U.S. Forest Service: Helene damaged trails, roads and timber across Grandfather District; recovery under way

Nick Larson, representing the U.S. Forest Service's Grandfather Ranger District, briefed the county on the extent of storm damage and recovery priorities following Hurricane Helene.

Larson said assessment work has identified roughly 48 damaged or destroyed bridges in the Forest Service27s open-road system, about 885 miles of road in need of repair (with roughly 30% expected to need full reconstruction) and about 850 miles of trails damaged. He said about 190,000 acres of forest and timber were affected and that the Grandfather District was among the hardest-hit areas in the region.

Larson reported that 93% of previously open roads and trails are now reopened with temporary repairs and fresh gravel, though some bridges and parking facilities remain under reconstruction. He noted the Jerretts Creek (Curtis Creek) bridge major construction was nearly complete and expected to reopen within a week or two, while other projects will continue for multiple years with an estimate of rebuilding approximately three to four bridges per year until the district recovers.

Larson also described salvage timber sales, a seed-and-tree-cooler project at Woodlawn Work Center to support replanting (about 300 acres planned this year), and expanded partnerships with conservation groups and state agencies to support trail restoration and habitat recovery. He said wildfire-response capacity has increased, citing rotating deployments that put 60 to 200 firefighters on the ground during recent busy periods.

Board members thanked Larson for the update and noted the importance of continued partnership across agencies for recovery and wildfire risk reduction.