The North Carolina Forest Service

100 Years of protecting, managing and promoting

1915 - The N.C. Forest Service is born

The North Carolina General Assembly passes a forest protection law that authorizes the hiring of Fire Wardens in the state. John Simcox Holmes is appointed State Forester and State Forest Warden.

John Simcox Holmes

1921 - First county cooperators

Counties begin cooperative fire-fighting agreements with the NCFS. The first cooperators are Avery, Buncombe, Jackson and New Hanover counties.

Craven County Warden fighting a road-side fire in 1926

1922 - Over 20 county cooperators

Each cooperating county has a Fire Warden.

By 1990, all one hundred North Carolina counties have a County Ranger or Forester.

1926 – First fire tower

Erected in Harnett County. It’s known as The Cameron Hill Tower.

The original Cameron Hill Tower

1928 – First tree seedling nursery

Begun on a 4 acre tract of land outside of Clayton, the nursery will expand rapidly and stay in operation until late in the 20th century.

Eventually, nurseries near Goldsboro, Crossnore, Hendersonville and Morganton will be constructed.

1933 to 1938 – Civilian Conservation Corps

The Great Depression leaves many out of work. In response, the Roosevelt administration, as part of the “New Deal” creates the Civilian Conservation Corps. In North Carolina the young men of the Corps construct 52 fire towers, hundreds of miles of forest trails, several buildings, and plant almost 15 million tree seedlings.

CCC camp in Brunswick County

1937 – Forest Management Branch

Begun under the supervision of future State Forester Fred H. Claridge the branch is responsible for helping forest landowners get more out of their land.

Forest Service personnel assisting landowners

1939 – Bladen Lakes State Forest

Land is acquired from the federal government for this demonstration and research forest. It still operates today and is funded entirely from receipts generated by timber sales and other forest products.

Also in 1939, the NCFS is first given responsibility for the study and control of forest insects and diseases in the state.

Bladen Lakes State Forest, 1949

1945 – A new State Forester

William K. Beichler becomes the second North Carolina State Forester following the retirement of John Simcox Holmes.

William K. Beichler

1950 – Cooperative Forest Management Act

This federal law makes funds available for hiring Service Foresters to provide forest management advice to landowners.

Assisting a landowner in Lenoir County, 1964

1951 – “The Colonel”

Fred H. Claridge, known as “The Colonel” in deference to his World War II service, is named State Forester. He has worked with the agency since the 1920s.

Fred H. Claridge

1953 – Airplanes and insects

The Forest Service purchases its first airplane, a Piper Cub used for aerial surveying and fire spotting.

The Forest Pest branch is created in response to the newly passed Forest Insect & Disease Law.

Preparing for a pest control survey, mid-1950s

1955 – “The Fire of the Century”

Over 600,000 acres burn from a single fire covering areas of Hyde, Washington, and Tyrrell counties.Partly as a result of this blaze, North Carolina joins in a wildfire mutual-aid compact with other Southern states.

From the Washington Daily News, April 4, 1955

1960– First water bomber

A surplus Navy N3N biplane is converted by NCFS personnel into a water bomber.

The modified N3N being loaded

1963– Improving trees, fighting fires

The Tree Improvement Program begins selective breeding of trees at Edwards Nursery in Goldsboro.

“Black Thursday” occurs on April 4 as 127 fires burn about 185,000 acres in the state.

Examining a grafted seedling, 1964

1966 – New leadership, “Black Friday”

Ralph C. Winkworth becomes the fourth North Carolina State Forester.

On April 1, 74,000 acres burn from nearly 500 fires in North Carolina and South Carolina.

Ralph C. Winkworth

1970 – “Out West”

NCFS becomes the first state agency east of the Mississippi to send a hand crew to a western fire.

Three crews are sent to Washington state during the summer of 1970.

Crewmembers departing from Raleigh-Durham airport

1973 – Small State Forests

Part of NCFS’s first nursery is reestablished as Clayton State Forest. The Small State Forest System is described by State Forester Ralph Winkworth as "…a supplement to the state park system with the primary mission of explaining the forest and forestry."

Clayton State Forest will be renamed in 1975 for former nursery supervisor Moody Clemmons. The Small State Forests will be renamed Educational State Forests in 1986.

1977 – Forest Development Program

The General Assembly passes a law providing for a cost-share program for forest landowners. The Forest Development Program provides the aid needed to keep acreage in forestland.

1981 – Fifth State Forester

H.J. “Bo” Greene becomes State Forester.

H.J. “Bo” Greene

1985– The Allen Road Fire

This coastal blaze burns 93,000 acres in April.

April 7, 4:00 pm, Tyrrell County

1986 – Harry Layman and the Topsail Fire

Harry Layman is appointed the sixth State Forester. He is the first State Forester to come from outside the division.

The Topsail Island Fire burns 73,000 acres.

Harry Layman

1987 – B.R.I.D.G.E.

The Young Offender Forest Conservation Program puts non-violent inmates to work as firefighters and gives them valuable job skills in trades such as carpentry and landscaping. The first camp is opened in Burke County.

The program is informally known as BRIDGE, which stands for Building, Rehabilitating, Instructing, Developing, Growing, and Employing.

A BRIDGE crew digging fireline

1991 – Stan Adams

Retired U.S. Forest Service employee Stan Adams becomes the seventh North Carolina State Forester.

Stanford M. Adams

1992 – Hurricane Andrew

The NCFS becomes the first state emergency response agency to send an Incident Management Team out of state. The team manages response efforts in Florida in the wake of Hurricane Andrew.

Damaged and destroyed homes in Florida

1996 – DuPont State Recreational Forest

The state begins the first land purchases for what will become the 10,400 acre DuPont State Recreational Forest. Today, the forest welcomes well over 450,000 visitors a year.

Visitors enjoy a waterfall at DuPont State Recreational Forest

2000 – The Blodgett Trailhead Fire

A NCFS Incident Management Team becomes the first state team east of the Mississippi to supervise the response to a Western fire when it takes charge of the Blodgett Trailhead Fire. Several NCFS teams have since managed blazes “out west”.

A morning Incident Action Plan for the Blodgett Trailhead Fire

2003 – Shuttle Columbia Disaster

The NCFS sends two Incident Management Teams and several other personnel to Texas to assist with debris recovery after the space shuttle Columbia tragically disintegrates on re-entry.

Tents for response workers in Texas

2004 – One Million Acres

The Forest Development Program hits an impressive milestone; one million acres of forest land improvement in the state.

2005 – Hurricane Katrina

Teams are sent to Louisiana and Mississippi to help areas devastated by this massive storm.

2007 – A New Leader

Wib Owen, a long-time employee of the Wildlife Resources Commission becomes State Forester.

Wib Owen

2008 – The Evans Road Fire

40,704 acres burn on state and federal land in three different counties.

2010 - Forestry License Plate

In recognition of the importance of forestry in North Carolina and the state's status as the birthplace of professional forestry in the United States, the N.C. General Assembly has approved a special "First in Forestry" license plate. $20 of the $30 fee collected for each plate will go toward forestry education programs in the state.The plates are available for purchase from the NC Division of Motor Vehicles online and at offices throughout the state.

2011 – A New Home and a Summer of Fire

An act of the General Assembly transfers the NCFS from the Department of Environment & Natural Resources to the Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services.

Shortly after the transfer, multiple large blazes keep the NCFS busy all summer. The Simmons Road Fire burns 5,348 acres; the Pains Bay Fire burns more than 45,000 acres, mainly on federal land; and the Juniper Road Fire burns 31,140 acres.

2012 – Greg Pate

Former Nursery Program Supervisor and Coastal Plain Regional Forester Greg Pate is appointed State Forester.

Gregory Pate

2014 – Ten State Foresters

David Lane is appointed the 10th North Carolina State Forester.

David Lane

2015 – One Hundred Years

The NCFS celebrates 100 years of service to the people of North Carolina.