Asheville Design Center Project Manager
Position Summary
MountainTrue seeks a skilled designer to serve as Project Manager for the Appalachian Design Center (ADC)—a new, community-driven initiative responding to the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene in Western North Carolina. This program mobilizes volunteer architects, engineers, landscape architects, and planners to support recovery and climate-resilient development in affected communities.
This is a part-time contractual position. The Project Manager will oversee volunteer design teams working in up to four communities across Buncombe, Madison, and Henderson counties. They will lead community engagement efforts, manage the design process, and ensure that each project results in a comprehensive community report outlining design recommendations, historical context, and an implementation strategy.
This role is central to fostering inclusive, place-based recovery efforts. ADC teams conduct in-depth assessments, collaborate with residents to align designs with local needs, and create solutions that enhance safety, accessibility, and economic resilience—all while preserving regional character. Additionally, the Project Manager will help position communities to secure funding from FEMA, state agencies, regional grants, and private sources.
This is a unique opportunity to lead a transformative design initiative that strengthens communities and advances sustainable development in Western North Carolina.
We are looking for candidates who:
- Are a strong fit with our collaborative, multi-disciplinary team.
- Have a willingness to grow and learn in a rapidly evolving, post-disaster environment.
- Show enthusiasm and a strong desire to contribute to our contextually appropriate ecological restoration and climate-resilient projects.
Key Responsibilities
- Project Management: Lead and manage community-driven design projects from initiation to closeout, including project planning, conceptual design process, scheduling, resource allocation, and risk management.
- Team Collaboration: Collaborate with architects, engineers, landscape architects, planners, graphic designers, and other stakeholders to ensure interdisciplinary coordination, resolve design conflicts, and achieve project goals.
- Client Communication: Serve as the primary point of contact for community leaders and government representatives, understanding their needs, and communicating project progress, milestones, and deliverables effectively.
- Design Coordination: Coordinate with internal design teams, consultants, and contractors to integrate design concepts seamlessly into community Recovery & Resilience Plans, ensuring design intent and quality are maintained.
- Workshop Facilitation: Guide a community-led process to inform an implementation matrix to be included in the community plan.
- Community Plan Production: Oversee the assemblage of the community plan, incorporating images, text, and drawings into a final report.
- Documentation and Reporting: Prepare and maintain project documentation, reports, and presentations, including project status updates, financial reports, and presentations.
- Implementation Assistance: Assist in the implementation of conceptual designs by generating RFPs and managing the interview and hiring of design professionals.
- Quality Assurance: Review project deliverables for accuracy, completeness, and compliance with regulatory requirements, industry standards, and client expectations.
Qualifications
Desired Qualifications
- Excellent writing, communication, and presentation skills.
- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in design or planning discipline.
- Proficiency in AutoCAD and Adobe Suite software; SketchUp, BIM (Revit, ArchiCAD) a plus.
- Creative, versatile, and dependable.
- Goal-oriented with strong critical thinking and observation abilities.
- Ability to adapt to a dynamic, collaborative studio environment.
- Attention to detail, strong work ethic, cognitive agility, and time management skills.
- Knowledge of sustainable design principles, green infrastructure strategies, and construction techniques.
Location & Travel
This position is based in Western North Carolina, with a preference for Asheville, North Carolina. This position utilizes frequent Zoom meetings and phone calls. Travel costs are covered by the organization.
Compensation
- Salary: $40/h – up to 20h/wk
- Expenses: Travel and materials expenses will be reimbursed.
How to apply
Please submit a cover letter, resume, and relevant portfolio to Healthy Communities Director Chris Joyell at chris@mountaintrue.org.
Application Deadline: ASAP, rolling application review until position filled.
We’re Suing the Forest Service Over a Forest Plan That Threatens the Wild Heart of WNC
We’re Suing the Forest Service Over a Forest Plan That Threatens the Wild Heart of WNC
After more than a decade of public engagement, partnerships, and planning, the U.S. Forest Service had the opportunity to get it right. Instead, on March 20, 2023, they finalized a Forest Management Plan for the Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests that takes us backward — threatening some of the most beloved and biologically diverse landscapes in Western North Carolina.
That’s why today, MountainTrue is taking legal action.
We are joining with our partners to sue the Forest Service over its deeply flawed Forest Plan — a plan that undermines public trust, sacrifices rare species habitat and existing old-growth forests, and sets a dangerous precedent for forest management across the Southern Appalachians.
What’s At Stake
The Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests are home to some of the most extraordinary ecosystems in the eastern United States — ancient trees, roadless backcountry, rare plants and animals, and cold mountain streams that feed communities and support thriving recreation and tourism economies.
Yet under the new Forest Plan, more than 600,000 acres — over half the national forest lands in WNC — are open to commercial logging, including:
- 100,000 acres of Natural Heritage Areas, underdeveloped areas with backcountry character, and rare species habitat,
- Steep slopes that were previously off-limits to ground-based logging — and where many of our last stands of old-growth still exist, and
- Existing old-growth forest, which the agency now claims the authority to cut without even surveying to know what’s at stake or notifying the public of its plans.
The Forest Service claims that it has actually increased protection for old growth in a ‘designated old-growth network.’ But this network was designed to include forests, including much younger forests, that are legally or practically off limits to logging already. Meanwhile, existing old growth convenient for loggers was deliberately left out of the network. This allows younger forests to be counted as old-growth simply because they might eventually reach that status — as long as it’s convenient for future logging.
Our Position Is Clear
Let’s be clear: MountainTrue is not against logging. Responsible timber harvests are an important part of our regional economy and can play a role in supporting wildlife habitat — especially when done in the right places.
What we are fighting against is a plan that permits logging in the wrong places: pristine backcountry, rare species habitat, and mature and old-growth forests that take centuries to replace. The new plan aims to dramatically increase the amount of logging from what occurred under the previous plan, but the volume of logging isn’t the real issue — location matters far more.
The Forest Service had the benefit of detailed mapping, science-based recommendations, and a collaborative proposal from the Nantahala-Pisgah Forest Partnership — a coalition that includes conservationists, local businesses, timber interests, and recreation advocates. Instead, the agency ignored the consensus and pushed through a plan that prioritizes flexibility for logging over long-term forest health and public trust.
We Tried Every Other Avenue
MountainTrue participated in every phase of this process: submitting expert comments, proposing collaborative solutions, meeting with Forest Service officials, and filing formal objections. We offered science, consensus, and good-faith alternatives. When harmful projects started rolling out under the new plan, we pointed out how those harms could be traced directly back to the plan. And we called for an amendment to the plan to fix some of its most egregious errors. We were ignored.
When an agency ignores its own data, rejects overwhelming public input, writes off years of coalition-building, and violates the law — that’s when we go to court.
What Happens Now
The lawsuit will challenge the Forest Plan’s failure to protect old-growth forests, underdeveloped areas with backcountry character, and sensitive habitats. We will show that the Forest Service violated core environmental laws and disregarded science and public input in its decision-making.
But this lawsuit is about more than one plan. It’s about demanding a future for our national forests where:
- Old-growth stands are protected, not put on the chopping block,
- Rare species and wild places are prioritized,
- Collaboration and science are taken seriously, and
- Public lands serve the public good, not short-term interests.
The Fight for Our Forests Isn’t Over
MountainTrue has always believed that the forests of Western North Carolina are worth fighting for — and we’re backing that belief in court. But we’re also continuing our work in the field, in the halls of government, and in communities throughout the region to build a better vision for public lands.
We’ll keep showing up. We’ll keep speaking out. And we’ll keep defending the places we all love.
You can support this work by staying informed, spreading the word, and donating to help cover the costs of legal action and advocacy.
Press Release: Conservation Groups sue U.S. Forest Service over controversial Nantahala- Pisgah Forest Plan
Press Release: Conservation Groups sue U.S. Forest Service over controversial Nantahala- Pisgah Forest Plan
Press release from the Southern Environmental Law Center, Center for Biological Diversity, Defenders of Wildlife, MountainTrue, and Sierra Club
For immediate release: March 28, 2025
Contacts
SELC: Eric Hilt, 615-622-1199 or ehilt@selc.org
Defenders of Wildlife: Jay Petrequin, 202-772-0243 or jpetrequin@defenders.org
MountainTrue: Karim Olaechea, 828-400-0768, karim@mountaintrue.org
Sierra Club: David Reid, 828-713-1607, daviddbreid@charter.net
Center for Biological Diversity: Will Harlan, wharlan@biologicaldiversity.org
Conservation Groups sue U.S. Forest Service over controversial Nantahala-Pisgah Forest Plan
Asheville, NC — On Thursday, a coalition of conservation groups sued the U.S. Forest Service over its Nantahala-Pisgah Forest Plan, arguing the agency violated federal law by downplaying the harmful impacts of a dramatic expansion in logging and by failing to include binding standards to restore important native ecosystems.
The Plan guides the long-term future of North Carolina’s Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests, which are among the most visited and most beloved public lands in the country. The Nantahala- Pisgah Forest Plan outlines where activities like logging and roadbuilding will occur and sets objectives for future timber harvests. The Plan will determine what happens on these Forests for a generation.
The Forest Service was handed a collaboratively developed Forest Plan proposal that allowed for logging while minimizing harmful impacts. However, the agency rejected the compromise out of hand in favor of a Plan that aims to quintuple the amount of logging in the Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests and expand logging and roadbuilding into sensitive habitats. More than 23,000 people commented to oppose the Plan which will degrade important ecosystems, imperil rare species, make our forests less resilient, and hurt local economies that depend on recreation and tourism within the forests.
These flaws were magnified by Hurricane Helene, which not only wreaked havoc on western North Carolina communities but also decimated forests. The Nantahala-Pisgah Forest Plan did not anticipate the level of damage brought by this kind of climate-change-fueled storm, instead justifying high levels of logging by arguing that there is not enough disturbance from storms and fire. Logging healthy forests at the high levels called for in the Plan—levels the agency has refused to adjust in the wake of Helene—will compound the harm to these landscapes.
The Southern Environmental Law Center filed the lawsuit on behalf of the Center for Biological Diversity, Defenders of Wildlife, MountainTrue, and Sierra Club. The case was filed in United States District Court for the Western District of North Carolina.
Below are statements from the conservation groups:
“Ever since the Forest Service published the Nantahala-Pisgah Forest Plan, we have given the agency every possible opportunity to do the right thing and fix this flawed Plan. But the Forest Service has refused,” Sam Evans, Leader of the Southern Environmental Law Center’s National Forests and Parks Program, said. “We simply can’t stand by and ignore the significant and long-lasting harm this Plan will do to these remarkable forests and the
communities that rely on them.”
“The Forest Service’s final plan for the Nantahala-Pisgah was a major step backward. It opened up old-growth forests, rare species habitat, and remote backcountry to commercial logging while failing to address critical needs like road maintenance, trail infrastructure, and monitoring. Logging can play a valuable role in our region, but this plan sacrificed balance in favor of conflict. That’s why we’ve had to make the difficult decision to challenge the Forest Service in court,” Josh Kelly, Resilient Forests Director for MountainTrue, said.
“This disastrous Plan broke the law and the hearts of millions of forest visitors,” said Will Harlan, Southeast Director at the Center for Biological Diversity. “The most popular and biodiverse national forest in the country should not be targeted for massive increases in clearcuts, especially after Helene. The hurricane did plenty of logging. We don’t need five times more.”
“Our national forests are reeling from massive storm destruction, yet they’re still subject to a management plan that includes unrealistic timber targets. Failing to change the Plan would create additional threats to the natural beauty treasured by millions of visitors and the environmental health required for the survival of many rare and endangered species,” said David Reid, National Forests Issue Chair for the Sierra Club’s North Carolina Chapter. “We can’t wait any longer for the U.S. Forest Service to take the initiative to correct its Plan to achieve the balance necessary to protect these remarkable lands.”
“A forest plan that sacrifices the needs of imperiled wildlife while accelerating logging without appropriate sideboards is no forest plan at all,” said Ben Prater, Southeast Program Director for Defenders of Wildlife. “Instead of supporting rare species like forest bats, fish, mussels and amphibians, this Plan ramps up logging justified by faulty assumptions that are even more precarious in the wake of Hurricane Helene. This Plan was built on the assumption that natural disturbances would create less than 200 acres of open and young forest habitat a year. By that metric, Helene caused 400 years’ worth of disturbance to some of the most important habitats in the region in a matter of days. The Plan was already flawed, and now it is completely out of step with the realities on the ground.”
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Press Release: MountainTrue Announces Anna Alsobrook as New French Broad Riverkeeper
Press Release: MountainTrue Announces Anna Alsobrook as New French Broad Riverkeeper
Photo: Anna Alsobrook paddles the French Broad River to assess the damage in Asheville’s River Arts District after Hurricane Helene, photo by Hartwell Carson.
March 2025
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MountainTrue Announces Anna Alsobrook as New French Broad Riverkeeper
Asheville, NC – MountainTrue welcomed Anna Alsobrook as the organization’s new French Broad Riverkeeper in early March. Anna has been part of the MountainTrue team since 2014, most recently serving as their Watershed Science & Policy Manager.
“My love of the French Broad started with a canoe-camping trip down section 10 of the river with a NC Outward Bound trip. I’d never done or seen anything quite like that before. I got to experience the sacredness of this river and these mountains. It has truly been an honor to work for its protection, and I’m thrilled to step into the French Broad Riverkeeper role,” said Alsobrook. “I’ve had the privilege of working alongside Hartwell Carson [previous French Broad Riverkeeper] for the last 10 years, and there’s not a week that goes by that I don’t learn something from him. I’m so grateful for his mentorship and guidance. The French Broad is lucky to have had his voice for the last 20 years.”
Hartwell Carson now serves as MountainTrue’s Clean Waters Program Director and works directly with all four of MountainTrue’s Riverkeepers — the Broad, French Broad, Green, and Watauga Riverkeepers — to protect waterways across the Southern Blue Ridge.
“I thoroughly enjoyed being the eyes and ears for the river during my time as French Broad Riverkeeper,” said Carson. “Our work put the French Broad on the map as a great place to recreate by establishing the French Broad Paddle Trail; vastly increasing awareness of the threats posed to the river by pollution; establishing a monitoring program that is one of the first of its kind in the world; forcing Duke Energy to clean up their coal ash ponds and close their power plant; restoring miles of streams; and hosting a plethora of volunteers to help clean up millions of pounds of trash in the river and along its banks.”
Stay up-to-date with Anna’s work as the French Broad Riverkeeper on Instagram and Facebook; she can also be reached via email at anna@mountaintrue.org. Hartwell can still be reached hartwell@mountaintrue.org.
About MountainTrue
MountainTrue champions resilient forests, clean waters, and healthy communities. 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. MountainTrue is active in the Broad, French Broad, Green, Hiwassee, Little Tennessee, New, and Watauga watersheds and is home to the Broad Riverkeeper, French Broad Riverkeeper, Green Riverkeeper, and Watauga Riverkeeper.
In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, MountainTrue is committed to leading the recovery of our region with a vision to rebuild stronger, safer, and better prepared for the impacts of climate change. mountaintrue.org
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Western Region Watershed Outreach Coordinator
Position Summary
The Western Region Watershed Outreach Coordinator position serves rural communities and provides programmatic, field, and fundraising support for MountainTrue’s Clean Water Program in far Southwestern NC and North GA. Based in MountainTrue’s Western Regional Office (WRO) in Murphy, NC, the WRO Watershed Outreach Coordinator will interact with community members and volunteers on several levels including recruiting, training, educating, and organizing for water quality monitoring and watershed health. The WRO Watershed Outreach Coordinator must understand the importance of attention to detail in science and provide good quality assurance and control in both field and lab practices. The WRO Watershed Outreach Coordinator must be comfortable working in both field and office settings, individually or with a team.
The MountainTrue Watershed Outreach Coordinator is:
Organized – enjoys managing a variety of projects & timelines, with self-directed systems and smooth execution of tasks needed to meet goals.
Analytical – capable of using scientific principles in data collection and analysis with a high level of attention to detail.
Engaging – adept at building relationships in-person or virtually and working with diverse people (e.g. youth, retirees, rural, urban, different cultural backgrounds, and people with varying levels of education or income).
Versatile – a problem-solver with the ability to make decisions in a changing environment and anticipate future program needs.
Loves Southern Blue Ridge Mountain waterways and is hopeful about our future.
Key Responsibilities
Water Quality Monitoring & Data Management
- Manage and expand volunteer water quality sampling programs, including Georgia Adopt-A-Stream, Swim Guide, and microplastics
- Manage data and review regularly to determine most impacted waterways; conduct further testing to determine pollution source; and work with the regional and/or program director to develop and implement a remediation strategy.
- Recruit/train volunteers and promote sediment pollution reporting using the Muddy Water Watch website/app.
- Review NPDES data in the region to ensure compliance and work with the regional and clean water directors to push for improvements, especially during the permit renewal process.
- Manage the summer water quality intern
Education / Outreach / Engagement
- Help publish the annual State of the River report/presentation for the western region
- Plan and implement an annual volunteer appreciation event
- Organize the Lake Chatuge Shoreline Cleanup
- Lead efforts to promote improved water quality through education and recreation
Fundraising
- Recruit sponsors for the Swim Guide program & Lake Chatuge Shoreline Cleanup
- Help secure auction items and raffle prizes for the Watershed Gala
- Assist with western region fundraising events
- Research and assist in the development of grant applications
Qualifications
Required Skills and Experience
- Completion of at least a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Health/Science, Biology, Wildlife/Natural Resources Management, or a related field.
- Valid driver’s license and dependable personal vehicle.
- Excellent written and oral (including public speaking) communication skills. Must be willing to regularly use email as a primary communication tool.
- Familiarity with Microsoft Office and Google Suite programs and applications.
- Available on some nights and weekends for events and outreach.
- Committed to equity, inclusion, and social justice principles.
Location & Travel
This is a hybrid position with 1-3 days per week (depending on the season) required to be in the Western Regional Office in Murphy, NC. MountainTrue utilizes frequent virtual meetings and phone calls. This position requires fairly extensive daytime travel within southwestern NC and north GA with occasional longer day trips to other MountainTrue regions; travel costs are covered by the organization.
Compensation
This is a full-time 40 hr/week position starting at $48,000. Benefits package includes 20 vacation days per year; 12 holidays; sick, parental, and bereavement leave; sabbatical after five years; health insurance; simple IRA with employer contribution of up to 3%.
How to apply
Email a cover letter, resume, and three references to jobs@mountaintrue.org. The subject line should read: “WRO Watershed Outreach Coordinator.” The cover letter should address your relevant skills/abilities and work experience and answer the following questions:
- Why do you want to be MountainTrue’s western region watershed outreach coordinator?
- What is your favorite waterway and why is it important to you?
- What familiarity do you have with living and/or working in rural communities?
The deadline for applications is April 24, 2025. The projected start date is July 7, 2025.
Report: Water Quality Impacts of Helene
Report: Water Quality Impacts of Helene
Our Clean Waters team compiled a report summarizing MountainTrue’s sampling efforts post-Hurricane Helene. Click the button below to download/read the report.
Resilient Forests E-News: March ’25
Resilient Forests E-News: March ’25
Events Roundup
Thanks to everyone who joined us in February for Conservation Conversations! We had a great night at Ecusta Brewing in Brevard, NC. Hemlock Restoration Initiative, Conserving Carolina, Trout Unlimited (Pisgah Chapter), and Pisgah Area SORBA joined MountainTrue to discuss their current work and opportunities for attendees to get involved. We hope to see even more folks at our upcoming Conservation Conversation in Asheville at RAD Brewing, May 28!
Get Involved
Ongoing: Help MountainTrue document damage to forest roads and trails by signing up to participate in landslide surveys. Go for a hike, take your phone, and submit data if you see a landslide. Sign up here!
Friday, March 28: Join MountainTrue and Carolina Mountain Club for a Trail Workday near Asheville. Read more and sign up here!
Saturday, April 5: Join MountainTrue and Friends of Hominy Creek Greenway for a day of removing non-native invasive plants along the Greenway. Read more and sign up here!
Saturday, May 3: Join MountainTrue as we enjoy spring wildflowers and pull invasive garlic mustard on the Appalachian Trail near Max Patch. Read more and sign up here!
Save the Date
Wednesday, May 28: Join MountainTrue and other land stewardship-focused organizations for Conservation Conversations in Asheville at RAD Brewing! Sip and socialize, then learn how you can get involved in the important work these organizations do.
Saturday, June 21: BioBlitz! Help MountainTrue document biodiversity at Hickory Nut Gap Farm near Asheville. Volunteer with us in the afternoon, then celebrate a job well done at the evening barn dance!
Take Action
Save the UNCA Woods! MountainTrue is working with a local alliance of dedicated volunteers to protect the University of North Carolina Asheville’s urban forest. The 45-acre forest in the heart of downtown Asheville provides a scenic respite from everyday life by offering outdoor recreation opportunities. The woods also act as a carbon sink, heat mitigation tool, and wildlife habitat. Although the woods are ecologically important and beloved by many, they are now under threat of development. MountainTrue believes UNCA should prioritize building on their already cleared lots (totaling about 20 acres) before they consider destroying one of the city’s few intact urban forests. Please join us in asking UNCA to protect the forest and better collaborate with those who appreciate the forest for its many values.
In the News
MountainTrue’s Resilient Forests Director, Josh Kelly, recently shared his perspective in the Asheville Citizen Times on how proposed cuts to federal workers could harm the national parks and forests in Western North Carolina. In his op-ed, Kelly argues that the loss of federal employees would jeopardize vital conservation efforts and the health of these treasured landscapes.
Federal Policy Updates Affecting Public Lands & Forests
Federal judges order Trump Administration to reinstate thousands of fired workers (March 13): A federal judge has ordered the immediate rehiring of fired probationary workers from the Defense, Treasury, Energy, Interior, Agriculture, and Veterans Affairs departments. The judge called the firings an unlawful sham, saying that the agencies did not follow proper protocol for firing employees. However, as the judge noted in his decision, agencies do still have the authority to implement reductions in force. The Trump Administration called for all agencies to submit reduction in force plans last month, and the White House will soon be reviewing those plans. Forest Service employees in Western North Carolina who were fired and then rehired may still be laid off through the reduction in force plan.
EPA looks to roll back significant climate protections (March 12): EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin says he is looking to reconsider the endangerment finding, the principle that global warming poses a danger to human health and welfare. The endangerment finding, established in 2009, is the basis for limiting greenhouse gas emissions from many different sectors. Disproving the finding would pave the way for broadly dismantling greenhouse gas pollution regulations. Other EPA rules that may be reconsidered include those regulating wastewater, reducing haze in national parks, limiting CO2 emissions from power plants, and reducing methane emissions by the oil and gas industry.
Trump Administration seeks to increase logging in national forests and on public lands (March 4): President Trump signed executive actions directing agencies to increase logging on public lands and reduce timber imports from Canada and other countries. He also directed agencies to look into ways to bypass endangered species and other wildlife protections to increase timber production. Trump’s orders cite wildfire risk as a reason for ramping up U.S. timber production, but other groups point out that hotter average temperatures and dry conditions in forests create more risk for wildfires.
Post-Helene Cleanup Monitoring Form
Post-Helene Cleanup Monitoring Form
In response to complaints from the community and our own concerns about excessive woody debris removal in our waterways, MountainTrue met with Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) leadership earlier this week to learn more and advocate for a more balanced approach.
Encouragingly, they were receptive to our feedback and had already heard similar concerns from the public. As a result, they briefly paused all waterway debris removal work to retrain their contractors on properly-interpreting the standards and best practices, hopefully ensuring the retention of more live trees, ground cover, and legacy debris for the sake of bank stability and critical habitat. Additionally, the USACE has hired a new staff member dedicated to improving contractor training, and one of the primary in-stream debris contractors has brought on additional arborists for expert guidance.
We left the meeting feeling optimistic about these changes and hope to see improvements in the field, however, public vigilance remains crucial. Our community can play an important role in identifying potential violations against the standards that all USACE contractors must follow.
Key issues to watch for and report are:
- Lack of timber matting beneath vehicles and machines entering waterways.
- Spilled petroleum products or any other hazardous waste.
- Any form of excavation (digging) of soil or woody debris (versus pulling).
- Removal of live trees leaning less than 30%.
- Removal of rootballs with less than 50% exposure.
- Intact clumps of soil attached to the roots of removed trees.
- Removal of downed trees existing prior to the storm.
- Use of vehicles or machines in wetlands.
Use the form below to submit instances of perceived violations, which we will then relay to our contacts with the USACE. You are also welcome to send the information you collect (paired with the applicable standard) directly to your county’s County Manager and Emergency Management Director.
***Please remember to never trespass on private property, enter job sites, or put yourself in harm’s way when documenting prospective violations.
MountainTrue’s March E-Newsletter
MountainTrue’s March E-Newsletter
Spring is nearly here! Read on to find out what our Riverkeepers, Resilient Forests team, and Healthy Communities team have been up to + find out how to get involved.
MountainTrue Updates
We’re hiring for two positions:
✅Organizing Director: The Organizing Director will lead and manage MountainTrue’s grassroots organizing efforts across our programs, focusing on training staff and organizers in the skills necessary to build authentic relationships, empower our communities, and develop local leaders to drive community-led solutions. Accepting applications on a rolling basis: learn more + apply.
✅Creation Care Alliance Organizer: The Creation Care Organizer leads our Creation Care Alliance grassroots organizing efforts, focusing on building authentic relationships with people of diverse faiths, empowering local communities, expanding and strengthening our network of Covenant Partner congregations, and developing local leaders to drive community-led solutions. Accepting applications on a rolling basis: learn more + apply.
Clean Waters Program Updates
Join us in protecting our waterways!
From May to September, MountainTrue Riverkeepers and dedicated volunteers collect weekly water samples from over 90 sites across Western North Carolina and beyond, ensuring our waters stay clean and safe. You Can Make a Difference! Become a sponsor for a Swim Guide site and help us protect the health of our rivers, lakes, and streams. Your support will directly contribute to safeguarding our community’s water quality. Learn more here.
Status on post-Helene cleanups:
Our cleanup work continues and we have removed millions of pounds of trash from our waterways, but we are also expanding our capacity. Thanks to a partnership with Land of Sky Regional Council, we’re hiring 10 staff dedicated to cleaning up our waterways. We’ve also been hard at work lobbying the NC General Assembly for additional cleanup funds for WNC.
French Broad Riverkeeper
Anna Alsobrook paddles the French Broad River after Helene.
A message from your new French Broad Riverkeeper, Anna Alsobrook:
“I’ve had the privilege of working alongside Hartwell [Carson, previous French Broad Riverkeeper] for the last 10 years, and there’s not a week that goes by that I don’t learn something from him. I’m so grateful for his mentorship and guidance. The French Broad is lucky to have had his voice for the last 20 years.
My love of the French Broad started with a canoe-camping trip down section 10 of the river with an NC Outward Bound trip. I’d never done or seen anything quite like that before. I saw a sacredness to this river and these mountains. It has truly been an honor to work for its protection, and I am thrilled to step into the Riverkeeper role.”
Anna has been part of the MountainTrue team since 2014, most recently serving as our Watershed Science & Policy Manager. And don’t worry, we’re not saying goodbye to previous French Broad Riverkeeper Hartwell Carson; he’s now transitioned to MountainTrue’s Clean Water Program Director and can still be reached at hartwell@mountaintrue.org! Stay up-to-date with Anna’s work as French Broad Riverkeeper on Instagram and Facebook; she can also be reached via email at anna@mountaintrue.org.
French Broad Paddle Trail update
Check out the French Broad Paddle Trail’s website for the status of access points and campsites along the river between Rosman, NC, and Newport, TN. We’ve been working with public land managers and outfitters to ready the river for this year’s paddling season by organizing cleanups, repairing access points, and tidying up campsites. We look forward to seeing y’all out there in the months to come!
Green Riverkeeper
Green Riverkeeper pup, Shug, checks out the Green at Big Rock access.
Another post-Helene update from Green Riverkeeper Erica Shanks:
Things on the Green are continuously changing (mostly for the good)! Locations that we’d planned on cleaning up in March are now being taken care of by the Army Corps of Engineers and hired contractors.
We’re planning a cleanup volunteer opportunity on Saturday, May 3, on the confluence of Big Hungry and the Green (where Big Hungry meets the Narrows – if the Army Corps doesn’t get to it first, that is); event details incoming. Regarding Army Corps cleanup around the Lower Green, we’re constantly talking with county officials and contractors in and around the river. We’re also planning a meeting with the Army Corps to discuss their scope of work and how we can work together to create a landscape where habitat restoration and stream bank stability can be a top priority. Follow me on Instagram and Facebook for updates when they’re available.
Watauga Riverkeeper
Volunteer with us!
The Watauga Riverkeeper team has been hard at work organizing live staking volunteer workdays to restore stream bank stability along High Country waterways and post-Helene cleanups. The ‘24-25 live staking season will be wrapping up soon, but there are still plenty of opportunities to get involved + get outside with our High Country team! Check out the events calendar and stay tuned on the Watauga Riverkeeper Instagram and Facebook.
Broad Riverkeeper
May days on the First Broad River Paddle Trail
The month of May will be an opportunity for river enthusiasts to explore the First Broad River Paddle Trail. Every Saturday, Broad Riverkeeper David Caldwell will host a guided river adventure on a different section of the 65-mile river trail. We’ll start on the uppermost section of navigable river with public access and work our way downstream, ending up in the main stem of the Broad River on the last Saturday. Expect to paddle about 2mph and add another hour for lunch and river fun. More info + registration links coming soon; stay tuned!
Resilient Forests Program Updates
MountainTrue is seeking volunteers to document landslides
We’re seeking volunteers for a new citizen science program to help document landslide impacts to roads and trails on public lands, with a particular focus on Nantahala, Pisgah, and Cherokee National Forests. All you need to participate is the desire to get out in the woods and a smartphone. The data collected will be shared with land stewardship agencies and other partners, and will be useful in setting priorities for infrastructure repair following the storm. To participate, please fill out this volunteer interest form.
MountainTrue’s Josh Kelly pens op-ed on the impact of federal worker cuts
MountainTrue’s Resilient Forests Director, Josh Kelly, recently shared his perspective in the Asheville Citizen Times on how proposed cuts to federal workers could harm the national parks and forests in Western North Carolina. In his op-ed, Kelly argues that the loss of federal employees would jeopardize vital conservation efforts and the health of these treasured landscapes. Read his full piece to learn more about the potential consequences.
Healthy Communities Program Updates
MountainTrue Housing & Transportation Director Susan Bean addresses Asheville City Council.
Asheville City Council makes big changes to support housing
On Tuesday night, Asheville City Council passed 5 significant changes to the city’s rules about how housing gets built. These changes make it easier to build homes like apartments and condos on our major bus routes and also make it easier to build small homes on small lots city-wide, with exceptions carved out for the city’s Legacy Neighborhoods and areas designated as particularly vulnerable to displacement. While we are very pleased that these changes will result in more housing options for the community, we also ask the city to commit to a continued process of engagement with Legacy Neighborhoods given the unique and awful impacts of historical land use policies like urban renewal. Our Housing and Transportation Director, Susan Bean, delivered public comment asking for the council’s support of both the proposals and the process of further engagement with Legacy Neighborhoods in advance of future proposals. Read more here. Watch MountainTrue’s Housing and Transportation Director Susan Bean’s remarks on YouTube.
New Orleans recovery expert visits Swannanoa
On March 6, Steven Bingler, the visionary behind New Orleans’ Unified Recovery Plan after Hurricane Katrina, presented to a packed house at Art Space Charter School in Swannanoa, NC. Bingler shared how an organic, community-centered approach ultimately succeeded where early top-down efforts failed. He recounted how New Orleans’ initial recovery plans, which lacked deep community engagement, were quickly abandoned in favor of a locally driven strategy. This innovative approach stitched together smaller, community-led plans into a unified vision that gained broad support and reshaped the city’s future. Bingler also met in smaller groups with area designers, as well as Swannanoa community members, offering his advice and encouragement, always highlighting the opportunities that disaster recovery may offer.
ADC volunteers needed!
If you’re a designer interested in volunteering and ready to pledge some hours, or if your community needs design assistance, sign up here. To make this initiative a success, we need volunteers from a variety of design disciplines, including:
✔️Architects
✔️Engineers (structural & civil)
✔️Landscape Architects
✔️Environmental Consultants
✔️Land Planners
✔️Surveyors
✔️Soil Scientists