2024 was a year of challenges, opportunities, and growth.

Our litigation against the Southside Project successfully protected the Whitewater Special Interest Area. The Healthy Communities team helped secure new regulations protecting Madison County communities from large biomass facilities and crypto-mining operations. We removed the Shulls Mill Dam on the Watauga River, cleared an invasive plant that posed a serious threat to Lake Chatuge, and coordinated over $400,000 in septic repairs for homeowners who were financially unable to repair or maintain their systems, resulting in immediate water quality improvements.

Then Helene arrived and changed everything.

But MountainTrue didn’t flinch. When Helene devastated our region, our staff and volunteers were on the front lines providing much-needed food and water, participating in search and rescue operations, and using our Saluda office as the community supply hub, among other relief efforts. We tested more than 300 drinking wells, cleaned up over 100,000 pounds of debris, and coordinated the most thorough watershed-wide analysis of contaminants and sediments post-Helene. This work will evolve as our communities recover and rebuild.

Below is our impact report of what we were able to accomplish in 2024 and valuable information about our financial health. You can download a PDF here. 

As we move into 2025, we remain committed to protecting our rivers and forests, advocating for better housing and planning, and building more resilient communities. But we can’t do it without you. Your support makes this vital work possible!

Thank you,

Bob Wagner, Executive Director