The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency conducted an administrative review of the Hofmann Forest operations and it has settled an agreement with the NC State Natural Resources Foundation and the Board of Trustees of the Endowment Fund of NC State. 

The Foundation manages the forest operations at Hofmann Forest, and as part of the settlement they will plug ditches to restore the natural water flow on 120 acres of the 79,000-acre forest. The Foundation will also update and enhance the water management plan for the forest to make sure everything is in compliance with the Clean Water Act. 

On those 120 acres, forest managers have already began to plug 10 ditches which will allow natural water flow to restore wetlands. Also with the settlement, machinery cannot be used to plant trees in the wetlands. However, trees can still be harvested and planted. The ditches are expected to be completed within the next six months. 

The updated water management plan will install a series of additional water control structures and ditch plugs across the Hofmann Forest, which will improve water management practices already in place. The goal of this enhanced plan is to keep the forest as wet as possible except when harvesting, thinning and planting operations require lower water levels.