MountainStrong Hurricane Recovery Fund

In the wake of Hurricane Helene, MountainTrue is dedicated to addressing the urgent needs of our community.

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MountainTrue’s Helene Cleanup Crews: FAQ

MountainTrue’s Helene Cleanup Crews: FAQ

MountainTrue’s Helene Cleanup Crews: FAQ

Have you seen one or more of our cleanup crews in action? We’ve answered some frequently asked questions here so you can learn more about them:

 

Who are the cleanup crews? 

The cleanup crews you may see working in/around your local waterways are led by MountainTrue’s River Cleanup Coordinator, Jon Stamper. Cleanup crews are comprised of MountainTrue volunteers and our paid workforce. These paid workers operate cleanups throughout the Helene-affected areas in WNC. They work to remove debris and restore riverbanks. If you’re interested in applying to be a part of MountainTrue’s cleanup crews or have questions, please reach out to cleanup@mountaintrue.org. 

Where do y’all work?

We’re hosting river cleanups across WNC. If you’d like to volunteer with us, find an upcoming cleanup on our events calendar – advance registration is preferred and greatly appreciated! 

What happens to the trash & storm debris y’all collect from the cleanup sites?

All debris and trash are removed by MountainTrue as quickly as possible. At times, we may make piles of trash over several days. We will remove everything we have collected before moving to a new site. We follow county guidelines when disposing of the trash we’ve collected from waterways. When possible, we make every effort to recycle or repurpose what we pick up. If our crews find important items in the storm debris, we also work to identify and return lost items to their owners. 

How can we support this work? 

Donate to our MountainStrong Recovery & Resilience Fund, sign up to volunteer with us, and support your WNC Riverkeepers! You can follow MountainTrue and our four Riverkeepers on Facebook & Instagram:

Take Action to Protect the Little Tennessee River

Take Action to Protect the Little Tennessee River

Take Action to Protect the Little Tennessee River

The Little Tennessee River is home to an incredible diversity of life: over 100 fish species alone, including some found nowhere else in the world. The river and its adjacent greenway are also a beloved recreational resource for Macon County residents and tourists alike. But over the past few weeks, the banks of the river have been under assault by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers contractors, removing hundreds of trees, many of which were still alive. Take action now to prevent further damage to the river!

Take Action

While large-scale debris removal continues to be a high priority in many parts of Western North Carolina in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, the Little Tennessee River did not experience those same impacts; only normal flooding. Apart from a few localized areas, like the Cullasaja River across from Walmart, there is no need for disaster recovery-type debris removal in Macon County waterways. And yet, contractors started near Tryphosa Road in Otto and have been working their way down the river, removing trees and debris from the river channel and banks in areas where no flooding impacts occurred. 

Native trees and shrubs along waterways are vital for preventing erosion, providing shade for our coldwater fisheries and wildlife habitat. Wood is also important for streams — it provides habitat for fish, salamanders, and aquatic insects, backwater areas for wood ducks and other waterfowl, and can reduce the velocity of the water during a storm event.

Erosion that will undoubtedly happen as a result of this work will contribute to more flooding and land loss in future storms and will negatively impact fish, freshwater mussels, and other aquatic animals. 

The Little Tennessee River continues to be negatively impacted by overzealous removal of trees and wood by contractors who are under the oversight of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at the request of the Macon County government. Ask US Army Corps of Engineers Emergency Management Branch Chief George Minges and Macon County Fire Marshal Jimmy Teem to ensure that future work is limited to only Helene-related debris! 

Thank you for supporting a healthy Little Tennessee River!

Take Action

More info & important insight

Read wildlife biologist Jason Love’s Letter To The Editor, published in The Franklin Press on April 23, 2025.

Click here
View Photos

Take Action: Tell NCDEQ that North Carolina Needs an E.coli Standard

Take Action: Tell NCDEQ that North Carolina Needs an E.coli Standard

Take Action: Tell NCDEQ that North Carolina Needs an E.coli Standard

Press Release: MountainTrue Announces Anna Alsobrook as New French Broad Riverkeeper

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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Report: Water Quality Impacts of Helene

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.

View the report - click here

Post-Helene Cleanup Monitoring Form

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.

View the form - click here
***Please remember to never trespass on private property, enter job sites, or put yourself in harm’s way when documenting prospective violations.