NORTH CAROLINA FORESTRY ASSOCIATION 23 



nomic Survey would be in a position to answer the many questions that were 

 being asked regarding our forestry resources, such as: 



What are our forest resources, and how long are they likely to last at the 

 present rate of timber consumption? 



Can we insure a permanent supply for our manufacturers, as well as for 

 domestic and other uses? 



Is the timberland yielding to its owners and to the State as large returns 

 on the enormous amount of money invested as is possible? 



Can the actual yield be increased? 



Over fifty counties have thus far been examined and one report has already 

 been published on the timber resources of the counties west of the Blue Ridge. 

 The counties in the western half of the Piedmont section have also been ex- 

 amined and a report has been prepared on this which will be published at 

 an early date. 



By far the greatest enemy which the forests of the State have to contend 

 with is fire. The destruction wrought by the annual and periodic fires which 

 burn over many thousand acres of woodland each year involves an enormous 

 loss to the people of the State through the diminished value of their property. 

 No attempt has ever been made to collect statistics regarding the amount of 

 damage to our forests from this source, but it was considered advisable by 

 the Survey to obtain such data so that it could show more forcibly to the 

 people of the State what they were losing each year from the effects of forest 

 fires. Unfortunately, forest fires usually have been taken as a matter of 

 course by our people, and in many cases have scarcely been noticed. Our 

 lumbermen, however, have begun to realize that with the possible exception 

 of land supporting mature pine timber with little or no young growth, 

 ground fires can do and are doing great injury to our timberlands. Our 

 farmers and other landowners are beginning to realize that every time a 

 ground cover of leaves is burned up the land becomes that much poorer. 

 Owners of waterpowers know that with the burning of the woods the rains 

 run off faster, permitting a much smaller amount of water to soak into the 

 soil, so that floods and periods of low water are both more frequent. Cattle- 

 men who have contended that by burning the range they get earlier grass for 

 their stock are now beginning to realize that in doing this they are really 

 killing the goose that lays the golden egg, for by burning they get less and less 

 grass every year. The man who owns forest land and is holding it for in- 

 crease of growth, both for domestic supply and for sale, has learned that he 

 is losing at least half the yield he ought to get by allowing his woodland to be 

 burned over. Unfortunately, however, it is necessary to instruct the people 

 at large regarding the great loss to the State by forest fires before we can 

 obtain legislation that will give the necessary protection. 



A series of studies has been made regarding the forest fires of North Caro- 

 lina and statistics have been collected for several years regarding the number 

 of fires, their causes, damage done, etc. The results of these investigations 

 have been published as Economic Papers Nos. 19 and 22. The damage done by 

 fires is estimated as over $400,000 per year during the past three years. 



Although there are a number of laws on the statute books of North Carolina 

 relating to forest fires, yet the machinery necessary to carry out these laws 

 has never been passed, and it is absolutely necessary that other^laws shall be 

 passed if we are to preserve our forests from fire. 



