5. The State Foresters indicated that the principal 

 problem in North Carolina is the relative lack of 

 management and reforestation by private owners who 

 now own 70% of the state's commercial forestland. 



6. Inadeaiiate and absolute fire suppression equipment if 

 adversely impacting the Division of Forest Resources 

 ability to effectively respond to and control forest 

 fires . 



7. Many of the facilities operated by the Division of 

 Forest Resources are in disrepair and are failing to 

 meet the firefighting needs of the State. 



RECOMMENDATIONS - Forestry 



1. To insure that the DivisJon of Forest Resources has 

 adequate resources for fire suppression, the 

 Commission recommends the reinstatement of the 

 five-year fire suppression plan which was started in 

 FY 1983-84 by the General Assembly. Necessary 

 funding for implementation of the second and third 

 years of the plan is ?4, 729, 822 for the 1987-89 

 biennium. With these funds, the Division of Forest 

 Resources will add equipment and personnel to areas 

 with inadequate coverage. In addition, the 

 Commission recommends that the General Assembly 

 appropriate $500,000 to replace obsolete fire 

 suppression equipment. 



