Eco Foresters outlines forest recovery work after Hurricane Helene, offers no-cost help to landowners

Lang Hornthal, executive director of Eco Foresters, told the Burke County Board of Commissioners on Oct. 6 that private forests in western North Carolina suffered widespread damage during Hurricane Helene and that his nonprofit is offering assessments, crews and technical assistance to affected landowners at no charge.

“Almost 46,000 total acres were damaged in Burke County,” Hornthal said, citing the North Carolina Forest Service assessment conducted after the storm. He said preliminary estimates put timber-value losses in Burke County at “over $10,000,000.”

Hornthal said the nonprofit received funding from the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina to support recovery work and that the North Carolina Forest Service is expected to roll out a block-grant program “probably the first of the year” that will compensate private landowners for a percentage of timber loss. He said the program will not fully replace lost timber value but will provide an important relief to owners who lack other options.

Eco Foresters described the main barriers landowners face as access and cost: many damaged stands sit on steep ground or lack safe access for heavy equipment. “If you can’t get to it, there’s not much you can do about it,” Hornthal said, noting that reduced access also complicates wildfire control and increases potential fire size.

The group said its available services include on-the-ground crews to buck and secure logs, chainsaw and access work, invasive species control, tree planting and stream restoration, plus professional forester consultations and planning services. Hornthal urged landowners and county officials to prioritize wildfire mitigation, noting that the region could see elevated wildfire risk for several years as downed material dries.

Commissioners pressed Hornthal on the county’s need for equipment and capacity. Hornthal said Eco Foresters does not own heavy equipment and that contracting costs for bringing equipment to a site can be high; he said he would look into potential options to coordinate resources or funding.

Hornthal closed by stressing planning and education: Eco Foresters is offering workshops on invasive plant identification and management, community wildfire protection planning, and individual property assessments to guide longer-term regeneration and stewardship decisions.

Ending: Hornthal said Eco Foresters will present more detail at the board’s regular meeting; meanwhile the group encouraged landowners to contact the organization for assessments and noted some funding streams and program timelines remain “not specified” until state guidance is released.