Mr. Kimball Reviews Forest Fire Prevention Here. . . Some Changes in Personnel of Forest Protectors and New, Enlarged Program for Immediate Future
Editor, Harnett Co. News
Dear Sir:--
The people of Harnett County will be interested in knowing, if you have not already told them, that the County Commissioners appropriated $150 for cooperation with the N.C. Geological and Economic Survey for forest protection in the county and that the Overhills Land Co. presented the county with $150 for the same purpose. The Survey will set aside $300 to match these sums. It is planned to perfect the protective organization in Harnett Co. and to give more attention to the educational features of the work.
Mr. J.A. Spivey of Lillington, who has been County Warden for a year, has resigned on account of the need of giving all his time to his personal affairs. Mr. Spivey has done excellent work in handling the numerous reports and other papers which have passed through his hands. In spite of the fact that the work has required considerable attention, Mr. Spivey has not claimed any compensation. We are sorry to lose Mr. Spivey, Mr. J.A.D. McCormick, Bunnlevel, R.F.D.; who has been Forest Warden of lower Anderson Creek township for some time and more recently of Stewart Creek twp. where he succeeded Mr. H.E. Truelove, resigned; will be appointed County Warden.
Mr. McCormick has done most excellent service as Forest Warden. His heart is in the work and he has a keen realization of his duties as a citizen in the matter of forest protection. Besides this he has been successful in protecting his own timber and in greatly increasing its growth. Harnett County is to be congratulated on having so able a man as Mr. McCormick at the head of its forest protection force.
Forest Warden L.W. Jackson of Overhills has been obliged to resign on account of other work. Mr. Bruce, also of Overhills, will be appointed Forest Warden in his place. Mr. Jackson has done fine as Warden and will still remain Deputy Warden. Mr. Bruce is one of the oldest Deputy Wardens in Harnett County and will doubtless discharge the duties of his new position ably and well.
Mr. W.R. Gilliland, Forest Warden of Barbecue township has gone to Pinehurst and is therefore forced to resign. Mr. Gilliland did effective work as a Warden. Mr. Emery (?) Holder has been appointed Forest Warden in Mr. Gilliland’s place.
Several bad forest fires have occurred in Harnett County recently. One was set by a house that burned down. A large number of men were present at the fire but did nothing to check the forest fire. It burned over more than 1,200 acres of long leaf pine land destroying thousands of three-year-old pines and doing other damages. the loss is not less than 43,000, and will eventually be paid by Harnett County citizens. These men who were present at the burning building and allowed the fire to get into the woods are guilty failures to live up to their responsibilities as citizens and causing an expenditure of county funds which could have been avoided.
Another severe fire which burned over between 2,000 and 3,000 acres between Overhills and Manchester last week was probably set out from tar stills operated by negroes. This is the second severe fire in that region to start from that cause. Every effort will be made to discover the reason quietly and prosecution will be pressed. Since Jan. 1, more than 800 acres of land in the five western townships in Harnett County have been burned over with a loss of approximately $25,000 in young growth and timber and an outlay of about $150 of the cooperative protective funds. The public indifference which permits this sort of thing will lead to such conditions as prevail in Europe where a person owning timber may not cut it except by government permit and the setting of forest fires is a capital crime. Where stumps, roots and timber are carefully gathered for fuel and where timber is a luxury.
--K.E. Kimball, District Forester for Eastern North Carolina
From the front page of the Harnett County News, Lillington, N.C., March 20, 1924
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