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 … Read more
“The project was very complex and difficult.” That’s just part of the way Robert Trickel with the N.C. Forest Service described a project that prompted a recent award for 41 Forest Service employees. Their success in rising to the challenge earned them the NCDA&CS Excellence in Team Accomplishment Award. After the nomination and selection process, … Read more
N.C. Forest Service Nursery & Tree Improvement Program makes hemlock seedlings available to the public. In 1995, the hemlock woolly adelgid was found in North Carolina for the first time. Although tiny, this invasive insect can kill a massive hemlock in four to ten years. The devastation caused by the hemlock woolly adelgid is hard … Read more
The N.C. Forest Service Nursery and Tree Improvement Program grew both Eastern and Carolina hemlock for the first time at the Linville River Nursery in 2018 as part of a test program. Having never grown hemlock seedlings, nursery managers wanted the opportunity to see if the imperiled trees would grow well at the mountain nursery … Read more
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 … Read more
Nestled in Cary, Hemlock Bluffs Nature Preserve is home to an isolated population of more than 200 eastern hemlock trees. Hemlocks, primarily found in the mountains, are long-lived evergreens prized in nature for their vital role in the ecosystem and valued in landscapes for their graceful appearance and response to pruning. Remnants from an era … Read more
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. “Local nonprofit declares war on the hemlock woolly adelgid,” Mountain Xpress: Since its accidental arrival here from southern Japan about two decades ago, the hemlock woolly adelgid has killed hundreds of … Read more
The Hemlock Restoration Initiative brings hope to hemlock’s future For years, the invasive hemlock woolly adelgid has slowly but surely eaten away at the native hemlocks gracing our state’s beautiful mountain landscapes. Many of these once stunning and elegant trees are now gray ghosts, killed by an insect not much larger than the period at … Read more
The distinctive forests of Western N.C. are prized and enjoyed by many. Evidenced by the fact that Great Smoky Mountains National Park boasts the most visitors of all National Parks, visitors flock to the area to take in mountainous vistas or navigate trails winding through forests and past waterfalls. The area truly is a gem for … Read more
