MountainTrue reunites former Swannanoa resident with cup lost during Helene

MountainTrue reunites former Swannanoa resident with cup lost during Helene

MountainTrue reunites former Swannanoa resident with cup lost during Helene

Last August, Max Trumpower was excited to move to the Asheville area. One month before Hurricane Helene, the ceramic artist settled into an apartment overlooking what was then the gently flowing Swannanoa River east of Asheville. In late September, that all changed.

Max Trumpower displays their sipper cup

On the evening of September 26, with the water steadily rising, Max decided to leave their apartment for a friend’s house in a safer location. Two days later, Max’s entire apartment building, including all their belongings, was gone, swept away by the swollen Swannanoa. The same storm took the lives of two others in a neighboring building who did not leave their home soon enough. With little keeping Max in Asheville, they left the state with more room in their suitcase than when they arrived.

 

Ten months after Helene, with the help of volunteers from City Year, Truist and N.C. Department of Environmental Quality Secretary Reid Wilson, MountainTrue recovered several personal items along the banks of the Swannanoa River. Among them, a small handmade ceramic cup was found completely intact. It featured a cityscape design with intricate details, and an artist’s signature — Autumn McCay, a Cincinatti, Ohio-based ceramic artist. We reached out to Autumn and found that she created the small “sipper” cup for one friend in particular — Max. The cityscapes featured on Autumn’s ceramic pieces were reflections of the Louisville, Kentucky skyline where they both once lived. The cup detailed some of their favorite Louisville hangouts — an incredibly personal expression of their friendship.

Max Trumpower is reunited with ceramic cup

Now returned to Max, this special sipper cup represents one of only two items from their Asheville home. The other, a control panel from their personal kiln, was found lodged under a boulder in the riverbed nearby. Among Max’s extensive losses are irreplaceable large figurative ceramic sculptures that they created. We were thrilled to be able to return this special sipper cup to Max, one small step on the road to recovery! Good luck to Max! We can’t wait to see what you make next! 

 

Mandy Wallace, MountainTrue Artifact Recovery Technician

Take Action: Speak up to Protect our USFS Southern Research Station

Take Action: Speak up to Protect our USFS Southern Research Station

Take Action: Speak up to Protect our USFS Southern Research Station

The USDA has proposed changes to the U.S. Forest Service structure.  The proposal is far-reaching, but could have a huge impact on the US Forest Service if implemented. The Forest Service currently has a hierarchical structure of Washington Office > Regional Office > Forest Supervisors Office > Ranger District Office. The Forest Service also has a research branch that provides information on forest economics, forest pests and pathogens, timber management techniques, wildlife habitat, watershed management, fire management, and forest inventory, among other responsibilities. The headquarters for the Southern Research Station is in Asheville, North Carolina, and two important research forests, Bent Creek and Coweeta, are also located in Western North Carolina. The current reorganization plan would eliminate all Regional Offices and consolidate Forest Service Research to Fort Collins, Colorado. This plan would lead to the elimination or relocation of more than 100 forestry, administrative, and research jobs in Western North Carolina. 

The economic effects of the reorganization would reverberate for decades. More than just the local job losses, the closing of the Southern Research Station would stifle innovation in forestry and conservation for decades to come. The Forests of the Southeast are distinct from those in other parts of the country. Southern National Forests have always gotten less funding and attention than those in the West, while the water, recreation, and wildlife they supply to the South are crucial. Please tell the USDA and your elected officials to save the US Forest Service and the Southern Research Station from this costly and unneeded reorganization. 

We’re Refreshing Our Look — But Our Mission Remains the Same

We’re Refreshing Our Look — But Our Mission Remains the Same

We’re Refreshing Our Look — But Our Mission Remains the Same

At MountainTrue, we’ve always believed that protecting the places we share — our rivers, forests, and communities — starts with being deeply rooted in the people and places of the Southern Blue Ridge. That’s why we’re refreshing our brand to better reflect who we are today and where we’re going tomorrow.

Over the coming months, you’ll notice updates to our logo, colors, typography, and design. These changes are grounded in our core values: we are professional and effective, yet proudly grassroots and community-driven. We are hopeful, forward-thinking, and fiercely committed to creating a healthier, more resilient region for generations to come.

Along with these updates, we’re also building a brand-new website that’s easier to use, more accessible, and better equipped to tell the stories of our work and the people who make it possible. We’ll be launching the new site later this year — and we can’t wait to share it with you.

We appreciate your patience and support during this exciting transition. Our look may be evolving, but our mission remains the same: to champion clean waters, resilient forests, and healthy communities across the Southern Blue Ridge Mountains

Thank you for being part of the MountainTrue community.

Debris cleanup update: How debris cleanup is progressing in Madison County

Debris cleanup update: How debris cleanup is progressing in Madison County

Debris cleanup update: How debris cleanup is progressing in Madison County

Many have seen heavy machinery in Madison County waterways and have expressed concerns about excessive woody debris removal and impacts to wildlife in the French Broad River. MountainTrue shares those concerns. We wanted to share an update for how this cleanup is going and how you can help ensure it goes smoothly. 

MountainTrue, funded by a grant from the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, is focused on removing small, hand-pickable trash from waterways that machines can’t reach. Our work focuses on extracting man-made debris from areas inaccessible to machinery and restoring stream banks to help prevent erosion. MountainTrue will not be removing woody debris.

Meanwhile, with funding from FEMA, Madison County has hired Southern Debris Removal (SDR) to conduct larger debris removal using heavy machinery from bank to bank on the French Broad River, up to the traditional high water mark (Not the Helene flood mark.) SDR’s work is overseen by the Madison County Soil & Water Conservation District, the local government agency responsible for directing their efforts.

MountainTrue is working closely with Madison County Soil & Water to protect the river from unnecessary disturbance and ensure that dangerous debris is removed. To ensure that this complicated process is done as safely and effectively as possible, we could use your help.

How You Can Help

As residents and members of the local boating community, you have more eyes on this process than anyone. We’re calling on you to help guide this operation toward the best possible outcome by witnessing, documenting and reporting what you see.

SDR, like all contractors paid with FEMA funding, is required to follow FEMA Waterway Debris Removal Guidelines.

What actions would violate those guidelines?

  • No timber matting under vehicles or machines entering/exiting waterways (these mats look like railroad ties embedded in the bank)
  • Spilled petroleum or hazardous substances
  • Excavation (digging) of soil or woody debris instead of pulling
  • Removal of live trees leaning less than 30%
  • Removal of root balls with less than 50% exposed
  • Clumps of soil still attached to tree roots
  • Removal of downed trees that were there before the storm
  • Use of vehicles or machinery in wetlands

SDR is contracted to work countywide and may enter any navigable waterway. However, they are not allowed to remove pre-storm debris. On creeks that didn’t flood (like Big Pine Creek), there should be little to no debris removal. If you see them working on our little creeks, it’s worth documenting. MountainTrue is funded to carefully remove debris from smaller tributaries impacted by Helene.

If you see anything that violates these guidelines, including actions that create unnecessary environmental or safety hazards, you can submit this form: Madison County Debris Removal Concerns.

When submitting, include as much of the following as you can:

  • Date, time, and location of the incident
  • Close-up photos or videos showing the issue
  • Zoomed-out photos or videos that give context to the location
  • If safe to obtain, a photo of the machine’s ID sticker (usually located on the side) can also be helpful, but it’s not required

What happens next?

MountainTrue staff will review your submissions and pass them along to the Madison County Soil and Water Department if we feel that there is strong evidence that SDR is in violation of the guidelines. 

To be clear, this is a complicated and necessary process. We are not seeking confrontation with machine operators, just accountability. Please keep in mind that debris removal employees are doing tough work in challenging conditions. How we engage matters and how we approach them may shape how they care for our community in return. 

Let us know what you see. With your help, we can advocate for this cleanup to be done right and protect our rivers. For more information on Madison County Soil & Water Conservation District’s work with SDR, see its post here.

Additional information about the debris removal process in Madison County

SDR’s work will occur in two phases.

Phase 1: Waterway Debris Removal (WDR)

  • During this stage, SDR may operate in the river channel (bank to bank) and remove debris up to the traditional high‑water line (not the Helene flood mark). Think of it like they are working on a highway right-of-way.
  • No landowner permission is required to remove debris up to the traditional high‑water line from within the river.
  • Machines may not operate above the high-water line unless the owner has signed a Right of Entry (ROE) during this phase.

If you see machines driving up the banks, tire tracks left above the traditional high water line, or debris that has been removed above the high water line during this stage, those are all causes for suspicion – please take a video and report it via the above form. 

Phase 2: Personal Property Debris Removal (PPDR)

  • Begins after the WDR phase is completed for a given river section.
  • Some areas (like Sections 7 and 10) may enter this phase before others (like Sections 8 and 9)
  • Property owners must sign up for this phase to have debris removed above the traditional high‑water line, otherwise SDR is not allowed to enter the property.

Can I still access the river?

  • All public access points and river parks will remain open throughout SDR’s stay in Madison County.
  • You are absolutely within your rights to be present at river parks, observe work, and take videos.
  • SDR cannot ask you to leave public access points or parks.
Protect Public Lands in Cherokee County: Public Lands Are For The People – Not Private Developers

Protect Public Lands in Cherokee County: Public Lands Are For The People – Not Private Developers

Protect Public Lands in Cherokee County: Public Lands Are For The People – Not Private Developers

About the issue

On April 21, 2025, the Cherokee County Commissioners unanimously adopted a Petition for Redress of Grievances to the US Government that states in part: “Lakefront land should be made available for private and commercial development such as private homes and commercial development to enhance the property tax base of Cherokee County and to support revenue generation for the benefit of the citizens of the county.”

The “lakefront land” to which the petition refers is comprised of hundreds of acres, including popular hunting areas and beloved recreation areas like Cherokee Lake, Hanging Dog, and Panther Top, just to name a few.  

Privatizing the national forest around Lake Hiwassee would be a devastating loss for the people of Cherokee County. These public lands belong to all of us — they’re where we hunt, fish, hike, and make memories with our families. Selling them off to developers or out-of-state investors threatens our way of life and turns shared treasures into exclusive playgrounds for the wealthy. Once this land is gone, we’ll never get it back.

MountainTrue is opposed to the sale of public lands, particularly for the purpose of private development. 

We recognize the need for better access to public lands and more developed recreation facilities in Cherokee County, including a campground on Hiwassee Lake. We are willing to advocate for this, as well as for development of a state park, as long as public lands are not relinquished in the process.

 

Get involved:

The next Cherokee County Board of Commissioners meeting is set for Tuesday, July 29, at 6:30 p.m. If you would like to speak, you must arrive early and sign up in advance. 

To receive future updates from MountainTrue on this project and other local happenings, click here to sign up for communications from MountainTrue.

 

Comment from MountainTrue member and former Hiwassee River Watershed Coalition board chair, Jason Chambers:

“To my friends in Cherokee County, NC, including deer hunters, bear hunters, coon hunters, fishermen, hikers, and anyone who enjoys our National Forest Land.  In case you weren’t aware, our local commissioners signed a petition stating their desire to sell the National Forest land surrounding Lake Hiwassee.  It would be sold not to you and me, but to rich developers. 

We cannot let this happen.  If the rich get a single inch of the land we all own, they will take a mile. Soon, it will only be the rich who will be able to hunt and fish because they will own all the land.

If you think I’m being silly, read the paragraph below. The big beautiful bill you’re hearing about in the news contains a provision you may not know about.  And yes, North Carolina is not on the list of states affected, but if this happens, it will set a precedent and we will be next.

‘According to a budget blueprint released Wednesday evening by the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, the federal government would be required to sell off between 2.2 and 3.3 million acres of land owned by the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service over the next five years… The 11 states that would be affected by the proposal are Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.’

So please tell your friends, call your congressman, representatives, commissioners, whoever.  But make your voice heard. Tell whoever will listen that our public lands are Not. For. Sale.

Local Hiwassee Lake Popular Recreation Areas/Beloved Places

Cherokee Lake/Persimmon Creek Dam

Popular among locals for fishing in Cherokee Lake and Hiwassee Lake on both sides of the dam, camping on the shores, swimming and paddling in both Hiwassee Lake and Cherokee Lake, and hunting in adjacent USFS-owned land. Picnic area at Cherokee Lake is also heavily used.

Hiwassee Dam Recreation Area

Local swimming, fishing, and picnics at the pavilion on Hiwassee Dam Access Road at the dam.

Mickens Branch Boating Access

A WRC-managed boating access and some primitive camping sites managed by TVA. Located just before Hiwassee Dam on the access road.

Alabama Rock

A popular local swimming hole off Joe Brown Highway.

Shooks Marina

Locally run marina business off Joe Brown Highway offering boat rentals and slips, gas and supplies, and used by locals as a fishing access.

Dukes Hideaway Marina

Locally run marina business off Joe Brown Highway offering boat and slip rentals, gas, fishing, swimming, and a mini store.

Grape Creek Boating Access

Off Joe Brown Highway, WRC-managed boating access.

Shoal Creek Falls

Waterfall within short hiking distance of Hawassee Lake on Talking Trees Road.

Panther Top and Seed Orchard

Large expanse of USFS land bordering Hiwassee Lake and Nottely River, popular with locals for hiking, hunting, and other forest activities. Some primitive camping along the Forest Service roads in more remote areas adjacent to Hiwassee Lake. Panther Top Fire Tower is open in the fall for views of fall foliage and is very popular.

Hanging Dog Recreation Area

Once a campground run by the USFS, now a recreation area with hiking trails, a mountain bike trail, and two boat ramps – one for low water access and the other for higher water access. Picnic pavilion, swimming, a WRC fishing pier, and bank fishing are also popular with locals.

Payne Street and the “Backwaters”

Payne Street has full pool boating access in town, and the road follows the lake/river bank past the boat ramp. A local fishing favorite due to access to the fluctuating backwaters as the lake levels rise and fall, and its tendency to congregate game fish.

Hiwassee Street Boating Access

Just across from Murphy Fire Department in the downtown area is a high water boating access that gives year-round boating access to paddlers and summer access to motorized boats. 

Murphy Riverwalk and Canoe Trail

Run by Heritage Partners and the Town of Murphy, this greenway system follows the Hiwassee and Valley Rivers and offers canoe and kayak access in several areas along with boardwalks and the locally popular “Leech Place” from Cherokee Folklore. Used by locals for walking, fishing, boating access, and education. The greenway goes through a large portion of Downtown Murphy and has several access points along its four-mile length from Murphy High School to Konehete Park and on to the L&N Depot.

Recent News

Read more about the issue in this article, published July 22 by News Channel 9.

More info & important insight

Read relevant news articles published in the Cherokee Scout.

View the map

View a map of the Tusquitee Ranger District in Nantahala National Forest

Big News: MountainTrue Launches Major River Cleanup Effort Across WNC

Big News: MountainTrue Launches Major River Cleanup Effort Across WNC

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

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

We’re Refreshing Our Look — But Our Mission Remains the Same

Read our blog to learn more.