Pisgah Conservancy expands Helene recovery efforts
After the previous bridge on the North Slope Trail was destroyed by Hurricane Helene, a replacement bridge was constructed by TPC’s Trail Crew in summer 2025.
Seyl Park photo
The Pisgah Conservancy has been awarded a 4.5-year, nearly $8 million grant from the National Forest Foundation on behalf of the USDA Forest Service.
This grant will support the repair and maintenance of trails, trail bridges and other trail infrastructure, as well as ecosystem recovery through invasive plant management, streambank stabilization, erosion control and watershed stewardship and education.
Grant-funded work will take place within the Pisgah Ranger District of Pisgah National Forest, where TPC has focused its operations since its founding in 2015 and will be conducted in partnership with the USDA Forest Service.
This grant will more than double the size of TPC’s full-time field staff, creating jobs for community members who care deeply about public lands and who want to be part of Pisgah’s recovery.
In the initial weeks and months following the storm, TPC’s field staff worked alongside the USDA Forest Service and disaster response agencies. In the first two weeks alone, they dedicated more than 350 hours to clearing key roads in the Pisgah Ranger District before moving on to clearing and assessing trails.
This grant from the NFF will allow TPC to address more effectively the extensive recovery work that still lies ahead with a focus on long-term, sustainable improvements and the overall health of the forest.
