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Reducing Wildfire Risk and Restoring Public Access in Storm-Damaged Areas
Blue Ridge Parkway » Reducing Wildfire Risk and Restoring Public Access in Storm-Damaged Areas
On September 27, 2024, Hurricane Helene passed through western North Carolina with sustained winds of 80 miles per hour at Mt. Mitchell adjacent to the Parkway and record-breaking rain in the Parkway corridor of 14-30 inches. The Parkway sustained significant damage and, in some cases, complete devastation of the motor road, slopes, structures, vegetation, developed areas, and other resources as a result of the storm.
There are areas within Parkway boundaries where significant dead and downed vegetation accumulated into large, concentrated debris masses. These materials—commonly referred to as 'fuels' for the purposes of wildland fire management—have increased substantially compared to pre-hurricane levels. The dramatic increase in surface fuels combined with ongoing severe drought conditions in the region has heightened the risk of damaging wildfires in some areas that are adjacent to communities and private homes. Concentrated blowdown could also impact the ability of firefighters to safely and effectively control fires in the area. Additionally, storm damage in some cases interferes with access to Parkway lands, trails, structures, and boundaries.
The National Park Service (NPS) will be implementing a hazardous fuel reduction project in specific areas to reduce wildfire risk and address public safety, while also maintaining protection of natural and cultural resources along the Parkway. Parkway leadership and Resource Management Divisions with help from the US Wildland Fire Service Appalachian-Piedmont-Coastal Zone fire management staff, US Forest Service, NPS Washington Support Office and consultants have conducted wildfire-risk modeling and field verification of areas with extensive blowdown in order to evaluate debris depositions that may pose a significant risk to life and property.
The proposed action will reduce post-Helen dead and downed vegetation that has collected in a volume and location that:
- Presents an elevated risk of wildfire to communities, homes, and other resources
- Interferes with access to Parkway lands, trails, structures, and boundaries
Project implementation will involve mechanical and manual removal of selected downed and damaged trees across sites in North Carolina and Virginia that pose the highest fire risk to life and property. The removal of hazardous fuels in these parcels will reduce wildfire risk to nearby communities, homes, park resources, and infrastructure within the Parkway.
Hazardous fuel removal will occur at select sites that were identified by expert analysis as being at an elevated risk within the following corridors:
- Galax and Hillsville, 292 acres between milepost 205 and 215
- Laurel Springs, 129 acres between milepost 249 and 267
- Boone, 769 acres between milepost 280 and 300
- Linville Falls, 527 acres between milepost 310 and 319
- Little Switzerland, 325 acres between milepost 324 and 341
- Asheville, 829 acres between milepost 374 and 396
Preliminary treatment areas (see corridor maps under 'document list' on the left) are subject to further refinement based on ongoing evaluation of operational and resource considerations.
Treatment activities will focus on wildfire hazard reduction primarily through mechanical fuel reduction treatments followed by targeted revegetation of storm-impacted landscapes on NPS-managed lands. Actions will prioritize achieving meaningful fuel reductions while preserving the Parkways historic, natural, and visual character. Hazardous fuel removal, staging, and equipment operations will be designed to avoid or minimize visual intrusion on designated viewpoints, overlooks, trailheads and skyline ridges. The NPS will conduct archeological surveys prior to ground-disturbing activities, or post-work when advance surveying is not possible. Ground-disturbing activities as a result of heavy machinery use will be limited to those areas necessary to safely access, remove, and stage storm-felled and damaged trees. Disturbance will only occur in areas where the hurricane created extensive blowdown and debris fields proximate to communities or structures. All temporary access routes, skids trails, and landings will be closed, stabilized, and re-graded following completion of hazardous fuel removal using erosion-control as needed and site-reclamation methods typical of post-operation cleanup. Special attention will be given to avoid wetlands and de-compact soils while restoring extant grades between the road shoulder and the tree line, to maintain the visual character of the Parkway design. These areas will be revegetated as needed with native plants that align with the Parkways vegetation management practices. Soil erosion will be mitigated using best practices that align with NPS and the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality's (NC-DEQ) stormwater management programs. Revegetation-related activities will include plant materials salvage, seed collection, invasive plant management, nursery grow outs and installations, and maintenance of plantings. NPS will identify the best ways to support the recovery of the plant communities and wildlife through natural processes and intervention as needed, so actions will be site-specific in approach.
Open house style public meetings to inform neighbors, adjacent Parkway communities, stakeholders, and other interested parties about the specifics of the work were held in Asheville and Boone, North Carolina, and Galax, Virginia from May 5-7, 2026.
Hazardous fuel removal is expected to begin late summer 2026.
There are areas within Parkway boundaries where significant dead and downed vegetation accumulated into large, concentrated debris masses. These materials—commonly referred to as 'fuels' for the purposes of wildland fire management—have increased substantially compared to pre-hurricane levels. The dramatic increase in surface fuels combined with ongoing severe drought conditions in the region has heightened the risk of damaging wildfires in some areas that are adjacent to communities and private homes. Concentrated blowdown could also impact the ability of firefighters to safely and effectively control fires in the area. Additionally, storm damage in some cases interferes with access to Parkway lands, trails, structures, and boundaries.
The National Park Service (NPS) will be implementing a hazardous fuel reduction project in specific areas to reduce wildfire risk and address public safety, while also maintaining protection of natural and cultural resources along the Parkway. Parkway leadership and Resource Management Divisions with help from the US Wildland Fire Service Appalachian-Piedmont-Coastal Zone fire management staff, US Forest Service, NPS Washington Support Office and consultants have conducted wildfire-risk modeling and field verification of areas with extensive blowdown in order to evaluate debris depositions that may pose a significant risk to life and property.
The proposed action will reduce post-Helen dead and downed vegetation that has collected in a volume and location that:
- Presents an elevated risk of wildfire to communities, homes, and other resources
- Interferes with access to Parkway lands, trails, structures, and boundaries
Project implementation will involve mechanical and manual removal of selected downed and damaged trees across sites in North Carolina and Virginia that pose the highest fire risk to life and property. The removal of hazardous fuels in these parcels will reduce wildfire risk to nearby communities, homes, park resources, and infrastructure within the Parkway.
Hazardous fuel removal will occur at select sites that were identified by expert analysis as being at an elevated risk within the following corridors:
- Galax and Hillsville, 292 acres between milepost 205 and 215
- Laurel Springs, 129 acres between milepost 249 and 267
- Boone, 769 acres between milepost 280 and 300
- Linville Falls, 527 acres between milepost 310 and 319
- Little Switzerland, 325 acres between milepost 324 and 341
- Asheville, 829 acres between milepost 374 and 396
Preliminary treatment areas (see corridor maps under 'document list' on the left) are subject to further refinement based on ongoing evaluation of operational and resource considerations.
Treatment activities will focus on wildfire hazard reduction primarily through mechanical fuel reduction treatments followed by targeted revegetation of storm-impacted landscapes on NPS-managed lands. Actions will prioritize achieving meaningful fuel reductions while preserving the Parkways historic, natural, and visual character. Hazardous fuel removal, staging, and equipment operations will be designed to avoid or minimize visual intrusion on designated viewpoints, overlooks, trailheads and skyline ridges. The NPS will conduct archeological surveys prior to ground-disturbing activities, or post-work when advance surveying is not possible. Ground-disturbing activities as a result of heavy machinery use will be limited to those areas necessary to safely access, remove, and stage storm-felled and damaged trees. Disturbance will only occur in areas where the hurricane created extensive blowdown and debris fields proximate to communities or structures. All temporary access routes, skids trails, and landings will be closed, stabilized, and re-graded following completion of hazardous fuel removal using erosion-control as needed and site-reclamation methods typical of post-operation cleanup. Special attention will be given to avoid wetlands and de-compact soils while restoring extant grades between the road shoulder and the tree line, to maintain the visual character of the Parkway design. These areas will be revegetated as needed with native plants that align with the Parkways vegetation management practices. Soil erosion will be mitigated using best practices that align with NPS and the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality's (NC-DEQ) stormwater management programs. Revegetation-related activities will include plant materials salvage, seed collection, invasive plant management, nursery grow outs and installations, and maintenance of plantings. NPS will identify the best ways to support the recovery of the plant communities and wildlife through natural processes and intervention as needed, so actions will be site-specific in approach.
Open house style public meetings to inform neighbors, adjacent Parkway communities, stakeholders, and other interested parties about the specifics of the work were held in Asheville and Boone, North Carolina, and Galax, Virginia from May 5-7, 2026.
Hazardous fuel removal is expected to begin late summer 2026.