BANFF Tickets on Sale Now
BANFF Tickets on Sale Now
By Callie Moore, Southwestern Regional Director for MountainTrue
In 2025, the Cherokee County Board of Commissioners petitioned the federal government to consider selling off public land to developers. In 2026, two of those commissioners were voted out in a landslide. Hearing the will of their constituents, in September, a new commission unanimously passed a resolution to keep public lands in public hands, representing a huge win for local advocates supported by MountainTrue.
On April 21, 2025, with no public input, commissioners unanimously submitted a “Petition for Redress of Grievances” to the federal government asking for public lakefront land to be “made available for private and commercial development such as private homes and commercial development to enhance the property tax base of Cherokee County and to support revenue generation for the benefit of the citizens of the county.”
The “lakefront land” to which the petition refers is hundreds of acres of Nantahala National Forest surrounding Hiwassee Lake, including popular hunting areas and beloved recreation areas like Cherokee Lake, Hanging Dog, and Panther Top, among others.
“They are living systems that sustain wildlife, provide clean water, filter our air, and protect us from the impacts of climate change. Once we alter them through development, we can never fully restore what we have lost.” – Traci Kukendall, Bear Paw resident
Privatizing the national forest around Hiwassee Lake would be a devastating loss for the people of Cherokee County. As soon as the minutes from the April meeting were posted publicly, in June, residents of Cherokee County took to social media to express their opposition.
“To my friends in Cherokee County, NC, including deer hunters, bear hunters, coon hunters, fishermen, hikers, and anyone who enjoys our National Forest Land: In case you weren’t aware, our local commissioners signed a petition stating their desire to sell the National Forest land surrounding Lake Hiwassee,” wrote Unaka resident Jason Chambers. “It would be sold not to you and me, but to rich developers. We cannot let this happen. If the rich get a single inch of the land we all own, they will take a mile. Soon, it will only be the rich who will be able to hunt and fish because they will own all the land.”
Commission chambers were overflowing during the next commission meeting July 29 with frustrated residents.
“We are blessed in this county with natural beauty that is not only part of our heritage, but also the foundation of our future,” Traci Kuykendall, a resident of Bear Paw. told commissioners. “The lake and surrounding forests are not just scenic backgrounds; they are living systems that sustain wildlife, provide clean water, filter our air, and protect us from the impacts of climate change. Once we alter them through development, we can never fully restore what we have lost.”
A small group of residents began to organize in Fall 2025 with support from MountainTrue. The group generated and distributed a petition that ultimately included signatures from more than 4,400 verified county residents. The petition included three major requests.
Residents spoke up, and eventually commissioners listened. On January 20, 2026, all five voted unanimously to rescind the original petition. At a subsequent meeting, the county adopted a policy requiring a time for public comment between a first reading and adoption of any future resolutions, partially addressing the transparency issue residents were concerned about.
In March, two of the commissioners instrumental in drafting the original petition lost handily during the primary election and promptly resigned. The candidates of the same party who won the primary in those two districts were appointed to fill the remainder of their terms. But the organizers’ work wasn’t done.
The residents’ campaign continued to press for a resolution of support for public lands, including a peaceful rally on the courthouse steps on April 20th, one year after the original petition to privatize public lands was signed.
Finally, on September 16, 2026, after a period of public input, the new board of commissioners unanimously adopted a Resolution Expressing Support for the Conservation of Public Lands in Cherokee County.
“NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Cherokee County Board of Commissioners expresses its support for the responsible stewardship and conservation of public lands and natural resources within Cherokee County.”
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” – attributed to Margaret Mead by Donald Keys four years after her death.
Congratulations to Cherokee County for a win in conservation, transparency and democracy. If you’d like to see your county draft a similar resolution supporting public lands in the Southern Blue Ridge, MountainTrue can support that effort. Learn more at publiclands4all.org and reach out to Resilient Forests organizer Donovan Green at donovan@mountaintrue.org.
