Join us for the MountainTrue Fall Gathering at New Belgium!

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

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!

MountainTrue Comes to the High Country with a Kick-off Event in Boone

MountainTrue Comes to the High Country with a Kick-off Event in Boone

MountainTrue Comes to the High Country with a Kick-off Event in Boone

On March 3, the High Country welcomed MountainTrue with a kick-off event at Appalachian Mountain Brewery in Boone. Attendees enjoyed great beer, music by Andy Ferrell, and free samples of Appalachia Cookie Company’s Spring Seasonal Lemon Lavender cookie, proceeds from the sale of which benefit our work. Graphic design services were provided by Open Door Design Studio.

 

Check out the full photo gallery on Facebook.

High Country Regional Director Andy Hayslip addressed the crowd to talk about MountainTrue’s unique WNC region-wide focus and Co-Director Bob Wagner and Communications Director Karim Olaechea were on hand to discuss the organization’s history, mission and upcoming programs for 2016. These include a volunteer-led water quality monitoring program as well as stream restoration and clean-up events.

Andy was interviewed by both the High Country Press and the Watauga Democrat in the days leading up to the kick-off event. You can also check out our press release here.

 

Danny Wilcox, Director of Retail Operations at Appalachian Mountain Brewery with MountainTrue High Country Regional Director Andy Hayslip. March 3, 2016. Photo credit: katrinaohstrom.com

MountainTrue Communications Director Karim Olaechea with David J. Holloman, Owner of Appalachia Cookie Company with and MountainTrue High Country Regional Director Andy Hayslip. March 3, 2016. Photo credit: katrinaohstrom.com

Boone native Andy Ferrell playing at Appalachian Mountain Brewery. March 3, 2016. Photo credit: katrinaohstrom.com

MOUNTAINTRUE COMES TO HIGH COUNTRY WITH KICKOFF EVENT IN BOONE

MOUNTAINTRUE COMES TO HIGH COUNTRY WITH KICKOFF EVENT IN BOONE

MountainTrue Comes to High Country with Kickoff Event in Boone

Boone, N.C. — The High Country welcomes MountainTrue with a kick off event at Appalachian Mountain Brewery in Boone on Thursday, March 3rd at 6pm. The event will feature great beer, music by Andy Ferrell and the unveiling of a tasty new seasonal cookie from Appalachia Cookie Company. A limited-edition poster featuring an illustration of Linville Falls was designed by Open Door Design Studio of Asheville and will be available for purchase at the event.

RSVP Through Facebook

Love clean water, healthier forests and more sustainable communities? Then, join us on March 3rd as we welcome MountainTrue to the High Country.

MountainTrue is a region-wide conservation organization that focuses on a core set of issues across the 23 counties of Western North Carolina: sensible land use, restoring public forests, protecting water quality and promoting clean energy – all of which have a high impact on the environmental health and long-term prosperity of our residents.

To expand their presence in the High Country, MountainTrue has opened an office in The GreenHouse in Downtown Boone which is staffed by Andy Hayslip, who was recently hired as MountainTrue’s High Country Regional Director and Watauga Riverkeeper. Andy comes to the High Country from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission where he worked to protect and conserve Florida’s natural resources, and brings a diverse background in land use planning, conservation, and water resources science and policy.

Andy Hayslip, MountainTrue High Country Regional Director and Watauga Riverkeeper, says:

I’m looking forward to expanding our work here in the High Country. Donna Lisenby, the former Watauga Riverkeeper, as well as other members of the community  have been doing a great job of introducing me to everyone and getting me up to speed. I’m really excited to partner with business leaders, community groups, and environmental organizations to help protect our region’s beauty and ecological heritage.

At the March 3rd kickoff event, Andy looks forward to discussing MountainTrue’s history, mission, and upcoming programs for 2016, which will include a volunteer-led water quality monitoring program as well as stream restoration and clean-up events.

Appalachian Mountain Brewery is hosting the event, and has generously dedicated proceeds from its popular Pints for Nonprofits program exclusively to MountainTrue for the month of March. The brewery has put sustainability at the center of its business philosophy and has taken the lead in welcoming MountainTrue to town.

Danny Wilcox, Director of Retail Operations at Appalachian Mountain Brewery, says:

What really impressed me about MountainTrue is how dedicated they are to bringing the entire community together towards solutions that are good for everyone—conservationists, recreationists, business owners, tourists and locals. They take a balanced, holistic approach, and Andy seems like a really stand-up guy.

Appalachia Cookie Company has also pitched in by collaborating with MountainTrue on their Spring seasonal cookie, which will benefit MountainTrue and its conservation programs. Cookies will be available for purchase at the Brewery on the night of the event.

David J. Holloman, Owner of Appalachia Cookie Company, says:

Western North Carolina has its own issues and values that are distinct from what might be of concern to people in the eastern regions of the state. It’s going to take a regional vision if we’re going to effectively advocate for our forests, rivers and streams. Those are the lifeblood of our communities and MountainTrue gets that.

About MountainTrue

MountainTrue fosters and empowers communities throughout the region and engages in policy and project advocacy, outreach and education, and on the ground projects. To achieve our goals, MountainTrue focuses on a core set of issues across 23 counties of Western North Carolina: sensible land use, restoring public forests, protecting water quality and promoting clean energy – all of which have a high impact on the environmental health and long-term prosperity of our residents. MountainTrue is the home of the Watauga Riverkeeper, the primary watchdog and spokesperson for the Elk and Watauga Rivers; the French Broad Riverkeeper, the primary protector and defender of the French Broad River watershed; and Broad River Alliance, a Waterkeeper Affiliate working to promote fishable, swimmable, drinkable waters in the Broad River Basin. For more information: mountaintrue.org

 

Media Contact:
Karim Olaechea, MountainTrue Communications Director
C: 415-535-9004, E: karim@mountaintrue.org

 

High Country Kickoff

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