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About 40% of Buncombe trees were damaged or downed by Helene • Asheville Watchdog

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avlwatchdog.org – ANDREW R. JONES – 2024-11-07 15:57:00

Tropical Storm Helene damaged or destroyed as much as 40 percent of the trees in  Buncombe County, not counting the tree cover in Asheville, appraisers for the North Carolina Forest Service concluded in a new assessment of timberlands released Thursday. 

In all, nearly 822,000 acres of forestland were damaged, and in some cases flattened entirely, throughout the 17 counties in western North Carolina impacted by the most powerful storm to hit the region in 35 years. 

“The heaviest damage was confined to a six-county area with Buncombe and McDowell counties being at the center of this area,” the N.C. Forest Service report noted. An estimated 89,440 combined public and private acres of Buncombe’s 223,600 total tree acreage were damaged by the storm. Appraisers put the value of the lost timber at $19.3 million for Buncombe alone.

McDowell forests saw 130,805 acres of damage. Yancey County had the most expensive losses, $27.5 million. According to a heat map of the damage, the worst damage occurred just east of Buncombe in McDowell County.

The estimates do not include an assessment of urban settings like Asheville, according to the report. 

“No attempt was made to assess urban or landscape trees during this survey,” the report said. “Storm impacts related to urban trees are difficult to quantify by aerial survey and determining values of urban trees involves a complex process.” 

The Forest Service is urging homeowners to contact a qualified arborist to assess and provide guidance with urban and landscape trees.

The loss of such a large portion of the ecosystem can have several negative effects, such as the threat of wildfires due to increased fuel levels, loss of vital wildlife habitat, impacts on watershed health, and the higher potential for invasive species to thrive, the U.S. Forest Service remarked in another report last week. 

It will grow back

Overall, Helene’s devastation ransacked 17 western North Carolina counties and crippled 821,906 acres, with timber losses estimated to be $213.7 million, according to the report.

“Our damage estimate indicated that over 27% of the forestland in the affected counties received some level of damage,” the report found, noting that the damage was not evenly distributed.

“This is probably the most severe that we’ve had in the state since Hurricane Hugo in ‘89 and Fran and ‘96 as far as wind damage,” said James Slye,  head of N.C. Forest Service’s forest health branch.

Areas damaged are not total losses, Slye said. Though some were devastated, with hundreds of contiguous acres flattened, others had more moderate damage, like loss of leaves and top limb breakage.

“The individual that has a stand of trees that they potentially would harvest at some time, is looking at that and saying, ‘Okay, my timber is now on the ground, so I’ve got a loss here,’” Slye said. “We don’t view it that way.” 

Although people who owned forested land and intended to sell their timber certainly lost something, the acres aren’t lost as forest land.

“They’re going to regenerate,” Slye said. “If you want to look at it from an ecological standpoint, it’s a forest disturbance. And forest disturbances happen all the time on large scales or small scales.” 

Events like Helen are constantly altering the shape of forests, but they’ve come back. All that’s changed is the age structure of the forests, Slye said.

Even areas that lost every single tree will grow back.

Typical damage on a windward (southerly) slope in the Helene damage area.

“If you got an area that was relatively lightly damaged and has some trees down, some trees standing … you might end up with a multi-aged forest stand right there that you know 50, 60, years from now you’re looking at two or three different age classes in that forest.” 

Regeneration could be obvious as soon as next year, Slye said. 

“Think about an agricultural field that just gets abandoned,” he said by way of example. “If you look at that site five years down the road, you’ve got tree cover on it, all kinds of stuff starting to come up.”

N.C. Forest Service will be monitoring the damage yearly. Slye said the department tries to conduct aerial surveys of 20 percent of the state to survey the forests each year.

It also has offices in every county, equipped to help manage tree loss on an individual scale. 

“The people in the public that have concerns about their trees or their forest stand or individual trees, they can reach out to our county office, and [agents] will come out, take a look and give them some management advice,” Slye said.


Asheville Watchdog is a nonprofit news team producing stories that matter to Asheville and Buncombe County. Andrew R. Jones is a Watchdog investigative reporter. Email arjones@avlwatchdog.org. The Watchdog’s local reporting during this crisis is made possible by donations from the community. To show your support for this vital public service go to avlwatchdog.org/support-our-publication/.

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Gov. Stein requests $19B in federal funding toward Helene disaster relief

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www.youtube.com – ABC11 – 2025-02-21 21:16:11


SUMMARY: Hurricane Helen devastated Western North Carolina five months ago, causing over 100 deaths and $60 billion in damage. Recovery efforts continue under Governor Josh Stein, who recently requested $19 billion in federal aid, including funds for economic relief, housing repairs, infrastructure restoration, and disaster prevention. Local groups like the Appalachian Rebuild Project are actively addressing needs. The funds would support businesses, workers, and communities still reeling from the hurricane’s impact. Concerns about future funding cuts and the area’s historical neglect add urgency to the recovery. Stein’s request follows an earlier appeal for $1.1 billion in state funding.

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Gov. Josh Stein is seeking $19 billion in federal funding toward Hurricane Helene recovery. Following a meeting with North Carolina’s US Sens. Thom Tillis and Ted Budd, his office announced the request, providing a 48-page breakdown of how the money would be spent.

https://abc11.com/post/hurricane-helene-nc-gov-stein-requests-19-billion-federal-funding-relief/15942971/
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Musk waves a chainsaw and charms conservatives talking up Trump’s cost-cutting efforts

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www.youtube.com – ABC11 – 2025-02-21 08:54:05


SUMMARY: Elon Musk appeared at a conservative conference outside Washington, brandishing a chainsaw to symbolize his efforts to reduce the size of the federal government. He touted his role in government efficiency, particularly with cuts at the IRS, which has laid off 6,000 workers. Although officials claim tax return processing is unaffected, concerns about delays remain. Musk proposed a $5,000 taxpayer dividend funded by the cuts and claimed support from President Biden. He also faced accusations of ties to Russia, amid tensions over Ukraine and Trump’s strained relations with President Zelensky. Musk dismissed these claims and continued advocating for budget cuts.

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Billionaire Elon Musk appeared at a conservative gathering outside Washington waving a chainsaw in the air, showing openness to auditing the Federal Reserve and accusing Democrats of “treason.”

More: https://abc11.com/post/elon-musk-waves-chainsaw-charms-conservatives-talking-trumps-cost-cutting-efforts/15941280/
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Bills from NC lawmakers expand gun rights, limit cellphone use

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carolinapublicpress.org – Sarah Michels – 2025-02-21 08:00:00

What we’re watching: These bills from NC lawmakers could go the distance

Less than a month into the 2025 legislative session, lawmakers have filed nearly 300 bills. Before the filing deadline next month, there will likely be another couple hundred bills presented. 

Not all will survive the grueling legislative process, particularly considering North Carolina’s divided government. 

After the 2024 election barred GOP legislators from a supermajority by one seat, Democratic Gov. Josh Stein may be able to deny many Republicans’ wishes with his veto pen. 

Several bills will probably attract more attention than others. 

Here are a few whose progress Carolina Public Press is tracking. 

Gun bills hit their target audience

Expanding Second Amendment rights has emerged as an early theme of the 2025 General Assembly. 

Chief among several gun-related bills is House Bill 5, the North Carolina Constitutional Carry Act

Current law bars North Carolinians from carrying concealed deadly weapons, including handguns, without a permit outside of one’s property. House Bill 5 removes that restriction for adults 18 and older. 

It also abolishes firearms from the statutory list of deadly weapons — a list that includes daggers and stun guns. 

The bill loosens some additional concealed-carry restrictions. If passed, state residents could carry a concealed weapon at a public event where admission is charged and at parades and funeral processions. Elected officials would be allowed to have a concealed firearm while performing official duties if they have a permit. 

Anyone who carries a hidden weapon must have their ID with them and present it to law enforcement if approached. 

Those convicted or charged with certain crimes, dishonorably discharged from the military, ruled by a court to be mentally ill or addicted to a controlled substance are not allowed to have a concealed firearm without a permit under this proposed legislation. 

Senate Bill 50 is a twin bill in the other chamber, which suggests a higher priority level for this legislation. 

Other gun-related bills this session: 

  • House Bill 38, also known as the Second Amendment Financial Privacy Act, bans gun dealers from creating a record of people in the state who own firearms.
  • House Bill 9 bans local governments from regulating firearm use on private property as long as it is “conducted with reasonable care.”
  • House Bill 28 creates a new crime to be treated as a separate offense under the law: possessing a firearm or weapon of mass destruction while attempting or committing a felony. 

Helene on the horizon

As Helene recovery continues, the legislature begins work on its next funding package. 

Thus far, lawmakers have passed three relief packages that collectively dedicate $1.1 billion to the recovery effort, though not all of the funds have been specifically allocated. 

As it stands, the fourth package draws $275 million from the State Emergency Response and Disaster Relief Fund. 

The latest Helene relief package from the General Assembly would withdraw $275 million from a state emergency fund. Colby Rabon / Carolina Public Press

While the bill is continually being amended, some of the current allocations include:

  • $140 million for home reconstruction and repair 
  • $75 million for farmers to resume production and protect against future flood damage
  • $100 million for repair of private roads and bridges 
  • $55 million for small business infrastructure grants
  • $20 million to local governments for outstanding debris removal
  • $10 million to supplement rental assistance payments 
  • $5 million for targeted media campaigns to get tourists back in Western North Carolina 

The bill is set to be heard on the House floor as early as Tuesday. 

‘Breathtaking legislation’

Last year, Republican legislators told future Democratic Attorney General Jeff Jackson he couldn’t make an argument in court that would invalidate any law passed by the General Assembly. 

Now, with House Bill 72 and Senate Bill 58, they’re extending that limitation to presidential executive orders. 

One of the most common actions of attorneys general is joining their counterparts in other states in opposition to presidential actions like executive orders. 

Some North Carolina Republicans would end the practice as the second Trump administration settles into power. 

Democratic state Sen. Graig Meyer, who represents Caswell, Orange and Person counties, said he’s been very critical of the bill, which he called “breathtaking legislation.” 

“If you don’t want your attorney general to be able to sue the federal government over things that may be unconstitutional … then you actually want a king,” he said. “But even in just blunt political terms, it’s a very short-sighted bill. Because what if, in four years from now, we’re in the reverse situation, and they have a Republican attorney general and a Democratic president?” 

Hold the phone

Lawmakers have had it with technology in classrooms. 

Or, at least, that’s what they appear to be saying with bills in the House and Senate requiring school boards to create cellphone or wireless communication-free educational environments. 

Enter House Bill 87, which aims to eliminate or severely restrict student access to cellphones during class. 

Senate Bill 55 goes a step further, including tablet computers, laptops, paging devices, two-way radios and gaming devices as banned technologies. 

Election bills in abundance

Coming off an intense election cycle, lawmakers are looking to make a few changes. 

House Bill 31 would establish Election Day as a North Carolina holiday for general statewide elections.

House Bill 66 would reduce the number of early voting days in North Carolina. Current law requires early voting to begin 20 days before the election. The proposed bill would allow for nine days. 

Several local bills align odd-year municipal elections with even-year state and federal elections. Others extend mayoral terms from two to four years. 

Finally, House Bill 85 would ban staffers found to not have exercised “due care and diligence” from future election work.

This article first appeared on Carolina Public Press and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

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