Research station aims to provide world’s best Fraser firs

Building a better Christmas tree

Research station aims to provide world’s best firs

BY BRANDON HERRING CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Like any other farmers, Christmas trees growers in Western North Carolina are always looking for ways to grow more and better product.

For decades now, researchers have been working on a not-so-secret weapon — improving Fraser fir genetics. Those improvements can bring more characteristics that Christmas tree buyers like and more characteristics that growers like too.

Thanks to those efforts with genetics, plans are in the works to create a Fraser fir seed bank at the Upper Mountain Research Station in southeastern Ashe County. It would be the nation’s only source of certified Fraser fir seeds — seeds that have been tightly controlled by sourcing only from “parents” and “grandparents” with the most desirable features for both consumers and growers.

TAKING CHRISTMAS TREES TO THE NEXT LEVEL

Teresa Lambert, the director of the Research Stations Division for the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, explained the hope is to create a source of seeds that’s so refined that Christmas tree growers can pick seeds with the characteristics they want most. For example, they could order seeds from the seed bank to grow trees that have the best needle retention or the best uniformity, a shorter growth cycle or a later “break-bud” time. Lambert envisions it being much like corn seed these days (or many other crops and plants for that matter). Corn growers have entire catalogues where they can pick from corn varieties that are resistant to certain diseases or that have a certain germination and growth schedule. She wants to see those types of options provided by the bank, which she’s tentatively calling the “Fraser Fir Center of Excellence.”

Much of the ongoing Fraser fir breeding program would be based at the center, and it’s safe to say it would provide seeds with the best Fraser fir genetics in the world.

“We want to be a turnkey Fraser fir operation from start to finish, which means we want to collect the pollen. We want to make the hand crosses. We want to collect the seed. We want to extract the seed. We want to grow the seed in our nursery. We want to put those seeds into field trials. We want to harvest those trees and do the post-harvest research,” Taylor said.

The station has secured a $383,685 grant from the N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission to kickstart construction of the seed bank building, and on Nov. 18 ground broke on the N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Christmas Tree Center of Excellence. In addition to housing a seed bank of the world’s most elite Fraser fir seeds, the building will hold a lab and office space to fully support N.C. State’s Fraser fir breeding program, the Whitehill Lab Christmas Tree Genetics Program.

The new building will help Christmas tree farming remain a viable agricultural business even as challenges remain or evolve. With less tobacco being grown, the center could help make Christmas trees a more profitable option for farmers.

IN THE WEEDS OF GETTING GOOD SEEDS

The effort to get the finest Fraser fir seeds possible began mostly with professor John Frampton of N.C. State University. He retired in 2019, but his work began many years ago. He set out to create a genetic “bloodline” of Fraser firs that would have the ultimate in characteristics such as uniformity, needle retention, disease or insect resistance or even faster growth rate. Because it takes several years to grow a Christmas tree, increasing the speed of “rotation” or “turnover” time could increase a grower’s income over several years.

“It’s hard to explain that — a career’s worth of work. He retired, and six or eight years from now we’ll start to see the benefits,” Taylor said. “It’s hard to wrap your mind around that and how long it takes.”

Taylor said Frampton went to all sorts of areas where Fraser firs grow naturally and got seeds from more than 28,000 trees, which meant he had a lot of genetic diversity from areas near and far. By the early 2000’s, he was growing those “offspring” into transplants and evaluating them in the nursery and in field trials across Western North Carolina. He then identified the best Christmas trees, ultimately picking only 305 (slightly more than 1%) to graft and plant in a clone bank field at the Upper Mountain Research Station in 2008. His testing for good traits continued by taking seed from those 305 premium trees in the orchard. From those seeds, he grew and tested more transplants and trees. By 2015, Frampton told Taylor that the research station should start a seed orchard because growers couldn’t easily find great Fraser fir seeds like what he was growing in his 305-tree plot. Few seed orchards existed for various reasons, so seed stock often came from the wild where each tree’s genetics were hit or miss.

An April workshop teaches tree growers how to use grafting to prevent root rot in

Fraser firs. NCDACS photo

North Carolina’s largest Fraser fir stands in the front lawn of the High Hampton Inn and

Country Club in Cashiers. NCDACS photo

CHANGING THE INDUSTRY

To create the new seed orchard, Frampton identified the best 25 trees in his 305-tree plot —roughly the best tenth of 1% of the original 28,000. He then took 45 clippings from each of those “best-of-the-best” 25 trees. Those clippings were then grafted and put in a plot in a different area, creating a seed orchard of 1,125 trees. Even the placement of those grafted trees got scientific with the help of mapping guidance from the Czech Republic, which has the most sophisticated seed orchard software available. Once the time comes, the seed cones will be clipped from the trees so their seeds can be harvested and planted in a nursery. Which tree the seed cones came from will be documented so the seed genetics and tree characteristics can be tracked.

“These trees, we know through our research they hold about 99% of their needles after they’re harvested,” Taylor said to provide an example of the benefit. “When you take a Christmas tree out of your house and you see all those needles on the floor, that’s the last impression a consumer has.” That’s an impression that could F

Efforts to renovate the Waynesville dog park are taking longer than expected due to complications from the weather and issues with mulch quality.

“We do understand the public wants their dog park as soon as possible,” reads a Facebook post from the Waynesville Parks and Recreation Department. “We are working quickly to provide a nice and upgraded facility for their canines. We do not have a date yet of when it will be reopened. We hope the weather will allow us to finish soon.”

The renovation started as a three-week project, but workers discovered “quite a bit” of trash in the new mulch after putting it in, forcing them to remove that mulch and find another source, according to the post.

While hauling the mulch out, constant rain has made the ground very muddy. Staff are waiting for the ground to dry so they can correct low sinking areas and ensure drainage is correct. After new, clean mulch is delivered and spread, the crew will again inspect drainage before installing fencing to separate the large and small dog parks.

Other upgrades will include fixing certain wooden benches, new signs and two dog water fountain bowls. The fountains will be installed in the spring.

Groundbreaking attendees gather at the Fraser fir seed orchard before the nearby groundbreaking on Nov. 18.

The Christmas tree seed orchard (lower right) on the Upper Mountain Research station will produce Fraser fir seeds with refined genetics.

be changed once commercial nurseries and growers start getting the seed stock for their operations from the station’s seed bank. Improvements like that have the potential to make Fraser firs even more desirable to consumers and make Christmas tree growing more profitable.

Taylor said he hopes the new seed orchard will have meaningful seed production in 2028. Those seeds would go to a nursery to grow seedlings for about two or three years. In 2030 or 2031, those seedlings will be ready to transplant. Once planted in a field, the Fraser firs will take about seven years to mature to traditional Christmas tree size. So in about 2037 or 2038, consumers could take home a Christmas tree that can be traced back to Frampton’s research that began more than 40 years earlier.

In the years between now and then, Taylor hopes to have success in fully identifying the male “parents” that pollinate the trees in the seed orchard. He knows they’re dealing with the best of the best, but being able to fully identify both “parent” trees means the seeds’ characteristics can be better known, and growers can get really specific about which seeds they want. The more specific information that can be shared about the seeds, the better growers will be able to make management decisions about their growing operations.

“There’s a lot at stake for the Christmas tree industry,” Taylor said. “I guess I feel the weight of that. John Frampton did his job through his career, and he left it with us. I realize what we have, and I don’t want to mess that up.”

Brandon Herring is a public information officer for the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. This piece first appeared on the department’s “In the Field” blog at blog.ncagr.gov.

Haywood Waterways Association recently recognized three water champions for their work to protect and improve Haywood County’s rivers, streams and reservoirs in 2022.

The Partner of the Year Award went to BearWaters Brewing, whose owners, Art O’Neil and Kevin Sandefur, have provided Haywood Waterways ample opportunities to collaborate with the community via workshops and a streambank restoration project at their Canton location, hosted numerous fundraising events and are major The Plunge sponsors and avid plungers themselves. Currently they are partnering with Haywood Waterways to do a stream bank restoration project in spring 2023 at their soon-to-open Hazelwood location.

The Richard T. Alexander Volunteer of the Year Award went to Steve Winchester, who has been volunteering since 2005 when he adopted a Volunteer Water Information Network site on Eaglesnest Creek. He still collects collecting water samples today. In 2010, Steve joined the Board of Directors, where he served until 2013. Since 2015, Steve has led hikes as part of Haywood Waterways’ Get to Know Your Watershed initiative. His band has performed at many of the nonprofit’s events, including The Plunge fundraiser, and he continues to serve on the Fundraising and Events Committee.

The Pigeon River Award is given to an individual or organization that makes signifi-

cant contributions to protecting land and water resources in Haywood County and went to the Town of Waynesville. The town’s staff and partners have provided opportunities for water quality projects, as well as providing labor and expertise to complete several stream improvements projects over the past few years. The town currently partners with

Partner of the Year winner Kevin Sandefur of BearWaters Brewery (from left) stands with Haywood Waterways Executive Director Preston Jacobsen and Pigeon River Award winner Mayor Gary Caldwell, representing the Town of

Waynesville. HWA photo Haywood Waterways on their Phase II Stormwater Management program, are The Plunge sponsors and avid plungers, has representation on Haywood Waterways’ Board of Directors, and continues to have a forwardthinking approach to water conservation and water quality protection. For more information, visit haywoodwaterways.org.

SNOW REPORT SNOW REPORT

11 Trails Open 3 Aerial Lifts 2 Surface Lift 32-46 Inch Base

A standing tradition of starting the New Year off with a hike will continue at N.C. State Parks from mountains to coast on Jan. 1, with parks in the western region also participating in the First Day Hikes. This year, the hikes usher in the beginning of 2023, which the N.C. General Assembly has named “Year of the Trail.” • Chimney Rock State Park. A 3.2-mile walk or bike ride up the park’s entrance road will begin next to the Old Rock Café at 8 a.m. The park superintendent will lead an informative discussion about the park’s history along a route that is typically restricted to vehicular traffic only. Participants will gain free entrance to the park that day. Shuttle transportation will be offered back down to Chimney Rock Village, and cyclists can bike down the steep road at a controlled speed. Helmets are required. 828.625.1823. • Gorges State Park. A casual hike from the Bearwallow Falls Picnic Area to the Bearwallow Overlook and then down to the Upper Bearwallow Falls observation deck will be held at 10 a.m. Be prepared with proper footwear and a water bottle for this half-mile hike. 828.966.9099.

All First Day hikes are listed at ncparks.gov/first-day-hikes.

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The last private property that Lands Creek crosses before entering the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Tuckasegee River is now conserved, thanks to Swain County residents George and Elizabeth Ellison.

The Ellisons have lived there since 1976, discovering the property by accident while hiking an old wagon trail in the National Park. The couple thought they were still on public property until they stumbled upon an old shack and eventually convinced the owner to first rent, then sell, the 38 acres adjacent to the National Park.

The couple credits the land as a muse for both of their personal careers. George, a renowned regional naturalist and author of seven award-winning books, and Elizabeth, a skilled artist and teacher, both draw inspiration from the property that has cultivated a sense of place in their respective works.

“Finding our personal sanctuary on Lands Creek was undoubtedly more important to our personal success than words can convey,” Elizabeth said. By permanently conserving the picturesque property, she and George hope to “pay back to the land what it has given to us.”

As they grew increasingly interested in permanently protecting the property, the Ellisons began discussing conservation easements with close friend Bill Gibson, and he suggested they speak with Mainspring.

“I knew George and Elizabeth loved the land,” said Gibson, who sits on the Mainspring board of directors.

Gibson was instrumental in the 1999 Mainspring-led project that conserved the headwaters of Lands Creek, so he was excited to facilitate a project that would bookend the 1999 project with this 2022 one.

“Conserving both ends of the creek is very meaningful,” he said.

Under the terms of the conservation easement, funded through a grant from the North Carolina Land and Water Fund, the private property will remain intact, keeping the house and outbuildings where the Ellisons live, garden and maintain their own hiking trails. The easement will help protect the viewshed for portions of the Smokies, the Nantahala National Forest, and portions of the Tuckasegee River.

Elizabeth and George Ellison sit outside their home at lower Lands

Creek. Mainspring photo

Wildlife Commission proposes rule changes

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission has announced its proposed regulation changes for the 2023-2024 season, with a slate of public hearings and a comment period next month taking input on the proposals.

Proposed changes include: • Reclassifying some streams from Wild Trout/Natural Bait Waters to Wild Trout Waters. These include Hurricane Creek in Haywood County, the game land portion of Scotsman Creek in Jackson County, the game land portion of Tellico Creek in Macon County and the game land portion of Turtle Pond Creek in Macon County. The main difference between the current and proposed classifications is that anglers are allowed to use natural bait on Wild Trout/Natural Bait waters. The natural bait exception is intended to diversify angler opportunity and experience, but the listed streams are rarely used by anglers fishing with natural bait. The Wildlife Commission says the Wild Trout/Natural Bait classification therefore unnecessarily adds complexity to Public Mountain Trout Waters regulations without enhancing the management of the resource. • Defining conibear and conibear-type trap, box trap, bodygrip and cage trap. The proposed regulation clarifies that a weather-resistant permanent tag must be attached on Collarum-type traps, snares, box traps and cage traps, as is required for foothold and body-gripping traps. The changes are intended to reduce regulatory complexity and confusion among trappers, with requiring identifying tags on traps to aid enforcement. The changes will not impact animal populations. • Changing the start date of the statewide regulated trapping season from Nov. 1 to Oct. 1. Expanding the season by one month is expected to increase opportunities for trappers and allow pelt to be harvested when it’s in prime conditions, often the case in October. The additional trapping is expected to be sustainable on the abundant species affected. • Requiring authorization from the Wildlife Commission to possess or transport an elk that is killed accidentally or found dead. Sampling dead elk is important for disease surveillance and population monitoring. Given the size of elk, the proximity to traffic and the possibility of elk having anesthesia drugs in their system, the Wildlife Commission says it is generally inappropriate for the public to retrieve or consume dead elk without contacting the agency. • Allowing landowners to remove raccoons, striped skunks, opossums and armadillos throughout the nesting season on Wild Quail Management Areas. Quail are a Species of Greatest Conservation Need, and removing nest predators helps increase their populations. Currently, landowners on Wild Quail Management Areas are only allowed to remove nest predators during the early portion of the nesting season, with no provision to remove armadillos at that time. • Defining terms through the rules for Wildlife Conservation Areas. Currently, rule language references terms that are defined only in Subchapter 10D, where they apply only to specific subsections. • Restricting the number of consecutive night stays in posted Wildlife Commission camping areas to 14 in a 30day period and requiring a game lands license for all campers 16 and older. The changes are intended to support the sites’ intended use as short-term camping for hunters, alleviating misuse or overuse. • Allowing disabled license holders and program permittees to use all-terrain wheelchairs, including track chairs, on game lands. • Clarifying that falconry is allowed on Sundays on six-day-a-week game lands, correcting a technical omission in the existing rules. • Allowing hunting on Labor Day, Veterans Day, Christmas, New Years and Martin Luther King Day on four days per week game lands and on three days per week game lands when these holidays do not fall on a Sunday, correcting a technical omission in the existing rules. • Adding the definition of “either-sex” to mean antlered or antlerless. Harvest is not regulated based on sex or gender, but on whether a deer is antlered. The current language is inconsistent with deer management terminology in the southeast. • Add “youth” to special permit hunt opportunities that may be designated by the Commission, clarifying the Commission’s ability to create hunt opportunities during closed days or closed season on specific game lands. • Clarifying when written permission is required to remove an item from game lands. The current rule does not define archeological resources and when they can be collected. The Department of Natural and Cultural Resources has regulations in place and the WRC rule needs to reflect that. This clearly lays out for law enforcement when they can charge someone for taking archaeological resources from game lands.

For the second year in a row, the closest in-person public hearing for Western North Carolina residents will be at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 17, in Marion. A virtual public hearing will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 19, with written comments accepted through Jan. 31.

For more information, including the proposed changes, a meeting schedule and information on comment submission, visit ncwildlife.org/proposed-regulations.

For the first time in two months, drought is gone from the mountains after an exceptionally rainy week soaked soils across the region.

The N.C. Drought Management Advisory Council map released Dec. 15 shows of abnormal dryness affecting Cherokee, Clay, Graham and Swain counties, but otherwise moisture is normal or above until reaching southeastern N.C. Currently, 29 counties are in moderate drought and 22 are abnormally dry.

Despite drought conditions clinging to the mountain region throughout November and much of October and December, the area saw a mild fall wildfire season. The only large blaze was the Hurricane Ridge Fire, which started burning Nov. 23 along Interstate 40 in the Pigeon River Gorge of Haywood County and was contained at just under 800 acres.

According to National Weather Service data, Bryson City got a whopping 4.29 inches of rain between Dec. 6 and 10. During the same period, Franklin got 2.81, Cullowhee 2.35 and Waynesville 1.39 inches.

Long turnaround times for nematode testing

North Carolina growers should expect routine nematode samples to take 15 weeks or longer to turn around this year, a delay caused by increased demand for testing and staffing shortages.

Samples submitted for diagnostic testing, including molecular diagnosis of guava rootknot nematode species, will be given priority. Those results should be available in around five working days. Currently, there are around 15,400 samples waiting analysis.

The Nematode Assay Lab can assay soil samples for the presence of at least 46 different plant-parasitic nematodes, which are microscopic threadlike worms that live in the soil. The results of a nematode assay help growers make important management control decisions for the upcoming crop season.

This highly detailed work requires up to a year of specialized training. Even with three experienced nematology technicians and a lab manager, the lab can process only about 200 samples per day, said Dr. Weimin Ye, nematologist for the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Sciences. Two new staff members are currently in training and five temporary employees have been hired to help prepare samples for analysis by trained staff. Samples received before Dec. 1 are expected to be complete at the end of March.

“Given the anticipated delays, growers should consider whether or not assay results will be ready in time to make management control decisions before submitting additional samples to the Nematode Assay Lab,” Ye said.

For updates on turnaround times, visit ncagr.gov/agronomi/pals/default.aspx. Growers with nematode-specific concerns or questions can contact Ye at 919.664.1600 or weimin.ye@ncagr.gov.