Environmental officials are dropping more than 20,000 pounds of native seeds across the Pisgah National Forest as part of ongoing Hurricane Helene recovery.
The U.S. Forest Service in partnership with The National Forest Foundation is targeting areas where Helene made “unprecedented changes” to the landscape. Officials say that’s more than 900 acres.
The storm caused more than 2,000 landslides across Western North Carolina. Those areas remain stripped and bare — making them vulnerable to erosion and fast-growing invasive species like kudzu and knotweed.
Biologists designed two custom seed mixes — one for landslide areas and another for river and stream banks. They include plants often found on North Carolina riverbanks like native grasses, wildflowers, trees and shrubs.
As native seeds sprout and grow, officials say they improve the soil, reduce erosion and support a healthy and diverse ecosystem.