Page 14 - Tree Line - North Carolina Forestry Association - Second Quarter 2020

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“With the practice of using forests on the estate in a manner that provides value both for the present and future, The Biltmore Company is continuing the legacy of sustainable forest management established over a century ago.”
1. A stand of timber on the Biltmore Estate that has been thinned recently.
2. Pictured is a timber harvest conducted on the Biltmore Estate in 2019.
3. A site that was formerly a log landing, but has been replanted as a food plot for wildlife. 4. In areas where wildlife has interfered with regeneration efforts, The Biltmore Company has installed cages, like the one pictured here around a white oak seedling, to promote seedling growth.
management. During the past decade, the prevalence of the hemlock wooly adelgid has been detrimental to forests
in western North Carolina. The Biltmore Company has been vigilant in promoting control of this insect pest; control methods have included chemical and biological management. In the past several years, Laricobius beetles have been released in areas of hemlock as predators to the hemlock wooly adelgid. This is proving to be the best long-term sustainable method for controlling the invasive pest. Invasive plant species like oriental bittersweet, Chinese silver grass and Japanese stiltgrass have been difficult to manage as well. Another big challenge has been wildlife damage to seedlings during post-harvest regeneration, particularly from deer and turkeys. Part of the strategy to ensure seedling survival in areas where wildlife interference has been an issue is the installation of cages to promote seedling growth.
Preserving Forestland for the Next Generation
Horn also discussed the impact and legacy of The Biltmore Company as a forest landowner in the western part of the state.
“The Biltmore Company has been a forest landowner since the late 1880s.
Descendants of George W. Vanderbilt still privately own and manage the property today,” he said. “The mission of The Biltmore Company is the preservation of the Biltmore Estate as a privately owned, profitable, working estate.”
The Biltmore Company’s work includes the brand promise of preserving the art of hospitality. Guests are invited to visit Biltmore Estate to enjoy the vast grounds, including the estate’s forest holdings. One of the largest impacts to the western North Carolina community, aside from the estate’s tourist attraction, is that The Biltmore Company employs 2,400 people in a variety of careers, from blacksmithing to all types of trade, food and beverage outlets, along with historical and agricultural pathways.
Providing demonstrations to guests of proper forest management is also part of the work on the estate. This includes the message of making sustainable use of forest resources for the present, and to allow future generations to enjoy the Biltmore Estate in years to come.
The Biltmore Company’s impact
as a forest landowner both in and outside of the western region also includes educational programs, research cooperation and timber industry
12 ncforestry.org / SECOND QUARTER 2020
PHOTOS 1-4 CONTRIBUTED BY MR. CURT HORN OF THE BILTMORE COMPANY