In an effort to reduce wildfire risk, the U.S. Forest Service is waiving its $20 permit fee and inviting residents to collect free firewood from reopened sections of Pisgah National Forest through December 2025.
Tropical Storm Helene damaged several thousand acres of the forest, leaving behind woody debris and downed trees that pose a significant fire hazard. According to a U.S. Forest Service news release, the effort also gives the public a chance to help and gather firewood to warm their homes this winter.
Free firewood
While large portions of the Pisgah National Forest remain closed due to storm impacts, firewood collection is permitted in areas that have reopened. Residents are encouraged to contact local rangers for guidance on designated free-use areas:
- Pisgah Ranger District (Transylvania, Buncombe and Haywood counties) — (828) 877-3265
- Grandfather Ranger District (McDowell, Burke, Caldwell, Avery and Watauga counties) — (828) 652-2144
- Appalachian Ranger District (Haywood, Madison, Buncombe, Yancey, Mitchell and Avery counties) — Still closed to the public at this time
Free trees
The nonprofit Asheville GreenWorks, with support from the Arbor Day Foundation and Bank of America, is offering free native trees to help replenish the tree canopy lost during Hurricane Helene. Residents can reserve trees online through Asheville GreenWorks’ tree shop, with 1,200 free trees available by the end of December.
“We know the road to full recovery is long, but we’re going to be there every step of the way,” said Arbor Day Foundation CEO Dan Lambe. The foundation’s broader recovery plan aims to plant 10 million trees across six hurricane-affected states over the next four years.
Repurposing fallen timber
In a collaborative effort led by FEMA’s Interagency Recovery Coordination (IRC), thousands of trees damaged by Tropical Storm Helene are being repurposed into firewood, furniture materials, mulch, and more. As of mid-November, over 320,000 pounds of wood had been removed for processing.
The initiative also addresses the devastation at the North Carolina Arboretum, where Helene knocked down more than 5,000 trees across trails and roads within the 434-acre site in Pisgah National Forest, temporarily forcing the park to close.
Norma R. Houston, chief of staff to the UNC System Office, said in a news release that the arboretum — a state entity under the university system — would likely still be closed without the IRC’s efforts.
“This is an example of the amazing things that can happen when groups with a shared mission work together to help people in times of need,” Houston said.
