By Mary Jo Padgett, Co-Founder of Environmental and Conservation Organization (ECO)

As a way to celebrate the 40th anniversary of what’s now known as MountainTrue, I’ve been asked to reminisce with you about the “old days” of ECO. The Environmental and Conservation Organization, popularly known as ECO, was one of the three organizations that merged together in 2015 to become MountainTrue. What comes to my mind as I surf through my mental movie of those early years are the things that made it exciting then and now – the intelligent, creative people, progressive ideas, and responsible, thoughtful action that was ECO and continues as MountainTrue.

It started as an idea while chatting around the kitchen table in 1987. My husband, David Malpass, and I were doing just that – discussing, as we frequently did, local political issues that seemed to us to have negative impacts on the environment. Among the topics of the day: a county-wide discussion about building an incinerator in Fletcher as a way to dispose of garbage; an attempt to build an asphalt plant in Rugby on land that was a recognized wetland; and NCDOT’s unpopular idea to cut down several trees on Four Seasons Blvd. (which had been planted as part of Lady Bird Johnson’s national beautification program) for no better reason than to allow better visibility of billboards. In Henderson County, where we lived, there was no shortage of environmental concerns.

David and I were average, employed, concerned citizens – he was a high school vocational ed. teacher; I was an associate editor at The Mother Earth News magazine. We decided we wanted to connect to the folks we saw and heard speak about environmental issues at the many County Commissioner meetings we attended. We also wanted to find people who wanted to get outdoors and explore our locale. So, we decided to call a meeting to see if anyone would show up to watch a video and talk about wetlands. We issued a press release to invite like-minded citizens to attend a gettogether. And they did! The 35 hiker-environmentalists who attended that first meeting on September 23, 1987, became the backbone of what grew to become the Environmental and Conservation Organization. They brought good ideas, a propensity for action, and more people to the next meetings.

We called it the Outing and Environmental Group, which for two years was managed from our kitchen table. Newsletters, program agendas, speakers, news announcements, projects, and finances were handled by us, the “founding couple.” Right away, the group had a big idea — build a Jackson Park Nature Trail. By 1990, the 1.5-mile trail was done (dedicated and officially opened on Earth Day that year). This was a growing group that liked to learn, hike, participate in political decision-making, and do environmental projects. It became clear to me that his organization needed an official structure.

Key folks hunkered down with us to hash out bylaws and create a nonprofit organization with a board of directors. In the process, the name became the Environmental and Conservation Organization (ECO), and by 1992, the 501(c)3 incorporation papers had been written, submitted, and approved by the State of North Carolina. Membership dues were established.

By 2007, ECO had nearly 500 members in Henderson County and beyond. Political advocacy and outdoor-oriented programming were plentiful and fruitful. Action was so profound that an army of ECO volunteers had received awards and recognition from the Governor; state, national, and local environmental agencies; and businesses. All efforts were focused on the goal of conserving the land that sustains us, keeping it safe, healthy, and productive. Our motto: take care of your own backyard.

David Malpass was a major force with ECO until our divorce in 1993. As co-founder, I served in various capacities over a 20-year span, from organizer to president of the board, PR chairman to interim executive director, and then as executive director from 1995 to 2007. I retired as executive director in 2007 and passed leadership on to others.

By 2015 a merger with other environmental groups in WNC seemed a good next step so that the productive meetings, exciting projects, and intelligent leaders could keep citizens engaged and the ideas and action continuing to flow. MountainTrue was born.

Photo: ECO volunteers do a presentation on recycling and composting for local school children

Once a private, hidden treasure, DuPont State Recreational Forest is now beloved by millions thanks to MountainTrue and a broad coalition

By Jeff Jennings, MountainTrue member and former director of Friends of DuPont Forest

When I first moved to Western North Carolina more than 30 years ago, a colleague took me on a memorable drive through the deeply forested acres surrounding the DuPont company’s Brevard film plant. It was not a small patch of woods — the company owned 11,000 acres and used it to ensure water supply, entertain customers and offer employees amazing outdoor opportunities. I remember when we stopped to look at Triple Falls, it seemed unbelievable that such a jewel was basically our very own to enjoy.

Today, with visitation surging to about 1.3 million last year, DuPont State Recreational Forest has established itself as one of Western North Carolina’s top draws for both tourism and local outdoor recreation. With approximately ⅓ of its 12,000 acres dedicated as NC Nature Preserve, the property protects numerous endangered plants and animals while contributing to clean water, public health, and the local tax base.

An extremely broad-based coalition of individuals and groups is to thank for saving this significant land from becoming yet another private golf course after the DuPont company left the area. While some groups in the coalition are well known, many people may be unaware of MountainTrue’s role in establishing the public forest, which lies in both Transylvania and Henderson Counties.

In 1995, I was working as an engineer in the DuPont’s Research and Development group when DuPont announced that it was selling the X-ray film plant to a private equity company while putting 7600 acres of its more remote forest on the market. Most people assumed that this land would turn into housing developments sprawling along the roadways. Hooker Falls was part of this tract, but the iconic High Falls, Triple Falls, and Bridal Veil Falls remained with the X-ray film plant as a private “donut hole”.

I was also President of the Environmental and Conservation Organization (ECO) at that time. Established in the late 1980s, ECO served as the leading local conservation advocacy group in and around Henderson County. Founded by Mary Jo Padgett, the organization was a forerunner and founding partner of MountainTrue, which was formed in 2015 when several regional groups consolidated.

When I heard the news about the film plant’s sale, I was in a perfect position to see if there was a way to conserve the property and open it to all. I made calls to corporate headquarters and learned that DuPont had a Land Legacy program that could facilitate this. I contacted Chuck McGrady, former executive director of ECO and then president of what is now Conserving Carolina, who brought in contacts at the national Conservation Fund, which facilitated the sale of this original tract to NC for less than $300/acre in 1996.

At that time, most local people had heard of the private forest around DuPont but only insiders were familiar with what a spectacular resource it was. The public learned about DuPont State Forest primarily through the ECO website, which hosted virtually the only source of information about the forest for the first eight years. Maps, photos, and trail guides were available online. Hand-drawn trail maps were color copied and sold at the local Visitor’s Centers to raise funds for ECO. The trails were wildly popular with adventuresome backcountry hikers and equestrians and (eventually) mountain bikers. But the parking and accommodations were extremely limited, and the crowds were only a tiny fraction of what we have today.

In the year 1999, the new owner of the X-ray film plant decided to sell to yet another company, but this time the spectacular waterfalls were being sold to the highest bidder in a private sale. A major Asheville golf course developer appeared to have the inside track during private negotiations and was able to outbid the State of North Carolina. No final bid was offered to the State, even though it owned the surrounding forest and had funds to match the bid.

In 2000, a band of conservationists, hikers, mountain bikers, equestrians, and outdoorsmen formed Friends of the Falls to advocate for the legal condemnation of the property in the public interest. The group, which included several ECO leaders, utilized ECO as the fiscal agent to receive contributions. The effort to save the waterfalls from private golf course development was highly controversial, and it was by no means clear that we would be successful. We fought this battle primarily through the internet, with the informal DuPont State Forest Home Page being hosted on ECO’s website. The website funneled email, faxes, and phone calls to the Governor, generating the largest number of communications to the Executive Branch in NC history.

The campaign culminated on October 23, 2000 when Governor Hunt and the Council of State voted to condemn the 2700-acre donut hole, forcing a sale to the State. This added the majestic three waterfalls to the Forest, while dramatically upgrading trail connectivity and increasing acreage. The forest opened to the public two months later in December.

In April, 2001, Friends of the Falls evolved into the 501(c)3 Friends of DuPont Forest (FODF). I served as the founding president, along with several ECO and Conserving Carolina leaders. FODF volunteers served significant roles in the early years of the Forest. 21 years later, FODF has grown to 800 members with the mission of maintaining trails, protecting delicate habitat and biodiversity and encouraging sustainable public enjoyment of the forest. MountainTrue cooperates with FODF in projects such as invasive plant removal and water quality monitoring, and advocates in the General Assembly for funding for the Forest.

While names have changed, MountainTrue members should reflect on the contributions that their organization has made for DuPont and other projects throughout the region. Today, it is difficult to imagine Hendersonville or Brevard without access to High Falls, Triple Falls, Cedar Rock or Fawn Lake. For me, working with others to protect these gems for the future and share them with all people has been one of the most significant honors of my life.

By David Weintraub, former executive director of ECO

The Year Was 2007. The Hendersonville Times-News had just completed an explosive series on “The Building Boom” alerting the public to the major changes coming if developers continued to call the shots. According to the series editor then Managing Editor, Bill Moss, the county was slated to add hundreds of new subdivisions constituting over 3,000 new homes which would eventually put the rural character of the county in the dustbin of history.  

Most folks in Henderson County did not support the loss of the county’s natural heritage, quality of life, and historical roots but most folks weren’t considered stakeholders by county commissioners. ECO, the Environmental and Conservation Organization wanted to change that and they realized the first step was for citizens to build their voice loud enough to be heard above the din of trackhoes, skidders, and wood chippers that were disassembling the native forest.

The first step was organizing residents to pack county commission hearings and Hendersonville City Council meetings to make it loud and clear to public officials that the county’s remaining open space was not a pie to be divvied up by Florida developers. The public needed a voice and it was time for it to be heard.

The county had a freshly minted Comprehensive Plan which had a pretty good Growth Management Plan declaring that 1) growth should be directed where infrastructure like water and sewer already existed, that 2) public utilities should not be brought into rural communities because it would become a lightning rod for development that would destroy the rural nature of those places and 3) farmland should be protected. ECO thought all of those elements of the plan were a good thing. The problem was that when development decisions were actually being made, it wasn’t the Comp Plan that was pulled out and applied. Instead, the Planning Board, heavily stacked with members of Beverly-Hanks, Keller Williams, Coldwell Banker, and the rest of the real estate community called the shots with little opposition from commissioners.

But commissioners under pressure for years from the League of Women Voters, ECO, and other groups, finally agreed to put a development code into place. Even they realized it no longer made sense to continue the “anything goes” approach to growth which was rapidly turning our beautiful county into Any Town, USA. When the development community got wind of the plan to create land rules, like blood in shark-infested waters, a feeding frenzy took off, leading to hundreds of developers applying for “vested rights” claiming that they already had development plans and wanted their development to follow the old “rules” rather than be forced to follow more restrictive guidelines.

As a result, the commissioners were forced into the position of holding weekly vested rights hearing while they were planning to develop new rules. ECO thought that put policymakers into a schizophrenic position, so we floated the idea to commissioners to pass a temporary building moratorium so that they could focus on the future without being saddled with the development frenzy pounding on their doors.

ECO began a series of town hall meetings in many communities targeted for increased development. We launched a petition drive to demand that commissioners pass the moratorium and we packed commission hearings. The meetings were flooded with public comments from natives to newcomers, putting pressure on policymakers to listen to what the rest of the community was demanding. The culmination of this effort was when ECO delivered over 4000 signatures to the commissioners on the eve of a critical Board of Commissioners meeting that would decide the fate of Crab Creek, a very rural community that would have been decimated had the plan to build a massive country club development called Glen and Highlands gone forward. In the first of many such decisions, the commissioners found their backbone (with ECO’s guidance as to their environmental chiropractor) and denied the development plans.

Over time, many harmful developments were deterred through this process. A Land Development Code was passed through citizens’ input and then strengthened to require that large developments set aside open space. It also stopped the practice of bringing waterlines to large developments and more. Additionally, a local erosion control ordinance was passed.

These all serve to be guideposts for current efforts to create a new Comprehensive Plan that can better meet the challenges of today. One of the greatest lessons that were learned in these battles of the past is that it only takes a small number of people to make a substantial difference. But also, planning rules today can easily be dismantled tomorrow if citizens don’t continue to be vigilant. They’re not making a new land. We have to protect what we have for ourselves, our kids, and the other critters who call our community home.