NCFS administers a cost-share program aimed at preventing outbreaks of the southern pine beetle, the most destructive forest insect in North Carolina. The Southern Pine Beetle Prevention Program, funded through a grant from the U.S. Forest Service, will reimburse non-industrial private forest landowners in North Carolina for some of the cost of practices to manage young pine stands for the prevention of southern pine beetle infestations. The NCFS recommends the use of sound s

In 2013, the emerald ash borer made its debut in North Carolina. The devastation of forests north and northwest caused by this invasive beetle was already well-known, so its discovery was met with dread. The ash forests were dying, and quickly. The future did not look good for North Carolina’s ash trees. Over the next few years, the emerald ash borer continued to spread across the state. As of August 2018, the tree-killing beetle has been found in 36 out of the 100 counties.