The Beginnings of Effective 
State Forestry Efforts 
North Carolina 
North Carolina’s forestry 
program grew from the early 
efforts in the 1890's by W.W. 
Ashe as forestry assistant to 
State Geologist Joseph A. 
Holmes. An active program 
of investigation and reporting 
on the forestry situation in 
North Carolina was carried 
on, and Ashe established 
himself as an expert on 
southern forestry. Holmes 
and other North Carolinians 
played important roles in 
developing the support for 
passage of the Weeks law. 
In 1909 W.W. Ashe joined 
the USDA Forest Service 
and was replaced by John 
S. Holmes, a graduate 
forester. 
Attempts were made to pass 
a forestry law in 1913, but 
they failed. However, a law 
was passed "To Protect 
Watersheds Owned by Cities 
and Towns from Damage by 
Fire." It provided that owners 
harvesting timber adjacent to 
the city and town property 
must burn slash in order to 
prevent the spread of fire to 
the watershed lands. 
In 1915 an “Act To Protect 
the Forests of the State From 
Fire" was passed. It 
established the office of 
State Forester in the State 
Geological and Economic 
Survey; J.S. Holmes became 
State Forester. The law 
provided for appointing forest 
wardens in townships and 
districts, gave them police 
authority, and set penalties 
for the violation of fire laws. 
The act also provided that 
the forest wardens could 
summon able-bodied men to 
fight fire and require the use 
of horses and other property 
for fighting the fire. 
Another act of the 1915 
legislature provided for the 
acquisition of State 
experiment or demonstration 
forests by gift or purchase. 
With the establishment of 
the State forestry 
organization, North Carolina 
immediately qualified for 
cooperative fire-control funds 
under the Weeks law. 
Fire-control efforts developed 
slowly; in 1921 the general 
assembly authorized counties 
to cooperate with the State 
in fire prevention and control 
(Goodwin 1969, Widner 
1968). 
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