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Hofmann Forest for Sale

Archive photo of Hofmann Forest, circa 1937.

Editor’s Note: The information on this page is outdated and no longer accurate. Get the most current information on the future of Hofmann Forest.

The board of directors of the Natural Resources Foundation has unanimously recommended that NC State sell the 80,000-acre Hofmann Forest, the largest forest in eastern North Carolina, to raise money to support programs in the College of Natural Resources.

CNR Dean Mary Watzin announced the decision in an email to alumni last week. The email was posted to the college’s website.

The forest is named for Julius Valentine Hofmann (1882-1965), the first person in the United States to earn a doctorate in forestry. In 1929 he was appointed head of the Department of Forestry at NC State, and then director of forestry in 1932. He helped to establish forest preserves in North Carolina, and after his retirement in 1948 continued to serve as manager of the North Carolina Forestry Foundation.