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MountainTrue 2015 Year in Review

Our first official year as MountainTrue has been amazing and truly memorable, and we couldn’t have done it without you!

 

Help Support a Cleaner and Healthier WNC!

OUR YEAR IN REVIEW

CLEAN WATER

Coal Ash

  • You fought against unhealthy coal, and the calls of our 3-year Asheville Beyond Coal Campaign were finally answered in May when Duke Energy announced the retirement of the Asheville coal plant

Muddy Water Watch

  • We closed 35 illegal roads and repaired 5 miles of eroding roads that were polluting sensitive trout streams in Pisgah and Cherokee National Forests.
  • 45 of you volunteered over four days to install over 4,500 live stakes along 15 miles of the French Broad River.

French Broad Paddle Trail

  • The paddle trail and our corresponding paddle trail map continue to grow more popular each year, and increased signage and visibility makes it easier for users to enjoy the river!

Bacteria Monitoring

  • Your volunteer-supported bacteria monitoring program has doubled and is now monitoring 22 sites throughout four counties in the French Broad River watershed.

Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs)

  • Due to your water quality sampling work, three sites have received Notice of Violations from the state and are showing signs of improvements.

Mine Pollution

  • You successfully settled a lawsuit against the Quartz Corporation, which resulted in increased mitigation and additional water quality monitoring to ensure future runoff is reduced.

Hazardous Waste sites

  • Your commitment to clean water gave us the resources to wade through state files in order to rank the more than 70 inactive hazardous waste sites in the French Broad River watershed.

CIVIC ENGAGEMENT

Engaging and Empowering Citizens

  • You strengthened our presence and relationships in Raleigh through our new Raleigh Report and multiple legislative visits.

CTS Corporation Superfund Site

  • We helped secure a commitment from CTS to clean up a main source of the ongoing contamination at this South Asheville Superfund site.
  • We delivered more than 1,200 petition signatures and hundreds of signed postcards to CTS’s corporate headquarters in Indiana, as well as video postcards and letters.

Online Advocacy Opportunities

  • Over 10,000 of you generated letters to numerous public officials through our online advocacy campaigns.

Creation Care Alliance of Western North Carolina

  • This network is quickly growing and bringing together more people of faith to advocate for clean energy and the integrity, beauty and health of our shared environment.

PUBLIC LANDS

Invasive Exotic Plants:

  • We have achieved over 90% removal of exotic invasive species on the conservation easements where we work.
  • Hundreds of volunteers are participating in the invasive removal program on national forest lands and at Richmond Hill Park in Asheville.
  • MountainTrue’s Forest Keeper program continues to train volunteers to be the eyes and ears of the forest.

Forest Management & Planning:

  • Your many voices have enabled MountainTrue to play a principal role in the continued development of the U.S. Forest Service’s Management Plan for the Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests. Thousands of you are currently offering comments on the Wilderness aspects of this plan.
  • MountainTrue also plays a key role in the Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Partnership in the Grandfather Ranger District

LAND USE & TRANSPORTATION

I-26 Connector Project

  • Your voice enables us to maintain our role as the primary environmental and community voice pushing the North Carolina Department of Transportation to adopt a more responsible plan for the expansion of I-26 through Asheville that does less harm to our neighborhoods and businesses.

CLEAN ENERGY & SUSTAINABILITY

Henderson County Recycling Committee

  • More than 1,500 Christmas trees recycled and chipped-up and turned into mulch at our post-holiday recycling event at Jackson Park in Hendersonville. Additionally, two large bags of tree lights were donated to the 4H Project at the County COOP Extension office.
  • The committee spread the good word about composting to Hendersonville residents by hosting a Home Composting class with the County Coop Extension Service.

Asheville Beyond Coal

  • Your voices helped drive Duke’s decision to retire the Asheville coal plant.
  • Your work through the Carolina Land Coalition pushed Duke to develop a better plan for WNC’s energy future that includes a smaller natural gas plant, does not include new transmission lines, and creates new investments in the partnership with Asheville to reduce our energy use.

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” – Margaret Mead

Help Support a Cleaner and Healthier WNC!