“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, […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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. Click on the links to go straight to the full story. State is preparing for possible avian influenza outbreak, Tryon Daily Bulletin: State Veterinarian Doug Meckes announced additional precautions that […]
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. Click on the links to go straight to the full story. “Plant-grafting business breaks ground in Mills River,” Hendersonville Times-News: Despite temperatures in the 20s and wind chills in the […]
WNC Communities announced three awards totaling $75,000 to help to restore North Carolina’s hemlock trees to long-term health. The awards program is a part of the new Hemlock Restoration Initiative, a cooperative effort launched by Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler and the NCDA&CS through a grant to WNC Communities. Hemlocks across Western North Carolina are being […]
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. Click on the links to go straight to the full story. “Lowes Foods steps up efforts to buy food directly from local farmers,” Greensboro News & Record: Brenda Sutton’s farm in […]