Assistance with Forest Health Issues

All North Carolina Forest Service personnel are tasked with maintaining healthy forests. Our Mission is to develop, protect, and manage the multiple resources of North Carolina's forests through professional stewardship, enhancing the quality of life for our citizens while ensuring the continuity of these vital resources. Foresters work in the areas of water quality, urban forestry, tree nurseries, forest management, education and outreach, and forest protection to achieve this mission.

The Forest Protection Section of the NCFS is primarily concerned with tree health and those agents which directly affect tree health including fire, biotic stress agents, and abiotic stress agents. The Forest Health Branch of the Forest Protection Section specializes in the biotic and abiotic stress agents including insects, diseases, and invasive plants.

Landowners may contact their county forest ranger if they suspect pests are plaguing their woodlands. Our foresters can offer diagnostic assistance and technical advice about treatments or management practices that reduce certain types of pest damage. When epidemics occur, the agency helps landowners dispose of damaged timber and install control measures to prevent disease or insect spread.