While 2020 proved to be one of the most challenging years we have faced, it was also a year of opportunities and accomplishments for the N.C. Forest Service. COVID-19 brought much of the world and much of our lives to what seemed to be a hard stop, but it did not stop the men and […]
Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler sits down each week with Southern Farm Network’s Mike Davis to discuss “Today’s Topic.” Our N.C. Forest Service creates a report each year outlining the status of forestry resources in the state. Around 61 percent or 18.7 million acres of the state’s land area is forested. Of that 2.9 million is […]
In 2013, the emerald ash borer was first found in North Carolina. Its discovery was met with dread. This invasive beetle had already become notorious by devastating the forests in the Midwest and Northeast. We knew it killed trees and spread quickly. The future was not bright for North Carolina’s ash trees. Predictions of imminent […]
Seven years ago, the emerald ash borer was first found in North Carolina. Its discovery was met with dread. This invasive beetle had already become notorious by devastating the forests in the Midwest and Northeast. We knew it killed trees and spread quickly. The future was not bright for North Carolina’s ash trees. This is […]
Summer is often full of plans, but no one has been busier this year than the emerald ash borer. Although small, this invasive beetle is killing countless ash trees across the state. Since May, it has been confirmed in 11 additional counties within North Carolina, bringing the statewide total to 48 as of mid-July. Newly-infested […]
Countless native insects feed upon our forest trees each year. Typically, their feeding is so minor, it goes undetected and has no long-term effect on tree health. When pest populations do rise, these sporadic and often small outbreaks are unusual and fascinating to nature-lovers. Last week near Kinston, Jim Slye, N.C. Forest Service Forest Health […]
Each year, the beautiful forests of our state encounter risks from various threats. The significance of native pests vary by year, but the threat from invasive pests is only increasing with time. Some, such as the hemlock woolly adelgid and the emerald ash borer, have the potential to wipe out an entire group of trees in […]
Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler sits down each week with Southern Farm Network’s Mike Davis to discuss “Today’s Topic.” The N.C. Forest Service received a grant from the U.S. Forest Service that is being used to protect urban ash trees from the emerald ash borer, a highly destructive pest whose reach and threat to ash trees […]
In 2013, the emerald ash borer made its debut in North Carolina. The devastation of forests north and northwest caused by this invasive beetle was already well-known, so its discovery was met with dread. The ash forests were dying, and quickly. The future did not look good for North Carolina’s ash trees. Over the next […]
Every year, the beautiful forests of our state are at risk from ominous threats. Native insects come and go in significance, but the threat from invasive insects is only increasing with time. Some, such as the hemlock woolly adelgid and the emerald ash borer, have the potential to wipe out an entire group of trees in […]
Each week we round up the latest N.C. agricultural headlines from news outlets across the state and country, as well as excerpts from the stories. “INCREASED FOCUS ON SENECAVIRUS A IN SWINE,” Southern Farm Network: (Audio)Animal health officials are conducting more tests related to a relatively low-impact swine disease which symptoms mimic a major disease […]
This summer was expected to break travel records, and it wasn’t just people doing all the sightseeing. At least one insect joined in on the vacation fun this year: the emerald ash borer. The emerald ash borer popped up in new areas across the state this year, found for the first time in eight additional […]