Invasive species and wildfire problems may ramp up in Burke County

Invasive plants overrunning native species and higher risk for wildfires probably doesn’t come to mind when considering Hurricane Helene’s ripple effects, but they are very real challenges the county may face as a result of the storm.

Lang Hornthal, executive director of EcoForesters, shared a presentation at the Burke County Board of Commissioners meeting last Monday to bring attention to these issues, and share possible solutions.

EcoForesters is a nonprofit organization that strives to conserve and restore the state’s Appalachian forests, according to its website. Hornthal said the organization has been in operation for about 10 years.

The N.C. Forest Service found that Helene damaged more than 800,000 acres of land across 17 counties, Hornthal said, with 45,755 acres damaged in Burke County.

Before Helene, most of western North Carolina’s forests had a closed canopy, Hornthal said. The damage from Helene created competitive growing conditions that could allow non-native plants to overrun native plants.

“While this is a natural succession that happens all the time, it’s really unique where we find ourselves now,” Hornthal said. “These trees and plants are very aggressive, (and) not only out-compete native plants for this growing space, but they also make it unbearable for them to be able to continue and fight back.”

Fallen trees are still an issue in steeper and roadless areas, Hornthal said, due to difficulty for forestry equipment to access the areas, and, in some cases, landowners cannot afford to have the trees picked up.

Downed trees will further complicate professional efforts to mitigate wildfire risks, Hornthal said.

Hornthal said the state forest service has assessed that what was once a 1-acre fire now averages a 15- to 20-acre fire, because “where they usually quickly get into a site and create a firebreak … (now) they aren’t able to get into those sites, (and) they have to pull further back in order to create that firebreak.”

Burke landowners also lost an estimated $10 million in value after Helene, Hornthal said.

“This … is a tough one to swallow, as lots of landowners depend on that revenue to send a kid to college, or for their retirement,” Hornthal said. “So, this lost revenue is going to make it even more difficult for private landowners to maintain their land, (and) in some cases, even keep it.”

Hornthal said EcoForesters’ No. 1 recommendation to landowners is to develop a forest management plan.

EcoForesters can assist by offering grant-funded wildfire mitigation plans, grant-funded non-native invasive species (NNIS) control plans, and grant-funded regeneration plans.

FOOTHILLS CONSERVANCY OF NC UPDATES

Shane Prisby, Foothills Conservancy of NC’s trail program director, updated commissioners on a handful of projects, including the Foothills Mountain Bike Trail System.

The 4.5-mile bike trail system at Catawba Meadows Park, built to National Interscholastic Cycling Association race standards, Prisby said.

The trail allows Burke County bicycle racing teams to practice locally. It will also open the door for Burke to host racing events, which Prisby said will pour more money into the local economy.

The Foothills Mountain Bike Trail System is a collaboration of the City of Morganton, Overmountain Cycles, and the Foothills Conservancy, Prisby said. It was made possible through fundraising, grants, and community support.

OTHER THINGS FROM THE MEETING

The commissioners unanimously approved a resolution supporting Operation Green Light. Veterans Services Officer Molly Eller gave a presentation on the initiative, which simply asks Burke residents to light up their porches with green lights in support of veterans between Nov. 4 and Nov. 11.

Commissioner Phil Smith also made his exit from Burke’s America250 committee, citing scheduling conflicts. The board unanimously voted for Commissioner Mike Stroud to take Smith’s place.