North Carolina

The North Carolina Division of Forest Resources provides forest health protection assistance to state and private land managers within the State.  The State and the USDA Forest Service Forest Health Protection unit fund this program cooperatively.

North Carolina Forest Facts

Over 55% of North Carolina is forested (more than 19.2 million acres).

Almost 90% of forested acreage in North Carolina is privately owned.

The National Forests in North Carolina (1.1 million acres) provide recreational and wildlife benefits as well as forest products and jobs for thousands of people.

The southern pine beetle (SPB) is North Carolina’s most significant forest insect pest. The 1997 outbreak that occurred in the southern coastal area has decline considerably and SPB activity in 1999 shifted to the western piedmont and mountain counties. The year ended with 1,519 SPB infestations in 29 counties, with population levels classified as outbreak in 12 of these counties. SPB  activity is likely to increase in the state in 2000.

In 1999, gypsy moth eradication and slow the spread activities were carried out on 11 sites covering  a total of 25,540 acres.  Intervention tactics included – aerial applications of the biological insecticide, Btk, pheromone flakes (a gypsy moth mating disruption technique), and Gypchek, the gypsy moth specific virus.  Delimiting trapping was also conducted statewide.  Treatment is planned on 5 sites in 2000, covering 6,400 acres.  .

Forest tent caterpillar (FTC) was first recognized as a serious bottomland hardwood defoliator along the Roanoke River in northeastern North Carolina in 1997.  Acres defoliated has increased from 25,000 in 1997 to 93,000 in 1999, with 30, 400 acres considered severe.  No treatments are planned, but studies are going to determine the effects of defoliation on water quality.  We anticipate FTC population levels to increase in 2000.

Dogwood anthracnose is a disease that occurs in the forest environment at higher elevations and in cool moist areas. The disease is currently found in 29 counties within the State and is causing significant mortality to the native dogwoods.  Permanent impact plots were established in the early 1990’s and are visited annually.  The 1999 visit revealed that dogwood anthracnose has killed 49.7% of the native dogwood trees in 24 western counties (covering 2.4 million acres).

North Carolina Division of Forest Resources
and USDA Forest Service

In spite of the relatively good health of North Carolina’s forests, a variety of insects and diseases (both native and introduced), and human-caused impacts such as air pollution, continue to threaten the State’s resources.  To deal with this constantly changing mix of challenges, the Division of Forest Resources and the Forest Health Protection unit of the USDA Forest Service cooperate to prevent, detect, suppress and manage this multitude of threats.  The partnership between the two agencies has worked for three decades to maintain and improve the health of North Carolina’s forests. 

Forest Health Protection contributions (dollars) to the North Carolina Division of Forest Resources Cooperative Forest Health program, cooperative pest suppression projects and National Forests in North Carolina pest suppression, 1997-2000.

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