Location: US 17 near Altman Ln., north of Jacksonville
County: Onslow
Original Date Cast: 1970
Hofmann Forest is located in the coastal region of North Carolina and is a major project of the Forestry School of North Carolina State University, encompassing nearly 80,000 contiguous acres. Dr. Julius V. Hofmann arrived in Raleigh to establish the program in 1929 after working in a similar project in Pennsylvania. Hofmann and the North Carolina Forestry Foundation purchased the property in Onslow County to serve as a field laboratory for forest studies. He chose the site since it reflected a wide mix of the features of eastern North Carolina geography. The forest is situated on what was historically referred to as the White Oak Pocosin. “Pocosin” is an Algonquin Indian word for "swamp on a hill" and aptly describes the character of this wetland forest.
Considered a pioneer in forestry sciences, Hofmann developed the forest to be self-sufficient in addition to offering its flora and fauna for study. Periodic timber sales and sales of hunting permits allowed the forest to be economically viable. He established an on-site laboratory and semester-long studies were held onsite. Dormitories, classrooms and a dining hall were constructed to serve the program. Early research concentrated almost exclusively on hydrology and the growth of pines. Many early publications and theses concern interrelationships among water table levels, artificial drainage, and tree height growth.
Since Hofmann’s pioneering work, the work of the NCSU Forestry School has expanded to include several other study forests. Hofmann Forest continues to support academic programs through graduate fellowships, basic and applied research, and outdoor-classroom instruction. Recent research has studied a wide range of topics including fire ecology, wildlife, seed quality of pond pine, survival and growth of the Atlantic white cedar, forest hydrology, biodiversity, tree spacing, cattle grazing, forest economics, and water quality.
The Hofmann Forest, which until 2013 belonged to the NCSU Endowment Fund, was, until 1986, managed under a long-term lease to a timber company, most recently Champion International. In 1986, Champion terminated its lease and responsibility and the Forest reverted to the North Carolina Forestry Foundation. The Hofmann Forest then was managed by the Foundation, through its Land Management Committee, with proceeds annually dedicated to support of the Forestry School. In October 2013 the NCSU Endowment Fund sold the forest to an Illinois-based agribusiness company for $150 million.
References:
North Carolina State University Forestry and Environmental Resources School website: https://cnr.ncsu.edu/fer/
North Carolina State University Pulp and Paper Advisory Board: https://cnr.ncsu.edu/giving/foundation/pulp-paper-advisory-board/
William D. Miller, The Hofmann Forest: A History of the North Carolina Forestry Foundation (1970)
J.V. Hofmann, “Classroom with Roots,” American Forests (1952)
"Hofmann Forest Sold for $150 M," News and Observer, October 30, 2013: http://www.newsobserver.com/2013/10/29/3322954/nc-state-university-sell…