The North Carolina Association of County Commissioners and 100 Strong Productions created a documentary about what happened in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene in WNC. You can now “what the story of a region the refused to give up.”
Author Archives: Amanda Nicole Stratton
Permit Free Firewood Collection- Pisgah National Forest
As concerns around wildfire remain across the region, the National Forest Service has issued the following information about collection of firewood for personal use:
“Hurricane Helene left a significant amount of woody debris across much of Western North Carolina, leaving higher-than-usual levels of fuels on the ground. This creates a heightened risk of wildfire. The public can help mitigate this risk by collecting downed wood to warm their homes during the winter season.
Firewood can be gathered from along all open roads on any re-opened portion of the Pisgah National Forest. Portions of the Pisgah still remain closed because of impacts from the storm, including areas on the Appalachian Ranger and Grandfather Ranger districts.
Please contact the local ranger district for more information on where firewood can be gathered.
- Appalachian Ranger District, spanning Avery, Buncombe, Haywood, Madison, Mitchell and Yancey counties: (828) 689-9694
- Grandfather Ranger District, spanning Avery, Burke, Caldwell, McDowell and Watauga counties: (828) 652-2144
- Pisgah Ranger District, spanning Buncombe, Haywood and Transylvania counties: (828) 877-3265″
Click here for more information: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r08/northcarolina/alerts/permit-free-firewood-collection-pisgah-national-forest
Index of Select Emergency Management Resources for North Carolina Local Governments
This index provides a select list of resources for North Carolina local governments addressing emergency management issues. It is intended as a starting point for officials and staff seeking practical guidance across a range of government operations and service areas. Resources are organized by topic area and by type (including trainings, publications, laws, and contacts) to help users quickly find relevant information and assistance for emergency management planning, response, recovery, and related efforts. Because emergencies can limit access to outside resources and create significant stress, the index emphasizes the importance of becoming familiar with key local resources and personnel before these situations occur.
Users are encouraged to print and share the PDF version of this index with colleagues, local government departments, and community partners so that critical information remains accessible when it is most needed.
https://ncrecoveryportal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/EMR_Index_2026.pdf
FEMA Review Council Final Report
On May 7, 2026, the President’s Council to Assess the Federal Emergency Management Agency released its final report. You can view the full report here: https://ncrecoveryportal.com/other-resources/fema-review-council-final-report/.
Water & Wastewater Round Table: Exploring Regional Partnerships, from Joint Purchasing to Shared Staff and Beyond
Regionalization isn’t just about mergers and consolidations. It’s shared equipment and personnel, emergency communication plans, joint purchasing agreements, bulk service contracts, and so much more — and chances are, your utility is already doing some version of it.
Join the UNC School of Government Environmental Finance Center for an open, practitioner-focused discussion where local government water and wastewater utilities can share what they’re already doing, explore what they’re considering, and get honest feedback from peers facing the same challenges. The SOG EFC will open with a brief presentation drawing on findings from its recent legislatively directed study on regional partnerships, framing the wide landscape of collaboration options available to utilities.
But the heart of this session is your experience. We want to hear what’s working, what’s stalled, and what questions you haven’t been able to answer yet. We’ll also use this time to begin building a network of utilities committed to learning from one another on this topic. The SOG EFC will be gathering input on what resources, tools, or ongoing support would be most useful as you navigate partnership opportunities.
Whether you’re deep into a regional arrangement or just starting to think about it, come ready to talk, share ideas, and ask questions.
Who Should Attend? Utility staff, managers, finance staff, and elected officials who want to share their experiences with others and learn more about regional partnerships
When? May 21, from 9am-11am on Zoom
How? Register now at https://unc.zoom.us/meeting/register/nQvsEkZOR-OPMCvUSCMMgA
WNC Resilience Convening – April 17, 2026
Join other WNC communities to share successes, lessons learned, and ongoing challenges in the wake of Hurricane Helene. Register now, as space is limited! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ridge-to-river-rebuilding-for-resilience-wnc-tickets-1980390042929?aff=oddtdtcreator
New Resource: New Planning and Zoning Law Bulletin
“This bulletin provides an overview of notable changes that the General Assembly made to the laws related to planning and development regulations during the 2025 legislative long session. The changes are organized by topic, covering such areas as zoning (including down-zoning), infrastructure, amendments to 2024 Helene-recovery legislation, environmental regulations, the State Building Code, and local bills of interest. Like earlier summary bulletins in this series, this one includes a checklist to help local governments ensure that they are complying with amended state law.”
Download your copy here: https://www.sog.unc.edu/publications/bulletins/2025-north-carolina-legislation-related-planning-and-development
Community Infrastructure and Commercial District Revitalization Programs Prescreening Now Open
Starting February 9, Renew NC is offering a prescreening opportunity to help potential applicants, such as local governments or nonprofit organizations, prepare for the upcoming launch of the Commercial District Revitalization (CDR) Program and the Community Infrastructure (CI) Program. While not required for program application submission, prescreening is strongly encouraged. The process provides an opportunity for interested local governments and nonprofit organizations to identify and develop a CDBG-DR project in a technical assistance environment.
More information on the Community Infrastructure Prescreening found here.
More information on the Commercial District Revitalization Program Prescreening found here.
Hurricane recovery in North Carolina receives $290 million boost from the Forest Service
“The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service and the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission have entered into a $290 million Good Neighbor Agreement to support Hurricane Helene recovery efforts in Western North Carolina. The agreement — the largest of its kind for the Forest Service — will speed up recovery efforts, create new jobs, reduce overall costs and strengthen communities impacted by the hurricane.”
Read more here.
Apply by March 6 to host an UNC School of Government Lead for North Carolina (LFNC) Fellow!
LFNC is a fellowship program that aims to create the next generation of local government leaders in North Carolina. LFNC places recent college graduates in high-impact positions in local governments across the state to work on transformative community projects. Fellows receive up to three weeks of training prior to placement and ongoing training and support from the UNC School of Government. Currently, 70% of local government leaders in North Carolina are eligible to retire, and our program is designed to prepare the next generation of local government leaders! Check out this video to learn more about the fellowship program or view this interview on CBS This Morning!
The deadline to apply is March 6 – the application takes less than ten minutes to complete, and you do not have to commit to the program until after you have been accepted as a potential host site. You can access the application here. Thanks to our philanthropic supporters, significant subsidies are available to jurisdictions with demonstrated need. The final subsidy amount will be determined by the total applicant pool. The cost to host a full-time fellow could be as low as $10,000. Please navigate to these links to access an informational flyer, a slide deck for elected officials, and a frequently asked questions webpage for you to consider. Please contact the program’s director with any questions at russell@sog.unc.edu.
The program will host optional virtual informational sessions for interested governments on the following dates. You can add the times to your calendar by clicking the links below.