ABOUT Hoke Community Forest

Hoke Community Forest’s (HCF) 510 acres contain hidden gems --- like a unique stand of Atlantic White Cedar trees, now considered a rare and High Conservation Value Forest (HCVF) type --- and special places like the diverse bottomland hardwoods that line the banks of  HCF’s main waterway, Rockfish Creek. The forest is certified under the globally recognized Forest Stewardship Council© standard and is annually audited and checked for ground-level proof of sustainable forest management.

HCF exists due to the earnest financial efforts of the Department of Defense, The Conservation Fund, The Nature Conservancy, International Paper, Hoke County, and the North Carolina Clean Water Management Trust Fund. The property is owned by Hoke County in the public interest under conservation easements which guarantee the long-term stewardship of its soil and water resources for perpetuity. 

HCF’s recent successes in kickstarting longleaf pine restoration are a direct result of the financial generosity of corporate, governmental, and NGO sponsors. Implementing cooperative forest restoration is hard and time-intensive work. Cooperative partnerships between Environmental, Social, and Economic stakeholders and supporters of the forest are the only way public projects of this type move forward. 

A steering committee, led by Jesse Wimberley of NC Sandhills Prescribed Burn Association (SPBA), works to implement HCF’s forest management plan. The plan was developed by the North Carolina Forest Service and is being put into action by Milliken Advisors with generous support from Enviva. Phase I of the plan included a harvest to reduce loblolly pine density in preparation for longleaf pine planting and restoration. Phase II, currently underway, includes planting high-quality native longleaf pine in key areas and instituting a regular schedule of prescribed burning. Prescribed burning is essential for the successful establishment, growth, and health of longleaf pine.

Kids, Families, and Volunteers Gather at Hoke Community Forest to Restore Longleaf Pine and Learn the Nuts and Bolts of Conservation.