Forestry and agriculture are very important to North Carolina's overall economy. Our forest and agricultural lands also provide many other attributes, including recreational areas, wildlife and ecological diversity, and clean water and air.
Our lands are managed for various resources, and as landowners, you greatly impact the productivity and sustainability of your property. However, you have no control over weather patterns. You may be able to mitigate the effects of excessive rain or drought conditions to some extent through management, but typically, you are at nature’s mercy.
North Carolina Forests include highly diverse forest ecosystems that support a very strong forest industry in the state, producing forest products from medicines to log homes. The state includes approximately 18.4 million acres of forestland, 61% of the total land area. Approximately 82% of this forestland is owned by private landowners, which supplies timber for a significant portion of the state’s overall industrial output.
The Appalachian Mountains include highly diverse forest ecosystems, from the table mountain pine and chestnut oak stands on rocky outcrops to the lush yellow-poplar cove sites and mixed oak and hickory stands along the lower elevations. The region produces some of the highest-quality hardwood lumber in the United States.
North Carolina Forest includes highly diverse forest ecosystems, from the longleaf pine stands in the eastern part of the state to the sub-alpine spruce forests on the highest ridges of western North Carolina. The forest ecosystem in the state's mountains includes over one hundred and fifty overstory tree species, making it one of the most diverse forest ecosystems in the world.