Western North Carolina’s long road to recovery following Hurricane Helene is getting a significant financial and operational boost due to a new partnership between federal and state agencies.
The United States Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service and the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) have finalized a $290 million Good Neighbor Agreement aimed at accelerating restoration efforts across the Pisgah and Nantahala national forests, according to a Feb. 5 press release.
Officials say this agreement marks the largest of its kind in Forest Service history. The deal enables the state-level Wildlife Commission to take a leading role in comprehensive recovery projects over the next decade, in hopes of bypassing some of the bureaucratic hurdles that can slow federal land management.
“Helping communities recover from Helene has been a top priority for the Forest Service since the storm tore through the Southeast more than a year ago,” said Forest Service chief Tom Schultz in a statement. “North Carolina’s national forests are an economic powerhouse, bringing billions of dollars into local communities through world class outdoor recreation. Restoring access means restoring both livelihoods and the family moments that make these forests so meaningful.”
Hurricane Helene left behind nearly $60 billion in damages, including tens of thousands of acres of blown-down timber and severely damaged wildlife habitats. Beyond the immediate destruction, the debris field created an unprecedented fuel load for potential wildfires, a risk this agreement specifically targets.
Under the terms of the deal, the NCWRC will tackle storm debris removal, road and recreation area repairs, invasive species management, and watershed restoration.
The Good Neighbor Authority — first approved by Congress in 2001 and expanded in the 2018 Farm Bill — allows the Forest Service to partner with non-federal entities to manage forest lands. Officials say this specific agreement leverages state-based expertise to reduce overall costs and create jobs in the impacted communities.
Kyle Briggs, executive director of the Wildlife Resources Commission, emphasized the ecological stakes of the recovery in a statement.
“The impacts from Helene were sudden and created immense devastation across Western North Carolina, including severe impacts to aquatic and terrestrial wildlife and their habitats,” said Briggs. “Restoring these species and habitats is essential to maintaining a functional ecosystem, reducing wildfire risks and providing quality recreational opportunities for outdoor enthusiasts that Western North Carolina is known for attracting.”
The partnership builds on decades of cooperation between the two agencies. James Melonas, forest supervisor for the National Forests in North Carolina, said that state wildlife officials reached out immediately after the storm struck the agency’s Asheville base.
“While my team in the greater Asheville area and I were still in shock from what just happened, [Briggs] let me know that his team was standing by to help however possible,” Melonas said. “This unprompted offer of assistance during one of our most difficult moments highlights the success of the partnership we have with the commission.”
While most areas of the Pisgah and Nantahala forests have reopened to the public since the storm, officials note that substantial work remains to fully repair the region’s trail networks, watersheds, and back roads.
