The provided funding will support recovery and rebuilding efforts in areas impacted by hurricane helene and other disasters

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Region 8 - Southern Region awarded a $10.2 million Cooperative Agreement to the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources under the Good Neighbor Authority program (CFDA 10.691) on June 24, 2025. This ten-year agreement, extending through June 23, 2035, funds forest recovery and restoration efforts in North Carolina following Hurricane Helene and other disasters. The project establishes a partnership with the state's Natural Heritage Program to assess hurricane impacts on North Carolina's forests and advance Forest Service-led recovery and restoration initiatives in impacted areas.

Under the Good Neighbor Authority program, the state agency will conduct land management and restoration services on federal lands to increase the pace and scale of forest recovery while supporting regional forest and watershed health objectives. The cooperative agreement structure allows the state to work across jurisdictional boundaries with the Forest Service, with all work products, project objectives, and activities negotiated collaboratively and subject to appropriate environmental documentation as required under the National Environmental Policy Act.

This project focuses on a partnership with the state's natural heritage program to assess hurricane impacts on the forests of north carolina and advance forest service efforts to recover and restore damaged areas.