their 

 scenery, extensive views, grand waterfalls, beautiful trees, rugged cliffs or 

 gorges. The forest forms such an integral part of the attractiveness of such 

 places that their value would be destroyed by its removal. Such natural mon- 

 uments seem to belong by right to the whole people, and they should be pre- 

 served intact. Even though now in private ownership, they should be acquired 

 and preserved by the State for the pleasure, health, afid recreation of its citi- 

 zens and for generations yet to come, all of whom have an actual interest in 

 their perpetuation. 



MOrXT MITCHELL STATE PARK. 



It was primarily for tlie two above reasons, as set forth in its preamble, 

 that the General Assembly passed the bill to purchase the top of Mount 

 Mitchell as a State park. This project has been strongly advocated by 

 the Xorth Carolina Forestry Association and has been consistently urged 

 by the State Geological and Economic Survey. (See Press Bulletins 

 Xos. 100, 119, 135, and 138.) The measure was ably championed by 

 Governor Craig and was indorsed by the Asheville Board of Trade and 

 many other similar bodies. The bill was introduced into the General 

 Assembly by Senator Zebulon "Weaver of Buncombe, who, two years 

 earlier, had proposed a similar measure. It received the strong support 

 of a number of influential men in both houses of the Legislature, and 

 was passed in the House by a majority of 67 to 32. 



