Business faculty guide post-Helene recovery study for NC Arboretum
Recovery study project manager Ed Wright from 51看片 (background) and Mac Franklin, director of horticulture at the North Carolina Arboretum, examine trees felled by the storm.
By Bill Studenc
As the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Helene鈥檚 arrival in Western North Carolina approaches, two faculty members in 51看片鈥檚 College of Business served as project managers for an in-depth study of storm damage to the North Carolina Arboretum in an effort to develop a plan for its recovery.
Assessing storm damage are, from left, Arboretum director Drake Fowler; Andy Tait, senior forestry director with EcoForesters; and, from the Arboretum, Mac Franklin, director of horticulture, and horticulture specialists Luke Sheaffer and Lianna Koberoski.
In addition to assessing damage, removing hazardous trees, controlling erosion and planning reforestation efforts within the boundaries of the Arboretum, the project is also designed to provide a roadmap for storm recovery and ecological restoration efforts at public green spaces across the Southeastern United States.
The effort was managed by Ed Wright, professor emeritus of management and former director of WCU鈥檚 Corporation for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, with assistance from Hollye Moss, 51看片professor of management.
Relying on the expertise of forestry experts to develop the recovery plan, Wright and Moss worked alongside Drake Fowler, executive director of the Arboretum, in partnership with the North Carolina Forest Service.
Fowler said that the involvement of faculty members with backgrounds in project management proved extremely useful to efforts to develop a more strategic recovery plan for the Arboretum.
鈥淲hen we engaged the academic community at a time we were thinking about the day-to-day and the tactical, it allowed us to step back and think more long term about how our recovery might inform others who are asking the same questions we are,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t gave us the head space we needed to engage our staff and our experts to think about our endgame in reforestation and some of the opportunities we might find from looking forward beyond the initial recovery.鈥�
The project revealed some possible new directions for the Arboretum in addition to basic recovery, including setting aside some of the affected areas for study of the blight-stricken American chestnut and converting some areas into a grassland or bald, similar to Max Patch.
鈥淭he academic focus really helped us approach the problems that we encountered and document the process so that municipalities, after they get through dealing with the human needs, could come to the Arboretum and we could show them how we approached things,鈥� Fowler said. 鈥淲estern really provided the framework and discipline for us.鈥�
Fowler also commended EcoForesters, a nonprofit dedicated to conserving and restoring Appalachian forests through education and stewardship, for its role in mapping damaged areas of the property. Andy Tait, the organization鈥檚 senior forestry director, led that effort.
The recovery study was made possible by a planning grant from the North Carolina Collaboratory, a statewide entity established by the General Assembly to utilize and disseminate the research expertise across the University of North Carolina System on environmental, natural resources, public health, education, technology and infrastructure issues.
In response to the hurricane, the NC Collaboratory issued 21 鈥渞apid grants鈥� of $10,000 to academic institutions across the state to fund projects spanning a wide range of disciplines including forest recovery, flood modeling, infrastructure assessment and emergency communication. Ten of those grants, including the one for the Arboretum project, were awarded to faculty at WCU.
Titled 鈥淎 Case Study 鈥� Planning for the Reforestation of Damaged Areas at the North Carolina Arboretum Due to Hurricane Helene,鈥� the project documents the development of an initial reforestation and site restoration plan for the public garden, research center and conservation site nestled within Pisgah National Forest, just south of Asheville.
Operated through a public-private partnership affiliated with the UNC System, the Arboretum serves as a hub for environmental education, scientific research and ecological stewardship in the Southern Appalachian mountains.
Situated near the junction of the Blue Ridge Parkway and N.C. Highway 191, the Arboretum is recognized for its diverse botanical collections, native plant landscapes and extensive trail system that supports public recreation and educational programming. It is located in one of the most ecologically diverse temperate forests in the world.
High winds and devastating floods spawned by heavy rains from Hurricane Helene swept through the mountains of WNC on Sept. 27, 2024, producing catastrophic damage, claiming numerous lives and leaving many people homeless.
Mac Franklin, director of horticulture at the North Carolina Arboretum, maps out a tour of the property.
In the 434-acre Arboretum, the storm toppled more than 5,000 trees, causing prolonged trail closures and ecological disruption 鈥� along with a loss of visitors and a negative impact on the regional tourism economy.
Helene鈥檚 damage affected trails, roads, gardens and exhibit areas, resulting in a monthlong closure for cleanup and recovery of high traffic areas. Although access to the gardens and main facilities was restored, many trails and natural areas remain closed because of debris and safety concerns.
As preliminary efforts to address the damage in the Arboretum were underway, the North Carolina Collaboratory on Oct. 10, 2024, notified institutions of the UNC System that grants were available for faculty to help with recovery efforts from Hurricane Helene.
That鈥檚 where Wright and Moss entered the picture with their proposal to manage the creation of a plan to reforest and repair the heavily damaged areas of the Arboretum.
鈥淲e developed a multi-phase planning process using aerial drone footage, normalized difference vegetation index (or NDVI) satellite imagery and ecozone analysis,鈥� Wright said. 鈥淭he study identified eight priority zones, each evaluated for site conditions, ecological significance and restoration goals. Our decision-making frameworks integrated biodiversity, fire risk, erosion control, aesthetics and educational potential. The plan also emphasizes the selection of native species, community involvement and sustainable landscape design.鈥�
The project began in January 2025 with a review of videos created by interns who flew drones over the property to assess the damage, with special attention paid to areas with heavy blowdowns, erosion or debris. Some of the facility鈥檚 property remained accessible by trails, offering a first-hand look, while satellite maps from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration provided comparisons of the Arboretum property before and after Hurricane Helene.
Following several subsequent meetings and additional tours of the property with a variety of experts, the study partners agreed on a goal of developing a comprehensive forest restoration plan that considered various factors 鈥� such as aesthetics, wildlife habitat, soil erosion, fire risk, biodiversity and others 鈥� that could serve as a model for the region while simultaneously creating a plan specific to the Arboretum, said Moss.
The recovery study team uses all-terrain vehicles to assess portions of the property.
鈥淐omponents of the plan for the Arboretum include clearing the grounds and paths of obstructions with 60-foot clearance of both sides of trails, removing debris that affects the safety and appearance of the Arboretum, and consideration of diverse species such as shortleaf pine and historically significant trees in any replanting,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he plan emphasizes the importance of ecological responsibility, stakeholder engagement and educational opportunities to teach the public about forest restoration and management.鈥�
With the initial study funded by the Collaboratory completed, implementing the resulting plan for the Arboretum will require several years and additional financial support from the state, community and grants, Moss and Wright said.
Looking at the bigger picture, the study also led to the development of an innovative project worksheet that could be used for ecological restoration efforts at public green spaces across the Southeast.
The worksheet identifies 26 factors across six categories to be evaluated to determine each site鈥檚 suitability for species selection and meeting desired long-term reforestation goals, a design that could be a tool for any reforestation effort in the Appalachian region, the researchers said.
