Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-12-14
4 Georgia Disaster


-HERE should be instant and heart
whole response to the appeal of the
Georgia Forestry Association for pub
lie support in preventing woodland fires such
as have ragged in northern counties of the
Commonwealth during the last few weeks
with irreparable damage. These fires are
carelessness and inceldiarism on the part of
individuals, but also to an Indifferent popular
sentiment, which makes many of us respon-
sible to the future for this terrible loss
Citizens all should bear constantly in mind
that forest fire is public disaster, an i'm
measurable wrong not alone against property
owners Immediately concerned, but also
against the people as "a whole dwelling or
a business plant when burned, 4eplorable as
the loss is, can be replaced within al few
months, and the misfortune 1ightened by
means of insurance. But wien a forest
burns, long years do not suffice to restore it,
nor any sort of prearrangements lessen the
manifold injury. Georgia needs and needs
imperatively, every foot of timber that can
be grown within her bounds. Her farmers
up to that of the common country, require an
nually some six hundred and twenty-five mil
lion board feet which is eighty per cent in ex-
cess of the States present total production Of
lumber. Add the requirements of industrial
establishments, of house building, and of
divers other activities; and then take note
ed in the last decade approximately fifty per
cent Yet, there are persons who look with
indifference upon forest fires.
Georgia's monetary losses from this cause
during the five ears 1916-1920 are con-
servativeiy reckoned at four million two
hundred and fifty thousand dollars. This
figure does not b"-in to covei the multitude
Of indirect losses, such as soil erosion, wash
ing away of fertility, destruction Of infant
trees and of all manner of game Twenty
thousand such fires in Georgia were report
ed to the Forest Service in the period given
more than twice as many as in any other
State; and there were NUMBER uhreported.
Ninety per cent Of them, declares the For
estry Board came from carelessness and from
design; only ten per cent from lightning, the
five per cent were lncendiary; twenty-three
per cent of unknown origin; .eventeen per
cent from burning brush; and the remainder
occasioned chiefly by campers, railroads, and
numbering operations. From all these causes
together there resulted in he half-decade
that ended with 1920 total of five million
than the people of Georgia can afford.
That it is impracticable if not impossible to
abolish the custom of burning off, wood
lands and adjacent fields each autumn and
winter, is altogether mistaken notion. II
will be easy enough to end this useless and
perilous practice whenever public intelligence
DEGREES that it shall be done Says Mr.. J. G
Peters, of the Federal Fo- est Service, whose
81 would regret to think that the situation in
Georgia is any worse than it used to b. in
East Iexas and in Louisiana (where great
progress in preventing woodland fires has
been made). Let Georgia take the cue, no
only from these two States, but as well on
North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia. We
Virginia, Maryland and others-from the NJ
fewer than twenty-seven States which have
seen the value of stamping out the fores
fire menace"
Continued backwardness in Tia exceeding
ly important matter will cost the Common
wealth hundreds of millions of dollars in i'm
mediate loss and resources of a worth beyond
all measuring. In every countyfrom mCun
tains to tides there should be an active For
est Club, looking vigilantly to local needs
heartily cooperating with the State Forestry
Association, carrying Toward by he educativ'
influence of example and appeal the grea
work of conserving, renewing and perpetual
Ing Georgia's forests.