Live Staking Plant-n-Paddles All Winter

Live Staking Plant-n-Paddles All Winter!

Looking for a way to stay outdoors and involved this winter? Look no further than our Plant-n-Paddle Live Staking Volunteer Days!

The French Broad Riverkeeper and MountainTrue are combating sediment erosion in our local waterways. Sediment is a major polluter in our river basin, clogging fish and aquatic habitats, increasing water temperatures, and transporting toxic substances. We are helping to reduce the amount of sediment that flows into our rivers by planting live-stakes along eroding riverbanks. These stakes will grow into trees that will stabilize the sides of the rivers and creeks where we plant them, and will reduce the overall amount of sediment getting into the river.

Last year, we were able to live stake 12 miles of stream and river banks, but we hope to increase that this year.

We’ll have Plant-n-Paddle Events once or twice per week through March, so there are plenty of dates and opportunities for you to get involved and help us prevent sediment pollution in our local waterways!

If you’d like more information, check our our event page and link to sign up for a day of paddling and live staking!

After the Wildfires: Mitigating Climate Change and Adapting to the New Normal

Jim Fox, Director of UNC Asheville’s National Environmental Modeling and Analysis Center, and Josh Kelly, Public Lands Field Biologist at MountainTrue, will discuss how climate change is impacting Western North Carolina at the Climate Collider on Monday, December 19 at 4 p.m..

In the wake of a historic wildfire season that has burned more than 150,000 acres throughout the Southeast, forced residents from their homes and cost the lives of 14 people in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, the two speakers will address how climate change is affecting our region as well as strategies for mitigation and better management of our forests to reduce the threat of wildfires to human development. After their presentations, speakers will take questions from the crowd.

What: After the Wildfires: Mitigating Climate Change and Adapting to the New Normal
Who: Jim Fox, Director of UNC Asheville’s National Environmental Modeling and Analysis Center, and Josh Kelly, Public Lands Field Biologist at MountainTrue.
Where: Collider 1 Haywood St., Suite 401 (4th Floor Wells Fargo Building) Asheville, NC
When: Monday, December 19 at 4 p.m. to 6 p.m..
RSVP TO ATTEND: http://action.mountaintrue.org/page/s/after-the-fires

About Jim Fox
James (Jim) Fox is the Director for UNC Asheville’s National Environmental Modeling and Analysis Center (NEMAC). In that position, he serves as the team leader and principal investigator for several major collaborations, including the USDA Forest Service’s Eastern Forest Environmental Threat Assessment Center (EFETAC), NOAA’s Climate Program Office and National Centers for Environmental Information, the North Carolina Institute for Climate Studies, and state, county, municipal, and regional governments in the southeastern United States. NEMAC uses visualizations, geographic information systems (GIS), web tools, and decision support tools to address key societal resilience issues that include climate change adaptation, forest health, flood mitigation, water resources, and future land use planning.

About Josh Kelly
Josh Kelly is MountainTrue’s Public Lands Field Biologist. He leads the organization’s work on the Nantahala-Pisgah National Forest Management Plan Revision, monitors logging and development issues on public land, and provides site-specific, scientific information to promote ecological restoration and better management practices. Prior to joining MountainTrue, Josh worked for the Southern Appalachian Forest Coalition, where he focused on identifying remnant old-growth forests on public land, and at WildLaw, where he worked to promote ecological restoration as the new paradigm of National Forest management. Josh has helped the Forest Service conduct rare plant surveys, save hemlocks from hemlock woolly adelgid, and design restoration projects, including the Grandfather Restoration Project.

Exploring the Green River Game Lands

On Sunday, November 6, MountainTrue hosted a hike through the Green River Game Lands with 26 participants accompanied by six staff members. We used the opportunity to promote our newly updated trail maps of the Green River Game Lands, which were published by MountainTrue with support from the Perry Rudnick Foundation, Community Foundation of Henderson County, and Polk County Travel and Tourism.

Hikers heard from field biologist Josh Kelly and ecologist Bob Gale about forest communities and invasive species, and Gray Jernigan, Southern Regional Director, spoke about the history of the area and the process of developing the map to promote recreation. The foliage was beautiful, the company was great, and knowledge abounded!

Field Trip: Ecology of Southern Appalachia

On October 7th, our Public Lands Director Bob Gale led a group of about 15 Osher Lifelong Learning students on a field trip exploring the forest community types in the Southern Appalachia. As Bob pointed out different examples of trees and brush species found along the Blue Ridge Parkway, students learned the types of trees and other species that make up specific forest communities, including Acidic Cove communities, Montane Oak-Hickory communities and more!

Each fall, MountainTrue presents a course at the University of North Carolina Asheville Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI). OLLI exists to promote lifelong learning for seniors, as well as leadership, community service, and research. Participants in OLLI can take courses in a wide array of topics, including music, language, community topics, yoga, history and science.

MountainTrue’s course is titled the Ecology of the Southern Appalachia, and it incorporates expertise from MountainTrue staff and well-qualified partners. The course explores the uniqueness of the southern Appalachians Mountains, the oldest and most bio-diverse mountains in the world. Each week, an instructor presents a new topic including geology, hydrology, energy use, biology, and human ecology our region. In addition to the classroom presentations, students are invited to attend two field trips that highlight further a topic discussed in class. This year, with over 50 students enrolled, MountainTrue has enjoyed the lively discussion and immense participation of the students!

Some highlights from the field trips so far include the expert species identification by Bob Gale, examples of improper sediment runoff from construction sites taught by French Broad Riverkeeper Hartwell Carson, and a thorough overview of the geology in the region by MountainTrue member Steve Yurkovich.

No matter the election results, you can make a difference!

We know it’s easy to be discouraged during this contentious election season. No matter what the outcome of local, state, and federal elected positions are, you can make a direct impact on local government by serving on a local board and commission.

Our elected leaders take direction from dozens of community advisory boards specializing in a wide-range of topics. These volunteer positions are appointed, not elected, are open to all and require a minimal time commitment each month. Check out and apply for the following positions in your community and know that MountainTrue is here to help you every step of the way! Check out our website for more information and tips and to find listings in your community. Here are some current openings in Asheville and Buncombe County!

City of Asheville (Deadline to apply is November 2. Apply here or call 259-5601)

Recreation Board:The Board advises City Council on various matters pertaining to the operation of park facilities and recreation programs within the City of Asheville, to make policy recommendations to City Council, and to carry out duties as may be assigned to them by City Council.
Soil Erosion/Stormwater review committee: The Committee hears appeals from the Stormwater Administrator. You would directly impact the work MountainTrue does fighting sedimentation and other threats to our local waterways!

Buncombe County (Deadline to apply is October 31. Apply here or call 828-250-4105)

Historic Resources Commission: Administers the City and County programs of local historic districts and properties, reviews changes to buildings designated historic.

Join us for the MountainTrue Fall Gathering at New Belgium!

Wednesday, October 26, join us at New Belgium Brewery in Asheville for our annual Fall Gathering. Expect great beer, delicious food and some sweet, sweet jams from Asheville’s very own The Midnight Plowboys.

THIS EVENT IS FREE AND OPEN TO ALL CURRENT MEMBERS.

MountainTrue 2016 Fall Gathering
Wednesday October 26 from 6 PM to 8 PM
New Belgium Brewery’s Brewhouse
21 Craven Street, Asheville

If you’re a current member, RSVP HERE.
If you would like to join or renew your membership, CLICK HERE.
(Once you’ve joined or renewed, don’t forget to rsvp!)
If you’re not sure about your member status, see if your name is on our current member list. CLICK HERE.

With our proud mountain heritage, beautiful mountain vistas, lush forests and rushing streams, Western North Carolina is an amazing and special place to call home. The support of our members has helped us fight for our communities and protect one of the richest environments in the world.

Support WNC by renewing your membership and making a donation to MountainTrue today. CLICK HERE.

If you would prefer to send us a check, please make your donation payable to MountainTrue and mail it to us at 29 N. Market St., Suite 610, Asheville, NC 28801.

Thanks to our members and supporters, MountainTrue was voted WNC’s #1 Environmental Group by the readers of Mountain Xpress. Our programs represent you, your values and the issues that you care about. Here are some of the things we’ve accomplished together so far in 2016:

Protecting Our Waters

We launched the first monthly water-quality monitoring program in the Watauga River basin with 13 sites monitored by MountainTrue volunteers and staff.
We continue fighting Duke Energy in court over its coal-ash pollution at the Cliffside plant in Rutherford County and organized over a hundred people to attend hearings and demand the full clean-up of coal ash pollution.
We planted 6,000 live stakes that will grow, stabilize banks, and stop erosion along 12 miles of river frontage in the French Broad River basin.

Preserving Our Public Lands

As a leader in Nantahala-Pisgah National Forest planning process, we helped develop a groundbreaking agreement between wilderness, conservation and recreation advocates in support of more trails and public access and more backcountry and wild places.
We prevented over 100 acres of clear cutting on Nantahala National Forest, helped eradicate invasive species on the Grandfather Ranger District, and raised awareness of the natural wonders of Bluff Mountain with a BioBlitz that documented over 400 plant species.

Building Vibrant Communities

We mobilized over 1,000 comments on the I-26 Connector project in Asheville. In response, NCDOT selected the community-developed and supported Alternative 4B for the bridge section of the project. We celebrate this victory while continuing to work to reduce overall size, improve design, and include more bike/pedestrian infrastructure.

Working for Clean Energy

We intervened in Duke Energy’s application for approval of a new natural-gas plant in Asheville and a new peaker plant to be built in 2023. We asserted that Duke had not made its case for additional fossil fuel capacity, and the Public Utilities Commission agreed, declining to approve the extra peaker plant. Now, we are hard at work providing leadership for the new City of Asheville-Buncombe County-Duke Energy partnership to develop and implement a plan to increase energy efficiency and grow our renewable energy infrastructure.

Engaging Citizens

After three years of advocacy in support of surrounding neighbors, we achieved victory at the CTS site in Buncombe County when EPA required an interim cleanup of a large pool of subsurface contamination. Next, we will make sure that the long-term cleanup plan is as protective as possible.
MountainTrue members and staff took lobbying trips during the 2016 legislative session to be your voice in Raleigh. We are also hosting “meet and greets” between our members and candidates vying to replace our retiring WNC legislators.
We brought nationally renowned evangelical Christian and climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe to Asheville. She met with 80 faith leaders at a prayer breakfast and addressed more than 300 people in the First Baptist Church sanctuary.

BECOME A MOUNTAINTRUE MEMBER AND BE PART OF THE MOVEMENT FOR A BETTER WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA. CLICK HERE.

Thank you for your generous support of our work!

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

The Henderson County Big Sweep 2016 was a huge success!

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!

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!

Help Restore Richmond Hill Park with MountainTrue

Asheville, NC — Are you interested in helping to restore native plants to Asheville’s largest forested park? Take part in one of MountainTrue’s Invasive Plant Removal Days at Richmond Hill Park. The park is home to many special native plant and animal species, and with your help we can help them thrive.

Who: MountainTrue Invasive Removal Program

What: Richmond Hill Invasive Plant Removal Days

When: October 8, 2016, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Where: 280 Richmond Hill Dr, Asheville, NC 28806 United States

Sign up here.

Volunteers help stop the spread of harmful non-native invasive species and return native species to this unique park. The invasive plants we’ll be treating are Oriental bittersweet, privet, multiflora rose and Japanese stiltgrass, among others. As a result of this treatment, habitat for spring ephemeral wildflowers such as trillium, Jack-in-the-pulpit, mayapple and other species of rich soils will be restored.

Restoring natives is vital in helping to preserve biodiversity and it also benefits birds and other wildlife by providing habitat, nectar for pollinators and fruit and nuts. Richmond Hill Park is a very special place in Asheville close to the French Broad River that needs your help!

MountainTrue’s Richmond Hill Invasive Plant Removal Days take place on the second Saturday of every month except for January and February.

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.

Carolyn Finney, Author of Black Faces, White Spaces to Speak at UNC Asheville Sept. 29

**Carolyn Finney, Author of Black Faces, White Spaces to Speak at UNC Asheville Sept. 29**

Developing cultural competency within the discussion of public lands and conservation is an important aspect for promoting the use and care of public lands among all populations. MountainTrue values collaboration among diverse constituencies to achieve more effective success in protecting our public lands and forests. Carolyn Finney brings a unique voice to this dialogue, and considers factors that contribute to how individuals build a relationship with their environment.

Carolyn Finney, author of Black Faces, White Spaces: Reimagining the Relationship of African Americans to the Great Outdoors (UNC Press, 2014), will speak at UNC Asheville at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 29 in the Humanities Lecture Hall. This event is free and open to everyone.

Finney, now assistant professor of geography at the University of Kentucky, pursued an acting career for eleven years, but a backpacking trip around the world and living in Nepal changed the course of her life. Returning to school in the U.S. as a student and now as a professor and cultural geographer, Finney explores how difference, identity, representation, and power play a significant role in determining how people negotiate their daily lives in relation to the environment. As a Fulbright fellow, Finney also has researched the impact of tourism and modernization on Nepalese women and the environment.

Finney serves on the U.S. National Parks Advisory Board working to assist the National Park Service in engaging relations of reciprocity with diverse communities. Her talk is part of UNC Asheville’s celebration of the National Park Service Centennial.

Finney says the aim of her work is to develop greater cultural competency within environmental organizations and institutions, challenge media outlets on their representation of difference, and increase awareness of how privilege shapes who gets to speak to environmental issues and determine policy and action. By engaging art, science and popular culture, she works to create new frameworks of engagement where diverse communities and individuals, environmental organizations, government agencies and academic institutions can establish and nurture healthy human/environment relationships.

For more information, contact Deborah Miles, director of UNC Asheville’s Center for Diversity Education, at dmiles@unca.edu or 828.232.5024.

Join us for Pisgah Pride Day on September 24!

MountainTrue is proud to be an official partner of the The Pisgah Conservancy’s first annual Pisgah Pride Day! Pride Day, on September 24, falls on National Public Lands Day, and is a broad volunteer opportunity for community members to contribute to the success of the Pisgah. The name of the event stems from The Pisgah Conservancy’s desire to instill pride in the maintenance of the Pisgah, and to encourage all members to a part in enjoying the forest.

The Pisgah Conservancy, the Forest Service and its established partners are teaming up with local business, schools, nonprofit organizations and other local forest users to make this event a success! Volunteers will participate on teams to work on a variety of projects all over the Pisgah! MountainTrue’s own Bob Gale will be working in Pisgah Pride Day to inventory nonnative, invasive species on Avery’s Creek Trail, Clawhammer Trail, and Perry Cove Trail. With the help of volunteers, he’ll be mapping out the location and density of these nonnative plants.

Show your pride for the Pisgah Forest and lend a hand on projects and maintenance vital to the well-being of the forest and its diverse ecosystem. Plus, after finishing the work day, volunteers can head to Oskar Blues Brewery in Brevard, where a percentage of all proceeds will be donated to The Pisgah Conservancy. All are welcome. Sign up through The Pisgah Conservancy’s website to volunteer. Come out and show your pride!