In the wake of Hurricane Helene, MountainTrue is dedicated to addressing the urgent needs of our community.
In the interest of ensuring that the next 15 year management plan for our national forests is one that reflects our interests and priorities, MountainTrue is hosting a series of events across WNC called “The Future of the Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests: An Expert Panel on the Forest Management Plan.” This event on March 22nd will take place in the Evelyn Johnson meeting room of the Watauga County Public Library in Boone, NC. It is free and open to the public and will feature panelists representing different forest interest groups, from recreational users to forest product industries to conservationists. Josh Kelly of MountainTrue, Julie White of the Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association (SORBA) Pisgah Chapter, Jim Sitts of Columbia Forest Products, Deirdre Perot of Back Country Horsemen of America and the NC Horse Council, and Curtis Smalling of the NC Audubon Society will serve on this panel moderated by Jack Igleman, a journalist and Professor of Economics at Blue Ridge Community College.
The panelists will engage in constructive dialogue about working toward the common goal of a win-win forest management plan that balances the differing priorities of different user groups, followed by a Q&A with the audience. We hope you will come out and share this invitation with your friends and neighbors!