Background graphic photo credit: Will Harlan w/ Center for Biological Diversity

We are happy to share a significant victory in our ongoing efforts to protect the Pisgah and Nantahala National Forests and their precious ecosystems. Thanks to your steadfast support and our collective advocacy efforts, the U.S. Forest Service has agreed to abandon plans to log a sensitive area near the Whitewater River as part of the controversial Southside timber project.

This victory follows months of determined action culminating in a lawsuit filed by the Southern Environmental Law Center on behalf of a coalition of conservation groups, including MountainTrue, Center for Biological Diversity, Chattooga Conservancy, Defenders of Wildlife, and Sierra Club. 

We challenged the agency’s plans to log a designated “exceptional ecological community”  as inconsistent with the “new” Forest Plan, given that it is located in a Plan-designated Special Interest Area that restricts logging. The logging was also within the corridor of the Wild and Scenic eligible Whitewater River. The area proposed for logging sits above stunning waterfalls, boasts towering trees, and shelters rare plants in a unique, wet microclimate. Nevertheless, the agency proposed to move forward with logging this area anyway. The lawsuit would not have prevented the agency from implementing other parts of the Southside project. 

The Forest Service has now agreed to withdraw this area completely from the Southside Project.

This is a significant victory that preserves a critical habitat within Nantahala National Forest and helps ensure that federal laws protecting our natural heritage are upheld. 

Our work is far from over. MountainTrue remains dedicated to safeguarding the Pisgah and Nantahala National Forests and advocating for responsible forest management practices that support sustainable timbering while protecting wildlife and sensitive habitats.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to each of you who support our advocacy efforts through donations, calls to action, and spreading awareness. Your commitment to preserving our forests and protecting biodiversity is truly inspiring. Join us in celebrating this victory, and the fight continues.