Dear Friends and Supporters,

Every year in early December, my family goes to Sandy Hollar Farm to cut down our Christmas tree. The farm is classic Western North Carolina. We take the tractor ride to the top of the mountain where we hunt for the “perfect” tree. After some debate, we settle on one, and then my boys and I get to work with the dull saw chopping it down.  It’s a family tradition that I love.

As December ushers in some cold, snowy days, we know that because of Helene, more people than usual will find the holidays hard. And while much progress has been made, many homes, businesses, and communities remain wrecked from the storm.

At MountainTrue, we have pivoted our resources to address some of the biggest issues facing our region. We hired a River Cleanup Coordinator to ramp up our volunteer efforts around the most hard-hit river basins. We continue to test for pollution and toxins in our wells and rivers. Our Healthy Communities team is piloting a program pairing volunteer designers and planners with devastated communities to help them create a more climate-resilient build-back plan. Our Resilient Forests team continues to advocate for forest management practices that center climate impacts like Helene.

The people of WNC are resilient and hopeful. We will clean up, recover, and rebuild our rivers, forests, and communities one day, one family, one tree at a time – and will not rest until that work is done. Thank you for your support and for being MountainTrue!

Bob Wagner

Executive Director

Get Involved: Take Action

MountainTrue has three active action alerts: check them out below and sign on to make your voice heard. 

✅Help us remove debris from our rivers after Hurricane Helene

✅Protect the Nolichucky River: Urge CSX to rebuild responsibly without damaging public lands

✅Support an eviction moratorium & boost housing aid for Helene survivors

Clean Waters Team

Public Safety Announcements

⚠️ Read our Volunteer Safety Guidelines blog – always wear your PPE when participating in a cleanup or if you know you’ll come in contact with mud/sediment leftover from Helene. 

Well Water Testing Updates

💧The Watauga Riverkeeper continues to offer free well testing. If your well has been flooded or flood waters pooled around your well, then we recommend having your well tested for bacteria pollution. We’re asking that only wells that were flooded during Helene be tested. After testing, we can connect you with resources for next steps – or there may be no action required! Where to get a bacteria sampling kit through the end of December:

✔️Johnson County, TN: Tennessee/NC State Line Resource Center (11878 US-421, Trade, TN) from 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. on TUESDAYS, and 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. on SATURDAYS through December 28. State Line is in desperate need of volunteers, if you’re interested in volunteering at State Line Resource Center visit their website and/or sign up for volunteer shifts here.

✔️If you’re interested in getting your well or spring tested for E. coli bacteria, you can also email emma@mountaintrue.org or call 828-446-5086 for an appointment, supplies, and/or water quality info.

Soil and Water Pollution Testing Updates

🔬 The Watauga Riverkeeper team is continuing to collect surface water samples and testing for bacteria and chemicals. Levels of E. coli have generally been low or stabilizing to “normal” levels. We’re still waiting for the lab results of our most recent chemical sampling round, and appreciate our monthly volunteers that collect from 17 sites across the New, Elk, and Watauga rivers. We’re ramping up our monitoring and will be using sample results to track down septic, sewer leaks, and other water quality issues within our watershed jurisdiction. 

🔬 The French Broad Riverkeeper team will have another sampling blitz on Thursday, December 12. From 10:30 a.m. – 3 p.m., volunteers can help us track pollution sources around the Swannanoa River Watershed. Learn more + register. 

🔬 The French Broad Riverkeeper team received another round of water and sediment sample results back from the lab. Those results mostly tell a positive story: 

These include water and sediment samples from the Nolichucky River in Erwin + the Nolichucky downstream of Erwin; the Swannanoa River in Swannanoa and Biltmore Village; the French Broad River at Westfeldt Park, Woodfin, Marshall, and Hot Springs; Mud Creek downstream of Hendersonville; and the North Toe River downstream of Spruce Pine. 

We’ve analyzed these results, with the help of other water experts. We found a variety of pollutants, but are encouraged by our findings and the lower levels of those pollutants. We continue to find a host of metals in our samples, but for the most part, these metals are at fairly low levels (not above background levels) and aren’t very problematic to human health or the environment. We did find some pollutants with higher concerns around toxicity, such as Trichloroethylene (TCE), Pyrene, and Diesel Range Organics. 

TCE was found in the sediment at Charles D. Owen Park along the Swannanoa River in Swannanoa. TCE is volatile, meaning it readily evaporates into the air at room temperature, where people can sometimes smell it. It’s used as a solvent to remove grease from metal, spots from clothing, and as a paint stripper. It’s also an ingredient in paints, varnishes, adhesives, and it’s used to make other products like furniture and electric/electronic equipment. The results found in our sample were 7.19 ug/kg, which is much lower than most state regulatory limits. 

Pyrene was found at 286 ug/kg in our Woodfin sediment sample along the French Broad River. Pyrene is one of a group of chemicals called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). PAHs are a group of naturally occurring pollutants. Pyrene is a natural component of coal tar, crude oil, and fossil fuels. The health effects of brief exposures to pyrene are unknown. Longer-term animal studies show that pyrene can cause nephropathy (kidney disease) and decreased kidney weight. Based on the regulatory levels we studied, this level does not appear alarming. 

We also found Acetone in several of our samples, including a Nolichucky water sample taken downstream of Erwin, Swannanoa sediment samples at Charles D. Owen Park and Biltmore Village, and sediment samples from the French Broad in Marshall and Woodfin. Because of the low level of acetone found, we aren’t terribly concerned about the exposure this pollutant presents. 

Another test was run to look for the impact of fuel that was present in the flood waters. We had the lab run two tests to look for any remaining fuel in the water or sediment in the form of diesel range organics (DRO) and gasoline range organics. None of our samples showed gasoline range organics, but DRO was present in five samples. The samples that showed DRO were all sediment samples and included the following locations: the North Toe at Penland (5.7 mg/kg), French Broad River at Woodfin (37.4 mg/kg), French Broad River in Marshall (16.9 mg/kg), the Swannanoa River at Charles D. Owen Park (69.7 mg/kg) and Biltmore Village (74 mg/kg). According to an NC State Extension article about DRO in soil for gardening, these levels would be classified as low or moderate.  

River Cleanups Update

🗑️ MountainTrue’s French Broad, Green, and Watauga Riverkeepers will continue to host cleanups in the coming weeks; look for cleanup info + updates in these weekly emails and on our Instagram and Facebook accounts: MountainTrue Instagram, Facebook + Twitter, French Broad Riverkeeper Instagram + Facebook, Green Riverkeeper Instagram + Facebook, Watauga Riverkeeper Instagram + Facebook. 

🗑 Upcoming river cleanups: 

✔️ Buncombe County, NC:

🔹12/5, Asheville: 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.  Learn more + register.

🔹12/12, Alexander: 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Learn more + register.

✔️ Polk County, NC:

🔹12/14, Saluda: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. @ Lower Green; roadside cleanup. Learn more + register.

✔️ High Country, NC:

🔹12/14, Cove Creek: 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Learn more + register. (rain date is 12/21)

🔹Save the date: 1/25, Lansing: 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.

🗑️ The French Broad Riverkeeper team, with help from awesome volunteers, has hauled out almost 90,000 pounds of trash via cleanups in Transylvania County, Buncombe County’s River Parks, Asheville’s River Arts District, and Madison County’s public access points, along with all of our Paddle Trail campsites. These locations will expand as access is reopened and the scale is better known.

The need is so great that MountainTrue has hired a full-time River Cleanup Coordinator. We’re pleased to introduce Jon Stamper, formerly of Asheville Adventure Company (AAC), to lead this effort. Stamper’s story is familiar to many in our river community. AAC was devastated by the flood and almost everyone is out of work until the river can be restored to a safe and accessible condition. To get this rolling through the winter and onwards, Stamper will be leading three to four cleanups a week throughout the areas impacted most heavily by Hurricane Helene, including the French Broad, but also the Watauga, Nolichucky, Green, and Broad. Let Stamper know if you have a group that you would like to bring out for a work day by emailing cleanup@mountaintrue.org.

We’re also partnering with Blue Heron Whitewater to put 18 raft guides back to work cleaning up the French Broad in Madison County via generous funding from local donors.

While we’re still seeking large-scale state and federal funding to dramatically expand this work, we’re already doing quite a bit with the resources we currently have. If you would like to support this effort with funding or equipment, please email jack@mountaintrue.org. 

🗑️ The Watauga Riverkeeper continues to haul out massive amounts of trash from our riparian areas. Since Helene, we’ve removed over 27,000 pounds of trash with volunteers across nine+ river cleanups. Thank you to partners like The Speckled Trout Outfitters and Blue Ridge Conservancy for helping coordinate debris removal! And thank you to Deer Valley Athletic Club and Beech Mountain Ski Resort for supporting our cleanups and providing snacks and refreshments to volunteers. If you’re interested in sponsoring a future cleanup, please contact hannah@mountaintrue.org

Other River Updates: High Country

✔️ As the Watauga Riverkeeper team prepares for their winter livestaking season, they’re collecting information to determine viable planting areas in the watershed. Please fill out our Livestaking Bank Stabilization Survey.

✔️ The Watauga Riverkeeper is still collecting data on large debris too difficult to remove by hand (including but not limited to propane tanks, cars, fridges, bridges, etc); fill out the form here. We’ll be using this info to help SDR and FEMA crews prioritize areas for clean-up in the coming weeks and months. 

Healthy Communities Team

Temporary Housing Solutions Offered Across WNC

Whether you’re looking for short-term housing due to impacts from Helene or you have a home available to offer to families in need of housing, both the Asheville Buncombe Community Land Trust and the NC STR Alliance would like to work with you. They’ve both created programs to match those who need shelter with available homes. Learn about the ABCLT matching program here. Learn about the NC STR Alliance program here. Want to talk to someone directly about these programs? Contact Susan Bean at susan@mountaintrue.org.

Design Volunteers Needed!

MountainTrue is excited to announce the launch of a community-driven design program aimed at helping rebuild areas in Western North Carolina that were devastated by Hurricane Helene. Currently, our Recovery and Resilience Design Teams are focused on providing assistance to the Swannanoa and Marshall communities. Ultimately, we hope to provide the critical design services to communities throughout Western North Carolina.

To make this initiative a success, we need volunteers from a variety of design disciplines, including:

     ✔️Architects

     ✔️Engineers (structural and civil)

     ✔️Landscape Architects

     ✔️Environmental Consultants

     ✔️Land Planners

     ✔️Surveyors

     ✔️Soil Scientists

Many communities are still in rescue and recovery mode, and they may not yet fully understand their design needs. Banking design hours now is crucial for meeting future commitments to these communities.

If you’re a designer interested in volunteering and ready to pledge some hours, or if your community needs design assistance, please reach out to our Director of Healthy Communities, Chris Joyell, at chris@mountaintrue.org. Together, we can make a meaningful impact in the recovery process.

FEMA Application Deadline Extended to Jan. 7, 2025

To complete your application…

✔️ In-Person: Visit your local Disaster Recovery Center (DRC Locator: https://egateway.fema.gov/ESF6/DRCLocator)

✔️ Online: DisasterAssistance.gov available 24/7.

✔️ Phone: 800-621-3362, available daily 7:00am-11:00pm, multilingual.

Henderson County, NC, Affordable Housing Listening Sessions

Henderson County residents: check out the rescheduled listening session dates here.