A wildfire that spread more than 280 acres in Brunswick County over the weekend was ignited by a lightning strike, fire officials confirmed.

The Quarry Road fire that started on Friday in Shallotte is 50% contained, according to the latest information from the North Carolina Forest Service.

Firefighters are continuing to reinforce fire lines and complete mop-up operations, which involve extinguishing or removing material near control lines, felling snags and trenching logs to prevent them from rolling after an area has burned.

Residents in areas near the fire are urged to remain alert and prepared if evacuation orders become necessary.

For up-to-date information on potential road closures due to the wildfire visit the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office social media and download or check the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office Mobile App.

The fire has resulted in one minor injury, which was reported on Friday and involved a firefighter who was treated on the scene, and has damaged a commercial self-storage building, a residential storage building, and some commercial work trucks and heavy equipment, according to the latest update.

Fire containment updates may be traced using the Forest Service’s Wildfire Public Viewer.

Brunswick County remains under exceptional drought and its largest water provider, Brunswick County Public Utilities, recently implemented further mandatory water restrictions prohibiting automated outdoor irrigation.

A burn ban also remains in effect for the unincorporated county, where residents are prohibited from burning within 100 feet of a structure. Residents in municipal limits should contact their local officials related to the burn ban.

The North Carolina Forest Service’s annual tree seedling sale will begin next month.

The state agency will begin accepting Wednesday, July 1, orders for young conifers and hardwoods. A genetically improved stock is available for Fraser fir, loblolly, longleaf, shortleaf, eastern white pine and Virginia pine.

With an average annual production of 10 million seedlings, and a reliable supply of more than 40 tree species, the Forest Service said that its nursery program produces enough native and genetically improved tree seedlings to plant roughly 18,700 acres.

“Our nursery program continues to provide affordable native tree seedlings that are geographically suitable for the state’s diverse forestlands,” Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler said in a statement. “By offering seedlings in different quantities, the program can help customers of all sizes whether the need is as few as 10 seedlings, or as many as several thousand. The annual seedling sale is just another way that the forest service strives to keep North Carolina’s woodlands healthy, growing and thriving.”

Order from the online seedling store at buynctrees.com, by phone at 1-888-NCTREES (1-888-628-7337) or 919-731-7988, or fill out and mail the order form in the FY26-27 Nursery Seedling Catalog to Seedling Coordinator, 762 Claridge Nursery Road, Goldsboro, NC 27530.

The catalog will be available in area Forest Service offices starting next month, and a user-friendly online catalog is expected to be available on the website soon, Forest Service officials said Monday.

Within the catalog, landowners can find information about the types of tree species, quantities and cost to order. Each species description includes information about ideal planting locations and whether a species is typically used to benefit wildlife, restore forest habitats or as marketable timber.

Seedling orders can be shipped to one of 13 distribution centers statewide for a small fee or via UPS for a charge. Seedling orders are also available for pickup from the N.C. Forest Service Claridge Nursery in Goldsboro or the Linville River Nursery near Crossnore in Avery County.

Most containerized seedlings are available and used November through March while most bare root seedlings are available and used January through March.

For information on planting trees, customers are encouraged to contact their county ranger. Contact information is available at www.ncforestservice.gov/contacts.

Brunswick County’s unincorporated areas and at least one of its beach towns are once again under a burn ban as drought conditions persist.

The ban that was issued by the county fire marshal went into effect at 5 p.m. on Monday and will remain in place until conditions improve, according to a county release. Oak Island also issued a town-wide ban effective Monday afternoon and, as of noon on Tuesday, a burn ban will go into effect in Leland.

“Current and future weather forecast models indicate conditions that are not favorable to open burning, particularly due to increasing drought conditions and fire danger risks for this week,” the release states.

Burning within 100 feet of any structure is banned in areas of that county that are not within a city or town limits. Residents within municipal limits may contact local officials for information related to the county’s burn ban.

The ban does not apply to open burning permits issued by the North Carolina Forest Service for open burning of natural vegetation outside 100 feet of an occupied dwelling.

For questions about the ban, contact the Brunswick County Fire Marshal’s Office at 910-253-2041. Additional information about local burn bans and open burning regulations is available on the county’s burn ban/open burning webpage.

A weekslong, statewide open burning ban in North Carolina has been lifted for 81 counties, including the 20 coastal counties.

The ban was revoked for all but 19 counties in the Piedmont as of 8 a.m. Sunday.

The North Carolina Forest Service issued the ban on March 28 due to rain-starved conditions felt across the state.

“The recent rainfall has provided some relief and has moderated fire danger enough for us to lift the ban on open burning in 81 counties,” Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler stated in a release. “However, we’re still in the thick of spring wildfire season when conditions can change quickly and frequently. We still need rain to move us forward with drought recovery, improving soil moisture and water levels. Be extremely vigilant with any outdoor burning if you’re in one of the 81 counties no longer under the state-issued ban. Make sure you have a valid burn permit, tools and a water source, and stay with your fire. If you’re in one of the 19 counties still under the state-issued burn ban, be patient and hold off on burning. We need more rain in your area to lift the ban. With the persistent drought, it’s important for all of us to use extreme caution when handling potential ignition sources such as machinery and motorized equipment. When in doubt, lean on your N.C. Forest Service county ranger’s office for guidance and best practices.”

Residents in counties where the burn ban has been lifted may obtain a burn permit from any authorized permitting agent or online at https://apps.ncagr.gov/burnpermits/. 

Permits granted before the ban were canceled once the ban went into effect. A valid permit must be obtained.

Residents should check with their local fire marshal’s office to determine whether burning is permitted within 100 feet of an occupied dwelling.

Contact your local N.C. Forest Service county ranger or fire marshal’s office with questions.

Alamance, Anson, Cabarrus, Chatham, Davidson, Davie, Forsyth, Gaston, Guilford, Iredell, Mecklenburg, Montgomery, Moore, Randolph, Rockingham, Rowan, Stanly, Stokes and Union counties remain under the burn ban until further notice.  

For more information about preparing for and preventing wildfires, visit www.preventwildfirenc.org.

The North Carolina Forest Service last Saturday issued a statewide ban on all open burning and canceled all burning permits until further notice as dry conditions persist across the state.

No new permits will be issued until the ban, which went into effect at 6 p.m. on March 28, is lifted.

Due to increased wildfire risk, the N.C. Forest Service has issued a ban on all open burning and has canceled all burning permits statewide effective 6 p.m. Saturday, March 28 until further notice.  

“With drought severity across the state, forecast fire weather and the potential for limited rainfall, it is critical to reduce the number of new fire starts,” N.C. Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler stated in a release. “Vegetative fuels will dry rapidly, and with the amount of fuel loading in the mountains and drought impacts statewide, a burn ban for all 100 counties is necessary to reduce the number of wildfires across our landscape. Please follow this burn ban to help reduce the risk for everyone.”

The ban does not apply to fires started within 100 feet of an occupied dwelling, but check with your local fire marshal to make sure a local burn ban has not been issued on fires within 100 feet.

Violators of the ban face a $100 fine plus $183 court costs. Anyone found to be responsible for setting a fire may be liable for costs associated with extinguishing that fire.

Forest Service officials will continue to monitor conditions. If you have specific questions, you may contact your N.C. Forest Service county ranger or county fire marshal’s office.  

With an overwhelming majority of counties under extreme drought, the North Carolina Forest Service is asking residents to be extra cautious when burning outdoors.

“With the recent rainfall combined with multiple winter storms earlier this year, some folks may not realize that most of North Carolina is still experiencing very dry conditions,” N.C. Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler stated in a release. “Our state’s gradual descent into drought and prolonged dry conditions are going to lead to wildfires igniting more easily, burning more intensely and spreading quicker. The best defense against wildfires will always be to prevent them from starting.”

According to the latest North Carolina Drought Advisory issued Feb. 19 by the Drought Management Advisory Council, 72 of the state’s 100 counties were experiencing severe drought.

As of Feb. 17, almost all of the 20 coastal counties were under moderate drought, with Carteret County experiencing abnormally dry conditions.

The N.C. Drought Management Advisory Council urges residents to practice various water conservation measures as the Forest Service asks the public to apply best practices and common sense when burning outdoors, especially yard debris.

The leading cause of wildfires across North Carolina continues to be escaped yard debris burns, according to the Forest Service. In fact, nearly half of all wildfires in the state start as a result of uncontrolled yard debris burns.

Human-caused wildfires also stem from machine and vehicle use, dragging tow chains, arson and escaped campfires.

“A fire can escape in a matter of seconds, especially on warm days when winds are gusty,” Troxler stated. “This means you never leave a fire unattended until it is completely out and cold.”

Counties in western North Carolina where forests were substantially damaged during Hurricane Helene in September 2024 “remain especially vulnerable to wildfires due to dead and dying timber,” the Forest Service stated.

Residents should contact their local N.C. Forest Service county ranger’s office before starting outdoor fires.

Observe the following safe burning practices:

• Check local burning laws.
• Ensure you have a valid permit to burn.
• Avoid burning on dry, windy days, placing yard vegetation in a cleared area and contain it by a screen receptacle away from overhead branches and wires.
• Don’t burn on dry, windy days.
• Place vegetative debris in a cleared area and contain it in a screened receptacle away from overhead branches and wires.
• Be sure you are fully prepared before burning, keeping a hose, bucket, steel rake and shovel to toss dirt on the fire, and a phone, close by.
• Do not use kerosene, gasoline, diesel fuel or other flammable liquids to fuel a fire.
• Stay with your fire until it is completely out.
• Apply these tips to campfires and grills, dousing burning charcoal briquettes or campfires thoroughly with water until embers are cold to the touch. Use dirt or sand as an alternative to extinguish the fire, but be careful not to bury the fire.

Residents, especially those sensitive to smoke, including children, active people, older adults and those with heart or lung disease such as asthma, can stay smoke ready by utilizing air quality index resources, including the following:

• The Division of Air Quality website.
• The N.C. State University and Division of Air Quality portal.
• airnow.gov.

For additional information on how to prepare for and prevent wildfires, visit www.preventwildfirenc.org.

The North Carolina Forest Service will be conducting a controlled burn of about 30 acres within the nature preserve of a popular Wilmington park.

The burn is part of an ongoing effort to restore longleaf pine in Halyburton Park and will be conducted between January and early March, weather permitting, according to a city notice.

“The controlled burn is designed to promote longleaf pine and wiregrass — both fire-dependent species — reduce the risk of future wildfires, and improve habitat for wildlife,” according to the notice.

Funding for the restoration project comes through a 2024 Longleaf Stewardship grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

Halyburton Park is a recognized North Carolina Natural Heritage site.

Message boards will be placed along 17th Street in Wilmington to alert the public prior to the burn.

More than a dozen species of trees are expected to be available at this year’s annual TreeFest in Wilmington.

The event, now in its 28th year, will be held 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. Jan. 16-17, or until inventory runs out, at JCPenney’s atrium, Independence Mall, 3500 Oleander Drive.

Households may select up to five bare-root tree seedlings or native bunch grass plugs.

A $5 donation per household is encouraged and will be used to fund the return of TreeFest in 2027.

Experts will be available to assist with plant selection and provide care advice based on individual site conditions, space, and utility lines.

Visitors are encouraged to bring their own bags or buckets to reduce plastic waste.

The TreeFest committee expects to receive from the North Carolina Forest Service’s Claridge Forestry Nursery near Goldsboro a variety of species, including longlead pine, bald cypress, chickasaw plum, buttonbush, red maple, river birch, flowering dogwood, silky dogwood, southern wax myrtle, sugarberry, eastern redbud, crabapple, and coastal white oak.

More than 180,000 trees and grasses have been funded through donations since TreeFest’s inception in 1997 to restore tree populations after hurricanes Bertha and Fran.

The event is held in an effort to rebuild tree canopy in New Hanover County and neighboring counties.

For residents of other counties or to get additional plants, seedlings may also be purchased directly from the Forest Service nursery by calling 1-888-NCTREES (628-7337) or from the online forestry store. They may also be ordered through any Forest Service office.

The practice of burning as a way to clear land has been banned in Leland.

During a special-called meeting on Monday, the town’s council unanimously enacted the ban, citing growing concerns about smoke and air quality impacts from recent burns, according to a release.

The ban “does not affect other forms of open burning permitted under state law,” the release states.

The town will host an open burning workshop next month with a focus on educating residents about state regulations on opening burning and how those apply within the town’s limits.

Town staff will be joined by officials with the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Air Quality and North Carolina Forest Service in giving brief presentations on existing regulations, enforcement, and applicability in the Brunswick County town.

Those presentations will be followed by a public comment period, after which time Leland Town Council members will discuss the information presented, public input, town policies, practices, and ordinances.

The workshop, which will be held as a special meeting of the town council, is set for 3 p.m. Nov. 10 at the Leland Cultural Arts Center, 1212 Magnolia Village Way.

The North Carolina Forest Service has begun accepting orders for its annual tree seedling sale.

Conifer and hardwood seedlings are available for purchase in a range of quantities. Genetically improved stock is available for Fraser fir, loblolly, longleaf, shortleaf, eastern white pine and Virginia pine. These seedlings offer better volume growth, tree form, disease resistance, straightness, and other characteristics needed to produce beautiful Christmas trees, healthy woodlands and quality forest products.

“Our nursery program continues to serve as a stable provider of native forest tree seedlings while ensuring access to a reliable supply of more than 40 tree species for planting throughout North Carolina,” Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler said in a release. “These affordable tree seedlings help keep our forestlands growing, thriving and beautiful. Traditionally, seedling inventory goes quickly, so I encourage folks not to hesitate.”

The seedling catalog is on the Forest Service website and printed copies are available in Forest Service offices. The catalogs contain information about the types of tree species, quantities and cost to order. Each species description includes information about ideal planting locations and whether a species is typically used to benefit wildlife, restore forest habitats or as marketable timber.

Tree seedlings can be ordered through www.buynctrees.com, by calling 1-888-628-7337 or 919-731-7988, or by filling out an order form and mailing it to Seedling Coordinator, 762 Claridge Nursery Road, Goldsboro, NC 27530.

Seedling orders can be shipped to one of 13 distribution centers statewide for a small fee or via UPS for a charge. Seedling orders are also available for pickup from the NCFS Claridge Nursery in Goldsboro or the Linville River Nursery near Crossnore.

Accepted methods of payment are check, money order, Mastercard and Visa.

The nursery program produces around 10 million seedlings a year, enough native and genetically improved tree seedlings to plant roughly 18,700 acres.

Contact information for county offices and nursery locations is at www.ncforestservice.gov/contacts.

Eastern and coastal North Carolina are home to some truly enormous trees. Towering bald cypresses with buttressed trunks, ancient live oaks with branches spreading out almost endlessly. The kinds of trees that leave people stunned. And though the person beholding the tree might not know it, the magnificent thing in front of them could be, or one day become, a champion.

Designated giants

The “Champion Tree” designation is a simple concept with a big purpose. The idea is to find the largest individual specimen of any given tree species, which is then named the champion of that species. The purpose goes far beyond measurements and rankings, however.

As first envisioned by the American Forestry Association in 1940, the Champion Tree Program, previously called the National Register of Big Trees, was intended to identify and conserve the nation’s largest remaining trees, which were at risk during an era of economic expansion and aggressive timber harvesting. It was also hoped that the program would increase the public’s appreciation for trees and encourage community science in forestry.

Today, anyone can nominate a tree for the National Register of Champion Trees, the annual publication of the Champion Tree Program. Nominated trees are reviewed and measured by an expert under the supervision of the University of Tennessee’s School of Natural Resources, which assumed official responsibility for the Champion Tree Program in 2024, and the champions are thereby sorted out for each species.

As of last year, when the most recent national register was published, North Carolina boasted 10 national champion trees, two of which are in the coastal plains: a pond pine in Bladen County, and a silky camellia in Gates County.

In order to find champions within their borders, state forestry services eventually established their own champion tree lists, such as North Carolina’s, which took shape under the auspices of the North Carolina Forest Service in the 1970s.

This means that North Carolina has a state champion tree for each species native to the state, and any state champion tree that is not bested in size by one of the same species in another state can be named the national champion.

Looking for the big ones

For 25-year-old Luke Ferreira, a big-tree hunter originally from New Bern, the sense of appreciation and the scientific mindset that spurred the original Champion Tree Program are always close at hand when he goes looking for giants.

“In some of the pretty remote places we go, I wonder, has anybody ever even seen this tree before?” Ferreira said in a telephone interview. “That’s what makes it worth it to me. Sometimes you come across something that takes your breath away.”

Ferreira, who now lives in Clayton, frequently ventures back to eastern North Carolina to look for and measure large trees.

“I’d say we definitely have more champions or potential champions east of I-95 than west of it,” he said.

When Ferreira finds a large tree, he calculates its size according to the method prescribed by the national Champion Tree Program. Each inch of a tree trunk’s circumference, as measured 4.5 feet above the ground, counts as one point, as does each foot of the tree’s height. The average spread in feet of the tree’s crown is divided by four, and this score is added to the point score for trunk circumference and height, yielding the overall score by which tree sizes can be compared.

Using these methods, Ferreira determined that a water hickory he and a friend discovered in a Craven County swamp was championship material. They nominated it to the state champion list, which prompted the N.C. Forest Service, following its protocols, to send out a county ranger to verify the tree’s dimensions. The ruling? With a 210-inch circumference, a height of 124 feet, and a 71-foot crown spread, it was the new state champion water hickory.

It should be noted, however, that those measurements yield 352 points according to the official Champion Tree Program method. The current national champion water hickory is listed at only 330 points, so Ferreira says he will be nominating the tree to the national list soon.

It might sound straightforward, but in reality, measuring tree sizes is a tricky business. The National Register of Champion Trees publishes a Measuring Guidelines Handbook that is 86 pages and includes two appendices and countless diagrams, so it may deter some beginners.

Luckily for Ferreira, trees aren’t just his hobby, they’re also his profession. Ferreira is a safety coordinator with Bartlett Tree Experts, so he has plenty of experience identifying, measuring and even climbing trees.

“I use a reel tape to measure the crown spread and the circumference, and then we use clinometers for height,” Ferreira said, referring to a device that calculates the height of distant objects with the help of a little trigonometry. “But if the tree isn’t too remote, I will sometimes tape drop it, where I climb up and drop the tape all the way down.”

Dying down, growing back

North Carolina’s big-tree database was taken offline in recent months before being made accessible again in early May. Andrew Pleninger, urban and community forestry program head at the N.C. Forest Service, oversees the state’s champion tree list. Pleninger said that the access issues stemmed from coinciding technical difficulties and the regular, laborious review such a program requires.

On the technical side, Pleninger said the web application hosting the database with the champion tree list was malfunctioning, prompting him to take it offline. Meanwhile, he and his staff have been working to reinspect all the existing state champions, to make sure everything on the list is accurate and up to date — a task delayed by staff shortages.

“It’s a good, popular program, and I’d like to continue to support it,” Pleninger said by telephone. “Tuning it up is one of our tasks right now.”

Maintaining champion tree registers with any kind of regularity is surely a large undertaking. Hundreds of trees, some of them in isolated mountain hollers or remote and unnavigable swamps, have to be checked to make sure none have fallen to storm, disease or axe.  

As Ferreira put it, “Once something becomes big enough to be a champion, it’s already close to the end of its life anyway.”

Even the loss of a limb can cost a tree its champion status. In a cemetery in Clinton, there stands a flowering dogwood that as recently as 2021 was the undisputed national champion.

“I was amazed at how big it was,” Pleninger said of the graveyard sentinel, which was once 33 feet tall and boasted a 40-foot crown spread. “I saw pictures of it before I went, and I thought, this is not a dogwood.”

However, the old tree has since lost one of its two main limbs, reducing its size significantly. It is no longer the national champion, and is likely not even the largest flowering dogwood in North Carolina anymore. However, a recent visit to the cemetery off of N.C. Highway 24 in Sampson County proved that the tree is still alive and still impressive. Time and decay may have robbed it of its title as champion, but it’s not yet too old to bloom in spring.

Caring for champions

The graceful leviathan at the heart of Wilmington’s Airlie Gardens isn’t just North Carolina’s state champion live oak, it’s probably one of the state’s best-known trees. It has served as a backdrop for hundreds of weddings and many thousands of photos, and it is frequently the object of concerned check-ins from the public.  

“The number one question we get after every storm is, ‘how’s the Airlie Oak?’” said Janine Powell, Airlie’s director of donor relations. “After Hurricane Florence, the first thing we did was put a picture of her up, and you could see Spanish moss and branches all over the lawn, but she’s still there.”

In an interview conducted in the shade of the sprawling oak, which is thought to have sprouted sometime around the 1540s, Powell spoke affectionately of the tree, as if it were a grande dame. That sense of care is reflected in the way Airlie Gardens looks after their champion.

When a large branch sagged to the ground in 2019, arborists from Bartlett Tree Experts were hired to thoroughly evaluate the Airlie Oak’s health and recommend measures to protect it for future generations. A customized brace to stabilize the sagging limb, support cables for the other limbs, a grounded copper wire to protect the tree from lightning strikes, removal of Spanish moss to let in more light, aeration and fertilization of the soil. The list of treatments the tree has received reads like a testament to the love of its caretakers.

“It’s amazing how much it revitalized her,” Powell said. “She just looks better. If I look at photographs from 2014 to now, oh my gosh.”

When asked what it means for Airlie Gardens to contain a state champion tree, Powell didn’t hesitate. “For the Gardens, it means the world to us,” she said. “Just knowing that it’s been around for so long.”

To raise funds for the care of their champion and the rest of their grounds, Airlie Gardens has partnered with Penderlea Farms to sell saplings grown from the acorns of the Airlie Oak.

These “historic live oaks,” according to Powell, are intended to help educate the public on the natural shape that live oaks require to be resilient (and beautiful) in their natural coastal environment.

Through the recognition of a specific remarkable tree, they are encouraging people to think about all trees a bit more deeply. Appreciation, protection, education — they’re all there, the original hallmarks of the Champion Tree Program.

The wildfire that blazed through 1,500 acres near Boiling Spring Lakes last weekend has been contained at 56%, according to a Friday morning update from the N.C. Forest Service.

Crews on Thursday made “significant progress” working to extinguish persistent hot spots around the fire perimeter, particularly in the northeast section and southern tip of the now little more than 1,300-acre fire, the Forest Service said.

This weekend’s rainy forecast “will be a great help,” Forest Service Operations Section Chief Trainee Weston Vandenabeele said in a Thursday release.

“Now’s the time for us to dig in our heels and make sure we get every bit of heat out of this fire,” he said. The rain, “and our continued efforts to put additional water on the hot spots and knock down piles of debris will pay dividends.”

The Sunset Road Fire, as it has been named, began May 2 and remains under investigation.

A temporary flight restriction, or TFR, remains in place at an altitude to 3,000 feet until further notice. Drones are prohibited from being operated within a TFR.

The North Carolina Forest Service lifted Wednesday morning its statewide open burning ban.

Dry and drought conditions throughout the state increased hazardous forest fire conditions, which prompted the March 21 ban from the state agency that is under the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

“We’ve received some well-timed, much-needed rain over the last couple days which has helped reduce fire danger, allowing us to lift burn ban restrictions across the state,” Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler said in a release. “However, we are still in the midst of spring wildfire season and our recent wildfire activity, especially in Western North Carolina, is a reminder to remain vigilant about burning safely and responsibly.”

Fires started within 100 feet of an occupied dwelling remain prohibited. Only local fire marshals have authority to issue or lift a burn ban within that footprint.

Those who interested in applying for burn permits may do so through any authorized permitting agent or online at https://apps.ncagr.gov/burnpermits/.

Permits obtained before the March 21 ban were effectively canceled. Anyone who had a permit prior to the ban must reapply.

Residents with questions about the counties in which they live may contact their local N.C. Forest Service county ranger or county fire marshal’s office. Forest service county rangers’ contact information is available at www.ncforestservice.gov/contacts.

The North Carolina Forest Service will begin taking orders Monday, July 1, for conifer and hardwood seedlings.

The Forest Service Nursery Program produces 16 million seedlings, enough native and genetically improved tree seedlings to plant roughly 30,000 acres, equivalent to nearly 23,000 football fields, each year, officials said Monday.

“Having healthy trees and forests provides many benefits to our state, including helping to clean our air and water and sequestering carbon,” Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler said in a statement. “I encourage residents to take advantage of the high quality trees produced through the North Carolina Forest Service nursery program. Seedlings go quick so you’ll want to purchase them early.”

Genetically improved stock is available for Fraser fir, loblolly, longleaf, shortleaf, eastern white pine and Virginia pine.

“These seedlings offer better volume growth, tree form, disease resistance, straightness, and other characteristics needed to produce beautiful Christmas trees, healthy woodlands and quality forest products,” according to the Forest Service.

Tree seedlings can be ordered from the online seedling store at www.buynctrees.com, by calling 888-NCTREES (1-888-628-7337) or 919-731-7988, or the order form in this year’s nursery seedling catalog that will be available next month in county Forest Service offices. A user-friendly online catalog will soon be available, as well.

The catalog offers information for landowners about the types of tree species, quantities and costs to order. Each species description includes information about ideal planting locations and whether a species is typically used to benefit wildlife, restore forest habitats or as marketable timber.

Most containerized seedlings are available October through March while most bare-root seedlings are available January through March. Seedling orders can be shipped to one of 13 distribution centers statewide for a small fee or through UPS for a charge. Seedling orders can also be picked up from the Forest Service’s Claridge Nursery in Goldsboro or the Linville River Nursery near Crossnore in Avery County.

Customers can pay by check, money order, Mastercard and Visa.

For information on planting trees, customers can contact their Forest Service county office and nursery locations.

From conifers to hardwoods, there are millions of seedlings for sale through the North Carolina Forest Service.

The Forest Service’s nursery program, which produces enough native and genetically improved tree seedlings to plant roughly 30,000 acres of land each year, began its annual tree seedling sale Wednesday, officials said.

“The importance of healthy trees and forests cannot be overstated as they provide countless benefits to our state’s environment as well as to each of us,” Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler said in a statement. “I strongly encourage landowners to take advantage of both the quantity and quality of tree species produced right here in our state by the North Carolina Forest Service.”

Types of trees, quantities and cost information can be found on the Forest Service website or in seedling catalogs at Forest Service offices statewide. Location information is at www.ncforestservice.gov/contacts.

Each species description includes information about ideal planting locations and whether a species is typically used to benefit wildlife, restore forest habitats or as marketable timber.

Tree seedlings can be ordered from the online seedling store at www.buynctrees.com or on the N.C. Forest Service website, by phone at 1-888-NCTREES (1-888-628-7337) or 919-731-7988.

Orders will be distributed January through March, depending on weather conditions.

Orders can be shipped to one of 13 distribution centers statewide for a small fee, through UPS for a charge, or picked up at either the state Forest Service Claridge Nursery in Goldsboro or, for those in the western part of the state, the Linville River Nursery near Crossnore.

Update Aug. 11: The fire grew from 150 acres to more than 1,500 acres by dark Wednesday evening and was 14% contained, according to an 11:49 p.m. Wednesday social media post from Pender County Emergency Management.

“Crews will continue working hard on the ground and from the air all day tomorrow (Thursday) to build containment lines and get closer to bringing this large fire under control. No threat to any homes at this time,” the post states.

On site were 12 North Carolina Forest Service tractor-plow units, a handful of crewmen, a mechanic, five district forest rangers, the Forest Service public information officer, one helicopter, two scout planes, lead plane, two single engine air tankers, state wildlife personnel, Pender EMS & Fire EMS unit, Pender County’s EMS, Fire EMS and other emergency services personnel as well as Onslow County emergency services personnel.

Both Pender and Onslow agencies are working closely with the state Forest Service “with suppression and planning ahead for anything that could be needed on this fire,” the post states.

Original post Aug. 10:

Pender County Emergency Management and the North Carolina Forest Service responded Wednesday to a 150-acre wildfire in Holly Shelter Game Land.

The state-owned game land covers 64,743 acres in Pender County.

Tammy Proctor, public information officer for the county, told Coastal Review Wednesday that the fire was under investigation.

Officials said smoke from the fire may affect Maple Hill, Holly Ridge and other areas near Pender and Onslow counties.

This isn’t the first fire in the Holly Shelter Game Land this month.

On Aug. 2, Pender County Emergency Management staff and the state Forest Service contained a 10-acre fire, possibly caused by lightening, in the game land. Three rangers, six tractor units, a scout plane and a helicopter responded, according to Emergency Management’s Facebook page.

The North Carolina Forest Service is selling conifers, hardwoods and native plants as part of its annual tree seedling sale that began Friday.

The nursery and tree improvement program produces around 15 million seedlings annually, enough native and genetically improved tree seedlings to plant around 30,000 acres each year. The Forest Service is a division of the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

“Healthy trees and forests are as important as ever for North Carolina and a benefit to our environment,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler in a statement. “To have a Nursery and Tree Improvement Program producing quality understory plants and nearly 50 native tree species available to landowners across the state is North Carolina’s good fortune, and I encourage landowners to take advantage of it.”

Momi fir, eastern red cedar and Virginia pine as well as genetically improved loblolly, longleaf, shortleaf and white pines as well as other species are available this year.

These seedlings offer better volume growth, form, disease resistance, straightness, and other characteristics needed to produce quality forest products, officials said.

A catalog available at the Tree Seedlings & Nursery Program link at www.ncforestservice.gov and at area Forest Service offices includes information about types of tree species, quantities and cost to order. Each description includes information about ideal planting locations and whether a species is typically used to benefit wildlife, restore habitats or as marketable timber.

To order tree seedlings, which can be done by check, money order, Mastercard and Visa, visit the online seedling store at www.buynctrees.com, call1-888-NCTREES, or 1-888-628-7337, or mail the order form in the catalog to Seedling Coordinator, 762 Claridge Nursery Road, Goldsboro, NC 27530.

Seedling orders can be shipped to one of 13 distribution centers statewide for a small fee or via UPS for a charge. UPS shipments will be made once a week from December through mid-April, depending on weather conditions.

Seedling orders are also available for pickup from the Forest Service’s Claridge Nursery in Goldsboro or Linville River Nursery near Crossnore.

Contact information for the local Forest Service county office is available at  www.ncforestservice.gov/contacts.