George Long (1908-1929)

Private Forest Landowners Work Together to Fight Forest Fires

George Long was a founder and the first president of WFFA. He worked for Weyerhaeuser Timber Company as the General Manager. Long was instrumental in managing the initial partnerships with other timber companies to establish the Association and fight forest fires. This was the first fire patrol system in Washington State. In the first year of operation, Long was able to recruit a total of 126 members, whose holdings amounted to 2.5 million acres of timber. Long said in 1904, “Timber is a natural resource that can be renewed. The company’s greatest asset is the forest soil and the reproductive power of trees.”

George Long circa 1900. Courtesy of Weyerhaeuser Archives.