Celebrate #GivingTuesday by Giving the Gift of MountainTrue

Today is the day! #GivingTuesday is the largest single giving day of the holiday season for nonprofits. Be a part of it! Join the movement and give the gift of resilient forests, clean water and health communities.

Whether you are one of those people who completed your entire holiday shopping over the Thanksgiving weekend and are looking for just one more cherry-on-the-top gifts for a special someone, or you haven’t begun to think about gifts but know it’s going to happen somehow over the next four weeks — MountainTrue can help!

You can give the gift of a MountainTrue membership.

Maybe it’s for a coworker, friend, neighbor, or family member.

Or maybe it’s for you. Now is the time to step up yourself and not just follow MountainTrue and our efforts, but to jump in and become a member.

Members increase MountainTrue’s ability to respond to critical threats to our rivers, mountains and communities and keep WNC a beautiful place to live, work and play. MountainTrue members also have the opportunity to hike with experts, volunteer to monitor streams and remove invasives from our forests, and maintain our amazing Paddle Trail along the French Broad River.

Have fun with us, learn more about the incredible natural treasures of our region, AND BE A PART OF A MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN OUR COMMUNITY — give the gift of MountainTrue today!

The day after The Day

If you are like the rest of us here at MountainTrue, you woke up this morning with serious questions about the future – both in Western North Carolina and across the country and the world.

There’s plenty to be concerned about.

For starters, at a time when the natural world – and the scientific literature – is signaling a dangerous acceleration of climate change’s impact, our next president will be a pro-“clean coal” climate-science skeptic who doesn’t have an “Environment” section in his election platform and whose energy policy is, essentially, “Drill, Baby Drill.”

President Obama’s most important domestic climate change policy – the Clean Power Plan (CPP) and its limits on coal-fired power plants – is in serious jeopardy. Regardless of how the Supreme Court settles the upcoming CPP case, Trump’s EPA Administrator has the authority to shut down the program altogether. That is a path he or she will likely undertake, either at President Trump’s direction or by law passed by the Republican-controlled Congress.

U.S. compliance with the world’s agreements on climate is also in question, let alone any new initiatives or American leadership on the issue. And then there are President Trump’s Supreme Court nominees, who could usher in a generation of court decisions hostile to environmental regulation.

What’s to be done? We won’t pretend to have any simple answers, but the election results suggest that we will be playing defense for years to come.

We do know, however, that millions of people in this country – and thousands in our communities here in WNC – continue to believe that building a safe, prosperous future for our kids and our grandkids requires that we preserve and protect the natural resources we depend on. We are even more deeply committed to that work and hope that you will join us in our efforts.

The NC Governor’s Race

If there is a bright spot about Election Day, it has to be the apparent defeat of Governor Pat McCrory. Assuming Roy Cooper’s win is confirmed byrecount, his victory in a state that also supported Trump is a measure of just how wildly – and widely – unpopular McCrory has become. Many will view – correctly – Cooper’s victory as a referendum on HB2, and McCrory’s handling of the law. But our new Governor would be well-advised to recall that his predecessor’s handling of the state’s coal ash crisis, his appointment of ideologues to head important environmental agencies and his minions’ willingness to play politics with the safety of North Carolinians’ drinking water all played a part in the McCrory defeat. North Carolina voters want their government to protect the air we breathe and the water we drink. Politicians ignore that basic political reality at their own risk.

Governor Cooper will have his hands full meeting those goals. Both the state House and Senate return with veto-proof majorities, giving the Governor-elect very little leverage to shape or stop anti-environment legislation.

New Faces in Western North Carolina

Western North Carolina will have a number of new representatives in the General Assembly next year. Deanna Ballard was elected to represent Senate District 45, which was held by Senator Dan Soucek until he resigned in April. This district covers Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Caldwell and Watauga counties. MountainTrue members have had two productive meetings with Sen. Ballard, and we have found her to be open to our concerns and respectful of our positions. We look forward to continuing to work with her.

Chuck Edwards was elected to represent Senate District 48, which includes southern Buncombe, Henderson and Transylvania counties. This seat was previously held by Senator Tom Apodaca. Edwards had a very friendly meeting with a group of MountainTrue members during the summer. He told us that he sees no conflict in being a Republican and caring about the environment. He pledged to be a legislator with the same approach to environmental policy as Rep. Chuck McGrady.

Kevin Corbin and Cody Henson were also elected to represent our area in the House of Representatives. Corbin will represent House District 120, which includes Cherokee, Clay, Graham and Macon counties, while Henson will cover District 113, including Henderson, Polk and Transylvania counties. MountainTrue members have already met with both Corbin and Henson, and we will continue to build these relationships and educate them about environmental concerns and opportunities.

Among the WNC legislative races involving incumbents, Democratic Rep. John Ager defeated his GOP opponent, Frank Moretz, to return to the legislature for a second term. Two-term GOP incumbent Rep. Michele Presnell held off a tough challenge from Democrat Rhonda Schandevel and GOP Senator Jim Davis will return to the legislature for a fourth term after defeating challenger Democrat Jane Hipps.

Of course, a whole host of WNC legislators has been re-elected to serve in Raleigh. These include Republican representatives Josh Dobson, Chuck McGrady, and GOP Senator Ralph Hise. Among WNC Democrats, Reps. Brian Turner and Susan Fisher return to the General Assembly, along with Senator Terry Van Duyn.

At the time of this writing, Republican challenger Mike Clampitt of Bryson City apparently unseated Democratic Rep. Joe Sam Queen –who represents Jackson, Haywood and Swain counties. Look for Queen to request a recount on the race, which Clampitt won by a few hundred votes.

What’s Next?

With the election now passed, attention in Raleigh will turn to preparations for a special session on Hurricane Matthew recovery – probably next month – and the 2017 session, which begins January 11.

Here at MountainTrue, we are preparing for both sessions – look for another update soon about our plans for the General Assembly and how you can help ensure our elected officials do the right thing by our mountain communities.

Sign Up for the MountainTrue Raleigh Report

Interested in getting the latest inside info about the NC legislature and the WNC delegation, as well as legislative alerts and updates about WNC issues? Click here to subscribe.

Most of the information in these alerts will NOT be available in other MountainTrue publications, so if you’re a WNC political junkie or policy wonk, these emails are for you.

2016 MoutainTrue Awards Recipients Announced

MoutainTrue Awards Recipients Announced

From left to right: Jack Dalton of Hot Springs Mountain Club, which was named Partner of the Year; Jane Laping, one of our Volunteers of the Year; Brownie Newman, Elected Official of the Year; Neill Yelverton, Leesa Sluder, Peter Krull, Kerry Keihn and Catherine Campbell of Krull & Company–named Green Business of the Year; Doreen Blue, our other Volunteer of the Year; and Will Harlan, recipient of The Esther Cunningham Award. Download high resolution image.

Asheville, NC — MountainTrue announced the winners of the MountainTrue Awards, which were at the organization’s Fall Gathering held at New Belgium Brewing Company in Asheville on October 26. Award honorees are recognized for their hard work and dedication to protecting our forests, mountains, rivers and streams, and to promoting clean energy and sustainability. The 2016 MountainTrue Award winners are:

The Esther Cunningham Award | Honoree: Will Harlan of Barnardsville
MountainTrue presents this award in the name of Esther Cunningham, a Macon County resident whose concern for the environment prompted her to found the Western North Carolina Alliance (now part of MountainTrue). The award is presented to a MountainTrue member who has demonstrated outstanding community service in conserving our natural resources.

Will Harlan is an award-winning writer and editor-in-chief of Blue Ridge Outdoors magazine and an elite, long distance runner uses his talents to bring attention to environmental issues. Each year, Will travels to the Copper Canyon of Mexico to work alongside the indigenous Tarahumara farmers to establish seed banks, goat herds and clean water projects. Here in WNC, he’s been a committed advocate for the conservation of public lands and wild places. Will has long advocated for the protection of the Big Ivy section of Pisgah National Forest, and was instrumental in getting a pro-Wilderness resolution adopted by unanimous vote by the Buncombe County Commissioners asking Congress to designate expanded wilderness for the Big Ivy and Craggy Mountain areas. Will also played an active role in promoting the win-win MOU put forth by a coalition of wilderness advocates, conservationist and recreation groups that supports more trails and more public access, and also protects more backcountry and more wild places.

Green Business Award | Honoree: Krull & Company – Socially Responsible Financial Services
MountainTrue presents the Green Business Award to a local Western North Carolina business that has exhibited leadership in implementing green practices, getting other businesses to make their operations more sustainable or engaging in environmental advocacy.

Krull & Company is a certified B Corporation supporting the environment through the investments they make for their clients. From alternative energy to energy efficiency, water, natural and organic food and products and technology, Krull and Company focuses on positive, next economy companies, and exclude fossil fuels and other environmental offenders from their client portfolios. Krull & Company ensures their clients money is invested in a way that honors environmental values, and use the power of shareholder advocacy to drive corporate change from the inside.

Volunteers of the Year Award | Jane Laping of Asheville and Doreen Blue of Hendersonville
MountainTrue presents the Volunteer of the Year Award to an individual(s) who has demonstrated consistent commitment by volunteering time at events, on program work, or through other MountainTrue activities. This year, we gave out two awards to some very deserving recipients.

Doreen Blue moved to Hendersonville from Rhode Island in 2005 and immediately got involved with ECO, one of the three organizations that merged to form MountainTrue. She started by joining our hikes, then took the training for the SMIE program to do macroinvertebrate biomonitoring in local streams. She now helps coordinate that program as part of our Clean Water Team. Doreen also takes monthly water quality samples for our VWIN program to help on zero in sources of water pollution. She has worked on Henderson County Big Sweep and Earth Day celebrations, been a member of the Recycling Team for the last 5 years, and organizes MountainTrue’s annual community-wide Christmas tree recycling program in Hendersonville. Doreen is a master seamstress, and has made the costumes for our mascots, the Bag Monster and Mr. Can, to promote MountainTrue’s recycling programs in local parades and for educational events.

Jane Laping is one of the founders and a current steering team member of the Creation Care Alliance of Western North Carolina, and as such she empowers faith communities to be advocates for the environment. Jane leads hikes, travels to Raleigh to talk with policy makers, writes grants, testifies at public hearings and plants gardens. She is an active member of First Presbyterian Church where she has helped lead conversations about the Pope’s Encyclical on the Environment, Fossil Fuel Divestment and solar powered electric car chargers for the church parking lot.

Partner of the Year Award | Hot Springs Mountain Club
MountainTrue presents the Partner of the Year Award to an organization that has been a staunch partner with MountainTrue on key campaigns and programs throughout the past year.

Hot Springs Mountain Club have done a lot for the community over the years, including creating the Betty Place Loop and starting the Bluff Mountain Music Festival. Last year, the club created the new 3.5 mile Bluff Mountain Loop trail. This past year the Hot Springs Mountain Club and MountainTrue partnered on a two-day Bluff Mountain Bio-Blitz to document the incredible diversity of flora and fauna on Bluff. Over 50 people, including 7 college professors participated. It was a great time and over 400 species were identified – including a lichen that had never been seen south of Canada. The Hot Springs Mountain club acted as guides, hosts, and facilitators for the event. Because of the efforts of these local citizens, there is hope that Bluff will be treated as a special place in the new Forest Plan for Pisgah National Forest. Accepting on behalf of the club was Jack Dalton.

WNC Elected Official of the Year | Brownie Newman
MountainTrue presents this award to a city, county, state or federal elected official for either a specific conservation action of singular importance or for a strong and consistent commitment to conservation over time.

Brownie Newman has a distinguished career as an elected official in Asheville and Buncombe County and has worked tirelessly on behalf of the environment. He currently serves on the Buncombe County Commission where he led the county to adopt and begin implementation of a carbon reduction plan, led efforts to protect hemlock trees on county-owned land from the HWA, and now represents the County as co-chair of the Energy Innovation Task Force, which is aimed at reducing electricity usage in Asheville and Buncombe County

Prior to his service on the County Commission, Brownie Newman served two terms on Asheville City Council where he led a number of environmental and sustainability initiatives, including the adoption by the City of a carbon reduction/sustainability plan that continues to drive improvements every year.

About MountainTrue:
MountainTrue is Western North Carolina’s premier advocate for environmental stewardship. We are committed to keeping our mountain region a beautiful place to live, work and play. Our members protect our forests, clean up our rivers, plan vibrant and livable communities, and advocate for a sound and sustainable future for all residents of WNC.

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Tell DEQ to Stop Duke’s Water Pollution at Cliffside

Action Expired

For years the coal ash dumps at Cliffside have contaminated groundwater and waterways with toxic heavy metals and constituents like arsenic, chromium, cadmium and others, threatening nearby residents and who overwhelmingly spoke out demanding a full clean up of the site in March of this year.

Instead of responding to locals’ call with definitive action and requiring Duke to stop toxic discharges to public waters, DEQ has fallen short of its duty…again. The draft wastewater permit converts existing streams into Duke’s own wastewater channels, papers over illegal discharges by attempting to permit them, fails to define limits for how much toxic heavy metals can flow into the Broad River, purports to waive water quality standards in a 12-mile mixing zone for some discharges and misses other opportunities to require Duke to clean up their mess.

This is unacceptable. Our state should protect people, not polluters, and MountainTrue is encouraging all community members to speak out against DEQ’s proposed permit. Attend the public hearing on November 10 and submit your written comments online telling DEQ to withdraw the proposed permit and amend it to adequately protect water quality in the Broad River. Please don’t forget to share with your friends and family.

Take Action! Tell the State to clean up Duke Energy’s coal ash pollution at Cliffside by November 10!

The Department of Environmental Quality wants to give Duke Energy a free pass to pollute groundwater and the Broad River. Tell DEQ to fix the draft wastewater permit for this site and demand real remedies, not papering over the problem.

Election Day is November 8; Find Your Polling Place

Early Voting Has Started; Find Your Polling Place

Election Day is a little more than two weeks away, and early voting started on October 20th! The presidential race has gotten most of the attention, but North Carolina voters will be faced with a crowded ballot at the polls.

At the federal level, we’ll be choosing who represents us in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. In Raleigh, Governor and Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Auditor, Secretary of State, Superintendent of Public Instruction, Treasurer, various commissioners and members of the General Assembly, Supreme Court and Court of Appeals will all be up for reelection. And as if that wasn’t enough, you’ll also have the opportunity to vote for your County Commissioners and several local offices.

To help you make heads or tails of who’s running, what they stand for, and where to vote, here is a list of resources:

2016 NC Voter Guide – sponsored by Common Cause. You can see the candidates that will appear on your personalized ballot and there are useful links to find your early voting sites and election day polling place.

WNC Vote Tracker – a partnership project of Children First, Just Economics, MountainTrue, Pisgah Legal Services and Women for Women, A Giving Circle, this site provides information on important legislation passed in the 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016 on Economic Security, Education, Environment, Health & Safety, Government & Democracy, and Women’s Issues.

AVL Bonds Yes – Asheville residents will be voting on a package of three bonds that would generate $74 million in revenue for parks and recreation, affordable housing, and transportation network projects.

MountainTrue Volunteers Help Clean-up Section of Wash Creek

On Tuesday October 11, MountainTrue partnered with the Hendersonville Department of Public Works to clear a significant amount of garbage and debris from the section of Wash Creek behind Beacon Commons in Hendersonville.

On the scene getting their hands dirty and helping coordinate the efforts were MountainTrue Water Quality Administrator Jack Henderson and Volunteer Coordinator for Wash Creek Rick Burt.

“We’re always happy to work with residents who are ready and willing to get their hands dirty cleaning up their neighborhood rivers and streams.” says Jack Henderson, MountainTrue Water Quality Administrator. “It’s common to find a few bag loads of bottles and cans, but when you start finding construction materials and furniture, the evidence points to something more nefarious. We encourage residents to call the authorities if you see someone dumping trash.”

With the help of Beacon Commons residents Joy Richardson, Roger Richardson, Gary Graham, Susan Genevish, Bill Mittelmaier and Ken Genevish and a truck and cable, provided by Joshua Hoard of the City of Hendersonville, we were able to remove a water-logged mattress, box spring, a large metal canister, rolls of cable wire, aluminum siding, a metal pole sunk in concrete, a volley ball, several large pieces of metal and 11 bags of cans, bottles, broken glass, old clothing and other trash from the river.

After the trash was collected, they took the time to remove some invasive plant species that were choking our native creekside trees. MountainTrue also has a non-native invasive species program. Residents interested in getting involved in our water quality programs or invasive species removal programs should visit mountaintrue.org.

Mavis Staples to Perform in Asheville at Benefit for MountainTrue

November 13 with Lyric at the Orange Peel
Funds help protect and improve the French Broad River

Asheville, N.C. — MountainTrue, Prestige Subaru and the Matt & Molly Team present Mavis Staples live in Asheville, a benefit for the French Broad Riverkeeper. The concert takes place at The Orange Peel on November 13. Tickets are on sale now at The Orange Peels box office and on their website, theorangepeel.net.

Proceeds from the concert support the work of the French Broad Riverkeeper, a program of MountainTrue and the primary protector and defender of the French Broad River watershed. Asheville-based artist Lyric will perform with her band as the opening act and will also perform a special acoustic set at a VIP event at PULP (The Orange Peel’s lower level private club) before the show.

What: MountainTrue, Prestige Subaru and the Matt & Molly Team present Mavis Staples with Lyric at The Orange Peel, a benefit concert for the French Broad River.

Where: The Orange Peel, 101 Biltmore Ave., Asheville, NC 28801

When: November 13, 2016, doors open at 7 p.m. VIP Event from 5 to 7 p.m.

Cost: $35, $55 VIP without seats, $65 VIP with reserved seats. Tickets on sale at The Orange Peels box office and on their website, theorangepeel.net.

MEDIA KIT: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/iu9v5bczf8bowh4/AAC-ChGtd1vKlwTZT865E5lea?dl=0

The concert is presented by MountainTrue, Prestige Subaru and the Matt & Molly Team/Keller Williams Realty, and generously sponsored by 98.1 The River, Davis & Whitlock Environmental Law, Mountain Xpress, French Broad Outfitters, The Orange Peel, Rob Lamme & Associates Government Relations and Policy Planning, and Symmetry Financial Group.

Mavis Staples is living, breathing history. She is an alchemist of American music, having continuously crossed genre lines like no musician since Ray Charles. Weaving herself into the very fabric of gospel, soul, folk, pop, R&B, blues, rock, and hip hop over the last 60 years, this iconic singer has seen and sung through so many changes, always rising up to meet every road.

Now in her seventh decade, with the release of her new album Livin’ on a High Note (ANTI-), she is only gaining momentum. Produced by M. Ward with songs by Neko Case, Justin Vernon, Nick Cave, Ben Harper, Tune-Yards, Aloe Blacc and others, the album serves as a summation and furtherance of her illustrious career.

Since her first recording at age 13 in 1954, Mavis Staples has learned from, worked with, and schooled countless legends, and has brought her own timeless talent to every performance. From the Delta-inflected gospel sound she helped create in the 1950s with her father, Pops, and her brother and sisters as The Staple Singers, to the freedom songs of the Civil Rights era, to pop radio stardom during the Stax era with hits “I’ll Take You There” and “Respect Yourself,” to The Last Waltz, to serving as muse to both Bob Dylan and Prince at the peak of their careers, to 21st century collaborations with Van Morrison, Billy Preston, Zac Brown, Ry Cooder, Chuck D. and Willie Nelson, to her GRAMMY®-winning partnership with fellow Chicagoan Jeff Tweedy, the one constant has been Mavis and her singular voice. She has embraced her evolution, absorbing new sounds and ideas, rising to meet the challenges of longevity and bringing her message of hope and positivity to new listeners, song after song, show after show.

About Lyric
With an enlightened mixture of pop, soul, funk and bowties, Lyric awakens an undiscovered spirit within their audience. Lyric; lead singer, guitarist, and lyricist plays a funky rhythm guitar with sizzling leads accompanied by her soul gripping lead vocals. Her father, Dave Matthews, has roots in 70’s funk style slap bass and holds down the foundation with a playful flare on funk. Mike Berlin locks down the beat on drums, with influences from his hometown of South Baton Rouge, New Orleans.

About MountainTrue
All proceeds from the show will go to Mountrue’s work to protect the French Broad River. MountainTrue fosters and empowers communities throughout the region and engages in policy and project advocacy, outreach and education, and on the ground projects. To achieve our goals, MountainTrue focuses on a core set of issues across 23 counties of Western North Carolina: sensible land use, restoring public forests, protecting water quality and promoting clean energy – all of which have a high impact on the environmental health and long-term prosperity of our residents. MountainTrue is the home of the Watauga Riverkeeper, the primary watchdog and spokesperson for the Elk and Watauga Rivers; the French Broad Riverkeeper, the primary protector and defender of the French Broad River watershed; and Broad River Alliance, a Waterkeeper Affiliate working to promote fishable, swimmable, drinkable waters in the Broad River Basin. For more information: mountaintrue.org

Villains Invade the Non-native Invasives at Richmond Hill Park!

By Bob Gale

It’s not often that our office gets inquiries from villains — especially bearded villains! Well okay, actually we’ve never gotten such an inquiry. At least, not until this summer.

In my position as Ecologist & Public Lands Director, I’m accustomed to high school, college, and even business groups contacting us to volunteer for any service projects we might have in restoring the areas of the natural environment. But in July, one J.J. Holt called and offered help from his group of folks scattered across North Carolina who call themselves the “Bearded Villains.”

“We all have beards,” JJ said. “And our mission is to offer our services to any organization needing help with physical labor on outdoor projects.”

I offered him one of our non-native invasive plant work days at Asheville’s Richmond Hill Park forest, not quite knowing who these people were or what to expect from them. It didn’t take long to find out.

They showed up promptly on a Saturday in August. Remarkably, some of these volunteers came from three and four hours away to perform our half day’s volunteer work in the Park. We were in the middle of an unusually hot and humid stretch of weather with temperatures in the low 90’s that had plagued the area during the summer. The Villains ranged in age, build and apparent fitness, and they weren’t all guys – three young women came along, as well. (They did not have beards!)

In our round of introductions, I learned of the various towns and regions in the state where each lived. Their positive attitudes were infectious and set a happy tone for the day. As I gave the usual plant identification and safety training, I emphasized that we would be hiking up and down some long steep hills in reaching and returning from our target work area in the forest. Feeling the oppressive heat and humidity, and knowing that this gung ho crew came from level topography, there was some question in my mind as to how they would survive the day in our mountain terrain, and what they would be able to accomplish.

This question was wonderfully answered over the next four hours. Despite the strenuous walk and somewhat backbreaking work of bending over repeatedly to pull Japanese Stiltgrass, cut and paint Oriental bittersweet and Chinese privet, or fight the vicious thorns of Multiflora rose, the Villains performed admirably! As with any group, some were more fast-paced and meticulous, while others moved more slowly and clearly “felt the pain.” But they all worked heroically through the day, while spouting jokes and laughter which made it all fun and tolerable.

And, the Park’s native ecology was enhanced! Because of the Villains’ efforts, literally thousands of plants were pulled or treated before they could produce hundreds of thousands of seeds. Those seeds would have resulted in an extensive new crop of invasive exotic plants in 2017. Instead, hundreds of suppressed native plants were given space and light for growth, and many of their seeds, roots and tubers, long buried in the soil and waiting patiently for the opportunity, will now be able to sprout!

The Bearded Villains turned out to be “villains” only to non-native invasive plants! We at MountainTrue, appreciate their efforts, and they have offered to take part in more of our organization’s future volunteer opportunities!

Henderson County Big Sweep Hauls 4,400 Lbs of Trash from Local Rivers and Streams

On Saturday, September 10, volunteers banded together to sweep Henderson County of as much garbage as possible! Nine teams of volunteers were formed including Mills River Partnership, Friends of Wash Cree, Trinity Presbyterian Church, Rotary Club, Cub Scout Troop 603, Mud Creek, East Hendersonville High School, Sierra Nevada and more!

This year’s haul far exceeded last year’s success. The 2016 Henderson County Big Sweep recruited 63 volunteers who served a total of 169 hours! We swept 11 miles of local rivers, picked up 24 tires, 81 bags of trash for a grand total of approximately 4,400 pounds of trash and recycling. What a successful event!

Don Huneycutt and 13 others from the Rotary Club of Hendersonville cleaned out 2,030 lbs. of debris from just Mud Creek. Under the leadership of Don, their team captain and the Henderson County Big Sweep coordinator for the past two years, they removed car and tractor trailer tires, and other trash that cluttered the waterway.

In 2005, the Rotary club joined the Adopt-A- Stream program, dedicated to improving the conditions of the water sources in our community, and adopted a portion of Mud Creek which runs directly through the town of Hendersonville and can become unsightly with garbage and trash discarded carelessly on its banks and in its waters.

“In the past six years, it has not been unusual for our team to remove up to 2000 lbs of debris from Mud Creek in a four hour period,” says Big Sweep team captain, Don Huneycutt. “It takes teamwork and hard work to safely collect all the items from both the creek and the banks and then transfer everything to a central collection point for pickup by the city. Teamwork and hard work also make for a satisfying and fun time”

MountainTrue wants to thank all of the volunteers who gave so much of their time and made this event possible! An important part of calling a region home is taking the time to care for it, and the rivers in Henderson County are better off with 4,400 fewer pounds of garbage floating in them.

Be on the look out for next year’s event and join in on the fun!