Big News: MountainTrue Launches Major River Cleanup Effort Across WNC

Dear MountainTrue Members & Friends,

We’re thrilled to share a major milestone in our region’s recovery from Hurricane Helene.

MountainTrue is partnering with the State of North Carolina to launch one of the largest river cleanup efforts Western North Carolina has ever seen. Backed by $10 million in state funding through the NC Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ), this program will put people back to work, restore our rivers, and bring our communities together.

This is more than a cleanup—it’s a recovery effort grounded in our core values: clean water, healthy ecosystems, and resilient communities.

About the Program

After Helene, federal aid helped address major rivers and large debris, but smaller streams and tributaries were left behind — still clogged with trash, broken infrastructure, and storm debris. That’s where we come in.

Over the next year and a half, MountainTrue will:

• Deploy paid cleanup crews across Western North Carolina
• Remove debris from rivers and streams across our region
• Continue to grow our network of volunteers
• Work directly with landowners to access and restore hard-to-reach areas

In our pilot phase alone, our staff and volunteers have already removed nearly 3 million pounds of debris. This new program lets us scale that success across 26 counties and the Qualla Boundary.

How You Can Get Involved

• Apply for a job: We’re hiring! Visitcleanupwncrivers.com for good, steady work with real impact.
• Volunteer: Check out our volunteer events to lend a hand. To organize a cleanup day with your church, hiking club, or civic group, contact cleanupprogram@mountaintrue.org
• Landowner? If you own riverfront property, we may be able to help clean it up — at no cost to you. Contact us at cleanupprogram@mountaintrue.org
• Donate: Your support helps us go further, reach more places, and restore rivers faster. Every gift matters.

Why This Matters

• It’s creating jobs for people displaced by the storm.
• It’s protecting water quality and public safety.
• It’s helping revive WNC’s outdoor recreation and tourism economy.
• And it shows what’s possible when communities come together.

This is a proud moment for MountainTrue—and a powerful example of what we can achieve with your support. In the weeks ahead, we’ll share more ways you can help spread the word, volunteer, and celebrate the impact we’re making together.

Thank you for being part of this important work. You make all of this possible.

With gratitude,

Bob Wagner, MountainTrue Executive Director