Helicopters Drop 20,000 Pounds of Native Seeds

Officials are reseeding more than 900 acres of Pisgah National Forest damaged by Hurricane Helene's landslides.

Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Natural Disasters

Helicopter releasing a cloud of seed over a steep, bare hillside scarred by landslides in a green Appalachian forest. — Helicopters dropped more than 20,000 pounds of native seeds over 900 acres of Pisgah National Forest to restore land stripped by Hurricane Helene's landslides. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Environmental officials dropped more than 20,000 pounds of native seeds across Pisgah National Forest to help restore areas damaged by Hurricane Helene. The seeding covers more than 900 acres where landslides left the ground stripped and bare.

Why it matters

Hurricane Helene caused more than 2,000 landslides across Western North Carolina, leaving bare ground vulnerable to erosion and invasive species such as kudzu and knotweed. Restoring native vegetation is intended to stabilize soil and support a healthy, diverse ecosystem in the region.

Helicopters dropped native grasses, wildflowers, trees, and shrubs across more than 900 acres of Pisgah National Forest. Two custom seed mixes were designed, one for landslide areas and one for river and stream banks, though the source does not report survival rates.

The players

U.S. Forest Service

The U.S. Forest Service is the federal agency that manages the national forests, including Pisgah National Forest in North Carolina.

The National Forest Foundation

The National Forest Foundation is the nonprofit partner of the U.S. Forest Service that funds conservation and restoration projects on national forest lands.

The details

Biologists designed two custom seed mixes, one for landslide areas and one for river and stream banks, and helicopters dropped them across the forest. The U.S. Forest Service partnered with The National Forest Foundation on the effort, which is part of Hurricane Helene recovery work.

Hurricane Helene struck Western North Carolina in 2024, causing widespread landslides.
The seeding operation was reported as ongoing recovery work on November 5, 2026.

Seasonal Patterns

The reseeding follows Hurricane Helene's 2024 landslides, which left more than 2,000 slopes across Western North Carolina stripped and vulnerable to erosion. Restoring native cover on these bare slopes is a recovery step taken after the storm's unprecedented changes to the landscape.

Visitors to Pisgah National Forest should expect the seeded areas to be restricted while the new plantings establish, and should check with the U.S. Forest Service before visiting landslide-affected sites. Residents of Western North Carolina dealing with erosion on their own property can seek guidance from local forestry or conservation offices.

The takeaway

Native seeds can help bare, storm-damaged slopes hold soil and resist invasive plants like kudzu and knotweed over time. Their effect will depend on how well they sprout and spread across the affected land.