Feds sending millions in Helene funding for national forests, parks

Federal lands in western North Carolina are set to receive more than $30 million in emergency funding for infrastructure repairs in the wake of Hurricane Helene.

The funding comes as part of $43 million total that the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration is sending to four states affected by the storm, which caused heavy rain, catastrophic flooding, and extensive infrastructure damage in some places. The storm caused 102 deaths in North Carolina and 231 total deaths across seven southern states.

The National Park Service is receiving $25 million for the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina, while the U.S. Forest Service is getting $5.1 million for the Pisgah and Nantahala national forests.

“The damage caused by Hurricane Helene’s heavy rains, strong winds, and flooding is so extensive that emergency vehicles and utility crews cannot make their way into the national forests and national parks to make essential repairs,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement. “The emergency funding we’re sending will help the U.S. Forest Service and National Park Service make repairs to vital transportation networks in four impacted states where roads are currently impassable and reopen these roadways as quickly as possible."

Tourism is a key industry for western North Carolina and Buncombe County, where Asheville is located, and fall is typically the region’s busiest season. Almost $3 billion was spent by tourists in the county in 2023, according to Explore Asheville.

Other allocations include $1.25 million for South Carolina’s Francis Marion and Sumter national forests, $5.25 million for Tennessee’s Cherokee National Forest, and $6.4 million for Virginia’s George Washington and Jefferson national forests.

The funds come with a “quick release” designation, allowing the federal land management agencies immediate access to the funds for “critical eligible repair work that includes removing downed trees, making temporary roadway repairs, stabilizing landslides, and removing overhead hazards and other debris from roadways and bridges to provide safe travel along various routes.”

Two bills introduced this week in the U.S. House would allocate $15 billion for disaster relief to affected states.