ASHEVILLE — A collaboration between governmental agencies and nonprofit and faith-based organizations is repurposing some of the remnants of Tropical Storm Helene’s destruction into use for local residents.
As part of a project developed by FEMA’s Interagency Recovery Coordination, thousands of trees damaged by Helene will be repurposed under a state project, FEMA announced in a press release Nov. 13.
The coordination was established by the federal disaster recovery coordinator to meet challenges presented by Helene and ensure interagency coordination for disaster recovery in North Carolina.
According to the release, more than 320,000 pounds had already been removed as part of the project.
“This marks the transition from response to long-term recovery,” said Thomas J. McCool, federal coordinating officer for North Carolina’s disaster operation. “The IRC’s innovative collaboration is tailored specifically to Western North Carolina and leverages the unique skills, expertise and tools of every organization involved.”
One of the stages of the project includes clearing debris and fallen trees at the North Carolina Arboretum in South Asheville.
According to previous USA Today Network reporting for The Citizen Times, the wind and rain wrought by Helene felled more than 5,000 trees on the 434-acre site in the Pisgah National Forest, forcing the Arboretum to temporarily close.
On Oct. 28, following the hard work of Arboretum staff and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, N.C., the Arboretum was able to reopen the primary entrance, parking area and formal gardens to visitors, with the Arboretum waiving the $20 per vehicle parking fee.
All Arboretum trails and outdoor areas beyond the Formal Gardens remain closed to guests, as of Nov. 14.
The Arboretum is a state entity under the jurisdiction of the University of North Carolina System, and attracts more than 600,000 visitors annually. The Arboretum, which offers walking trails, gardens and an educational center, boasts a membership roster of more than 21,000 households.
According to FEMA, the repurposing downed trees project is already sending logs to a staging area to be sorted based on potential use. The wood will then be distributed to residents and communities for firewood, furniture material, mulch and more.
In an Oct. 22 USA Today Network article, Drake Fowler, the North Carolina Arboretum executive director, said the cleanup efforts would make use of the damaged and destroyed trees to help stock North Carolina’s firewood initiative, or to potentially help lay wood chips along the park’s 10 miles of hiking trails.
“Most of the trees that fell were red oaks, and the best chips for trails are that kind of hardwood,” Fowler explained. “Those are the chips we’re usually looking for, and so a lot of times we might have to buy those.”
Downed trees block the main entry road of The North Carolina Arboretum on Oct. 17, 2024 in Asheville. Workers have been clearing trees daily since Tropical Storm Helene in order to reopen the grounds.
Other uses for wood include furniture, heating and landscaping
In addition to FEMA, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the University of North Carolina System, the Interagency Recovery Coordination partnerships for the project include collaboration between the North Carolina Division of Emergency Management, Buncombe County, Team Rubicon, a nongovernmental organization specializing in disaster response, American Red Cross, Mennonite Disaster Services, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development and the U.S. Forest Service.
In the release, FEMA said the multiple agencies are determining the most effective uses for the material.
U.S. Department of Agriculture teams of forest experts are sorting the wood based on intended purpose, including furniture building, home heating and landscaping. American Red Cross and Mennonite Disaster Services provided equipment for firewood cutting, which is being handled by Team Rubicon volunteers trained to use chainsaws, log-splitters and other equipment.
Additionally, local churches will take the divided wood, kiln dry it as needed and provide burn-ready wood to residents, the release said.
According to the FEMA release, Interagency Recovery Coordination partners have removed 65 truckloads of timber as of Nov. 13. with firewood splitting starting the week of Nov. 11.
More: NC Arboretum in Asheville sustained massive tree damage in Helene; plans to reopen
More: NC Arboretum in Asheville reopens but trails still closed
More: NC Arboretum in Asheville reopens but trails still closed
More: MountainTrue releases more post-Helene soil, water samples: How polluted is the French Broad?
Winter Lights event scheduled to run through Dec. 31
Though all Arboretum trails and outdoor areas beyond the Formal Gardens remain closed to guests, the Arboretum’s largest fundraising effort, its annual Winter Lights, will move forward in its 11th year and is scheduled to run from Nov. 15 through Dec. 31.
“This year, we are striving to make Winter Lights an event that will offer a sense of wonder, place, and perhaps even a temporary return to normalcy — a chance to wander and wonder and escape into an evening of delight and joy,” reads a public note on the Arboretum website, adding that ticket sales for the event directly provide for employee salaries and continued improvements to the grounds.”
Fowler said the Arboretum is working to craft displays around some of the park’s damaged trees by affixing lights to the battered wood in an “artful way,” recognizing the immense loss of old-growth trees within the preserve. Event organizers are also discussing potential photo opportunities for visitors that could include rallying cries such as “WNC Strong,” according to Fowler.
Tickets for the Winter Lights Festival are priced per vehicle rather than per person and start at a price of $40, according to the event’s website.
“So please know that, by attending Winter Lights, you are directly supporting this important resource and those employees who make it beautiful,” the Arboretum said on its website. “We know that for many, the idea of purchasing a ticket may seem like a big ask, but for those of you who are able, we want you to know that this event is as important to us as it is to the thousands who have attended Winter Lights over the past 10 years.”
Johnny Casey has covered Madison County for The Citizen Times and The News-Record & Sentinel for three years. He earned a first-place award in beat news reporting in the 2023 North Carolina Press Association awards. He can be reached at 828-210-6074 or jcasey@citizentimes.com.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: FEMA program repurposing Helene-downed trees for WNC residents
