Musings for my memories-
Kimball Point Kerr Lake
https://youtu.be/xYdx9yGA0Jc?feature=sharedOur first trip for the camping season was scheduled to start on May 21. But Wade had unexpected surgery that caused us to clip a few days. When we finally arrived on Monday May 25th, Memorial Day, only 3-4 other sites were occupied. Rain had scared everyone away. Kerr Lake is my favorite place close to home. It is a 2 hour drive to get there. I can thank my parents for this legacy. I am the only Hine kid from my family where the tradition has stuck. The first summer was 1969 when I was 16. I was a slolum waterskier unknown pro for many years. I simply enjoyed it and I was endowed with ability. Every summer I would return and I have seen pine trees grow tall in a field where there was once nothing. The steep hill path to our restrooms close by weathered into a less steep grade into a comfortable climb. This trip is different. For the first time, I have witnessed incompetence or willful destruction in Forestry management and as it pertains to the park system. In all my years coming here, I have never seen this....abuse, incompetence, whatever it is. I did a walk through all the campsites just to make sure I wasn't imagining things. It’s called a "controlled burn".....but somebody took some liberties to do more than a control burn. Even several huge trees on the beach edge were severely burned at their bases. And there was absolutely no reason to carry on a "controlled burn" there. I love nature and it shocked me to my core that someone would do this. Sad thing is, the obscure way this slaughter managed to happen. There have been alot of forest fires too-- arsonist caused. I hope thes trees recover. They are the larger, nice shade giving trees. Most are healthy and also have been in their spot for years. These trees were damaged badly, in huge numbers, unmarked in any way and left with their burned bases. I think I may go back and get pictures.
Forestry Facts [my father-in-law was Weirhauser Forrestry Manager]
Proper Conservation Practices
Is it good practice to do a control burn by burning the base of large diameter trees and just leaving them without a ribbon or any marking identifying these trees.Does it kill the trees? And isn't it strange that a "controlled burn" did not include the shrub and pinestraw around these trees, just the trees themselves? I did an inspection and walked most of the campsites at the campground. Many burned at the base trees were obvious. And there are alot. Many looked like they were scorched by someone trying to hide the scorching from plain view. Something is off.
Burning the base of large-diameter trees during a controlled burn and leaving them unmarked is generally not a recommended conservation practice and can result in severe tree damage or death. Proper land management requires specific safety and protective measures.
Does it kill the trees?
Yes, it certainly can. While many large, mature trees (like certain pines or oaks) have thick, fire-resistant bark that protects their living tissues from passing, low-intensity flames, direct burning at the base poses specific severe risks:
US Forest Service Research and Development (.gov)
Cambium Damage: Prolonged heat at the tree's base can cook the cambium (the living layer of tissue just under the bark). If this ring of tissue is damaged all the way around the trunk (girdling), it cuts off the flow of water and nutrients, which kills the tree.
Smoldering Duff: Decades of fire suppression or neglect can lead to deep layers of organic matter (duff) piling up around the bases of large trees. When a controlled fire burns into this deep duff, it can smolder for days, causing intense heat that destroys shallow feeder roots and basal bark.
Fire Scars: If a tree already has a fire scar, hollow base, or insect damage, direct fire application at the base can cause that area to ignite like a chimney, hollowing out the tree and killing it.
US Forest Service Research and Development (.gov)
Why leaving trees unmanaged or unmarked is problematic
Lack of Protection (Raking): Professional foresters and conservationists typically protect high-value, large-diameter trees by "raking" or clearing away leaves, pine needles, and woody debris for a couple of feet around the base. This creates a barrier, so the fire doesn't ignite the fuel right against the tree trunk.
Safety & Identification: Unmarked trees with potential fire sensitivities are a major hazard during and immediately after a burn. Burn crews use ribbons or marking paint to identify trees that need special clearance (wetting down the trunk or clearing around the base) and to alert crews to potential hazards (weakened, dead snags) so they are kept at a safe distance.
Spot Application Confusion: If a "controlled burn" involves individually targeting specific trees by deliberately setting a fire at their base without a larger ecological goal, it can be easily confused with improper timber clearing or negligent fire application.
nativeresourcepreservation.com
For detailed guidelines on conducting controlled burns, protecting mature trees, and managing forest fuels, you can refer to the USDA Forest Service Prescribed Fire Guidelines or contact your local NC State Extension Forestry office for professional, localized assistance.
SMH
I wonder who is in charge of this at Kimball Point.
I am sad.
This is not conservation.
It appears they hired "Mr. INCOMPETENCE and crew".....It's unbelievably bad, and much of the choice large trees chosen to do this to, made no sense. Yes, some trees are sick.... but this is different....I have been coming up her since 1969- this has never happened, not like this.
https://youtu.be/xYdx9yGA0Jc?feature=shared
Diary by Clara Mae Gregory
Written on 2026-05-27 at 18:26
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