Enviva Celebrates Hoke Community Forest Restoration Project With the Planting of Longleaf Pine in North Carolina - Seite 2

Phase one of the restoration project commenced when the Sandhills Prescribed Burn Association engaged with Enviva, which sources low-value wood in the U.S. Southeast from forest stands used in the production of wood pellets. Both forest thinnings and prescribed burns are standard techniques used to reduce fire risk, restore more natural forest structures, and reduces stress and agricultural competition in forested areas susceptible to insect and disease. Enviva remains committed to protecting the forest landscape and supporting forest management and growth within its operational footprint, and therefore participates in a wide variety of conservation-minded partners in both the public and the private sectors.

The Hoke Community Forest Restoration Project serves as an archetype of the type of restoration projects Enviva engages with and supports, as is Enviva's five-year partnership with The Longleaf Alliance which assists with the implementation of Enviva's longleaf forest restoration plan and serves as a critical step in the longleaf restoration process across North Carolina. One of the main conservation goals of Hoke Community Forest is to conserve the rare Sandhill ecosystem which is home to the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker (Leuconotopicus borealis) and longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) forests.

Once officially onboard, Enviva engaged with Milliken Advisors Inc., a full-service land management company, to develop a harvesting plan, manage the timber sale, and oversee the harvesting activities on behalf of Hoke Community Forest. Over time the loblolly pine overstory will be removed leaving a longleaf pine savannah in its place for generations to come.

"This project is unique because our mission was threefold, we're working to generate income for the county, restore longleaf pine, and obtain community involvement for this special project," said Rob Drummond, Registered Forester at Milliken Advisors. "Saturday's event was a huge success and a great day for youth education and the community and county at large."

Now in phase two of the project, The Sandhills Prescribed Burn Association, Enviva, Milliken Advisors, and the Longleaf Alliance, along with other partners and the community will continue to assist in the development of the community forest by providing a mechanism to acquire, manage, and distribute funds, as well as oversee the silvicultural and forest management practices are appropriately carried out by all partners. In addition to the initial partners outlined above, Saturday's planting event included members from notable, local groups, such as North Carolina State University, Duke University, U.S. Forest Service, Natural Resource Conservation Service, Hoke County Manager, Commissioners and Staff, Hoke County Sheriff's Office, Great Woods Companies, the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, Southern Fire Exchange, the Boy Scouts of America, the Girl Scouts of America, and the Regional 4-H Group for Hoke County, to name a few.