Longleaf Legacy-- Part 2: Country's Naval Stores Leader in the 1800s

Throughout the 1800s, North Carolina accounted for up to 96 percent of the nation's "naval stores."    And, that was not to mention the lumber used to build ships and factories.

But, because of overharvesting and changes in the ecosystem, that is mostly gone now.  The area covered by longleaf pines shrank from 90 million acres in the southeast to less than 2 million by 2000.

Of this, perhaps 500 acres in North Carolina is still considered virgin.

--Cooter