NCDOT Feedback on STIP

The North Carolina Department of Transportation is seeking input as they prioritize road projects for the next ten years. This is our best opportunity to influence the process and call for needed improvements like sidewalks, greenways, and bike lanes, while also speaking out against further highway expansions that are bad for our environment. See MountainTrue’s project priorities below and then use this interactive project map to tell DOT which projects you think they should prioritize and which ones you think they should not pursue.

Click Here for Project Map

MountainTrue Priorities for our Central Region:

Vote Yes!

Blue Projects:

US 70 (Tunnel Road) – 24 – Implement Road Diet to Improve Safety – Implement a road diet with intersection improvements on US 70 (Tunnel Road) from Beaucatcher Tunnel to US 74A (South Tunnel Road)
US 70 (Tunnel Road) – 11 – Access Management – Roadway improvements and access management to include complete streets elements.
US 25 (McDowell Street) – 26 – Upgrade Roadway – Upgrade roadway to improve safety, address congestion bottlenecks, and accommodate pedestrian and bicycle facilities.
Tunnel Road Sidewalks – 7 – Protected Linear Pedestrian Facility (Pedestrian) – Construct new sidewalks and fill-in sidewalk gaps from New Haw Creek Road to the Blue Ridge Parkway.
NC 63 (New Leicester Highway) – 11 – Access Management – Construct access management improvements.

Pink Projects:

Tunnel Road Sidewalks – 7 – Protected Linear Pedestrian Facility (Pedestrian) – Construct new sidewalks and fill-in sidewalk gaps from New Haw Creek Road to the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Reed Creek Greenway Extension – 2 – Off-Road/Separated Linear Bicycle Facility (Bicycle) – Extend the Reed Creek Greenway from the existing Reed Creek Greenway termini near WT Weaver Boulevard to the planned Riverside Drive Sidepath on NC 251.
NC 251 (Riverside Drive) – 7 – Protected Linear Pedestrian Facility (Pedestrian) – Construct sidewalks along NC 251 (Riverside Drive) from future I-26 to Woodfin Ave.
Patton Avenue – 7 – Protected Linear Pedestrian Facility (Pedestrian) – Construct sidewalks from Old Haywood Road to Johnston Blvd along Patton Avenue.
Bent Creek Greenway (WNC Farmers Market to Asheville Outlets) – 2 – Off-Road/Separated Linear Bicycle Facility (Bicycle) – Construct a new multi-use path from the WNC Farmer’s Market to Asheville Outlets along NC 191
Bent Creek Greenway (Hominy Creek/WNC Farmer’s Market Segment) – 2 – Off-Road/Separated Linear Bicycle Facility (Bicycle) – Construct a new multi-use path from Hominy Creek Greenway to Hominy Creek River Park.

Green Projects:

NS AS Line (WNC Passenger Service) – 5 – Passenger rail service (line) – Upgrade rail infrastructure to support new intercity passenger service from Salisbury to Asheville on the AS Line. Project includes necessary infrastructure, stations, and passenger equipment to begin service with three roundtrips per day.

Hard No!

I-40 – 1 – Widen Existing Roadway – SR 1200 (Wiggins Road), Exit 37 to SR 1224 (Monte Vista Road). Add additional lanes.
I-40 – 1 – Widen Existing Roadway – Widen Roadway. (2 separate sections to vote on here between Candler and Clyde)

MountainTrue Priorities for our Western Region:

Vote Yes!

SR 1307 (Tusquittee Rd) – 16 – Modernize Roadway – Modernize roadway to standard lane and shoulder widths with sidewalk to Ritter Road and Greenway to the Hiwassee River. (Clay Co.) [This one is straight out of the Hayesville Moves Pedestrian & Bicycle Plan!]
SR 1363 Texana Rd – Linear Pedestrian Facility (Cherokee Co)
SR 1127 (Snowbird Road) – 16 – Modernize Roadway – Modernize roadway to standard lane and shoulder widths with pedestrian and bicycle facilities. (Graham Co)
Hwy 441 Between Whittier & Cherokee – Provide access management by upgrading the roadway from 5-lane to a 4-lane divided facility. Include bicycle and pedestrian accommodations. (Jackson Co)
SR 1364 (Fontana Drive) – 7 – Protected Linear Pedestrian Facility (Pedestrian) – Construct a sidepath connecting the high school to downtown. (Swain Co)
Richland Creek Greenway– North – 2 – Off-Road/Separated Linear Bicycle Facility (Bicycle) (Haywood Co)
Raccoon Creek Greenway – 2 – Off-Road/Separated Linear Bicycle Facility (Bicycle) (Haywood Co)
US 64 Multi-Use Path – 2 – Off-Road/Separated Linear Bicycle Facility (Bicycle) in Cashiers (Jackson Co)
US 64 (Franklin Rd) -7 – Protected Linear Pedestrian Facility in Highlands (Pedestrian). Construct sidewalk. (Macon Co)

Hard No!

US-64 between Peachtree and Hayesville: creating a 4-lane divided highway. This will destroy our rural character and is completely unnecessary. Making it 3-lane in places to allow for passing, maybe, but not 4-lane divided.

MountainTrue Priorities for the High Country:

Vote Yes!

US 221 Truck, US 321 Truck, NC 105 – 4 – Upgrade Arterial to Signalized RCI Corridor – Improve corridor by constructing median and RCI intersections. Also construct bicycle and pedestrian improvements
NC 163 – 16 – Modernize Roadway – Modernize roadway and construct multiuse path
New River Hills Road Multi-Use Path – 2 – Off-Road/Separated Linear Bicycle Facility (Bicycle) – Construct a multi-use sidepath along New River Hills Road from US 421 multi-use path termini and future committed project (EB-5983) termini to connect to the existing Boone Greenway termini at Casey Lane.
Middle Fork Greenway Sections 5B, 5C, 3A, and 1B – Off-Road/Separated Linear Bicycle Facility (Bicycle) – Construct greenway along US 321 to Watauga Medical Center

Hard No!

US 421 (Daniel Boone Parkway) – 5 – Construct Roadway on New Location – Construct freeway on new location south of the City of Boone (there are 2 sections to vote on here, one west of Boone and the other southeast of Boone)

MountainTrue Priorities for our Southern Region:

Vote Yes!

Greenway-Jackson Park to Blue Ridge CC 2 – Off-Road/Separated Linear Bicycle Facility (Bicycle)
Church Street and King Street 7 – Protected Linear Pedestrian Facility (Pedestrian)
Saluda Grade Rail Trail 2 – Off-Road/Separated Linear Bicycle Facility (Bicycle)
Above The Mud Greenway Connector 2 – Off-Road/Separated Linear Bicycle Facility (Bicycle)

Thank you for helping make our roadways safer for all users by supporting multi-modal transportation projects and opposing unnecessary highway expansion!

MT Raleigh Report: NC State Budget Update – July 2024

When – or if – the history of the 2024 legislative session of the North Carolina General Assembly is ever written, it will be recalled more for what lawmakers were NOT able to accomplish than what they managed to do.

The General Assembly’s paralysis was most striking in its attempts to approve a revised budget for the 2024-25 fiscal year. Lawmakers approve a two-year budget in odd-numbered years and adjust the second-year spending plan in even-numbered years to account for fluctuations in revenue, salary increases for state employees, and dozens of other needed changes.

Despite months of negotiations, veto-proof Republican majorities in both the House and Senate AND a revenue surplus of more than $1 billion, the GOP-controlled House and Senate were unable to agree on a revised budget. Instead, they approved very limited funding bills to provide modest, stopgap assistance for childcare centers and a few other items.

In the absence of a revised budget, the FY24-25 budget approved last year remains in place, but leaves the state’s massive budget surplus sitting, uninvested, in the state’s coffers until lawmakers decide to act – most likely during next year’s long session, which begins in January.

For MountainTrue – and Western North Carolina – the budget stalemate means that our requests for investments to help reduce water pollution in the French Broad, to improve paddle trails on the First Broad and Watauga Rivers, and to fund a variety of nonpartisan outdoor recreation projects across the region will have to wait at least another year. You can find a list of MountainTrue’s legislative priorities here.

The paralysis in Raleigh was not limited to the budget. Dozens of bills – most of them noncontroversial – died in committee, held hostage in vain efforts by both the Senate and House to force the other to come to the table on unrelated issues. Among the victims: a bill to require local governments to pass ordinances encouraging “accessory dwelling units”. MountainTrue supported this legislation – which was approved by the House last year nearly unanimously – as a noncontroversial way to increase affordable housing stock without encouraging sprawl, among other environmental benefits to building more densely in already developed urban areas. Unfortunately, the bill was never heard in the Senate and will have to start from the beginning of the legislative process next year.

Despite our frustrations with the General Assembly, MountainTrue will continue to advocate for a clean, healthy mountain region in the state capital. We are already drawing up plans for our 2025 priorities and meeting with lawmakers in their home districts to discuss our to-do list for next year. Your support of MountainTrue makes this work possible – thank you for being part of our lobbying team.

Take Action: Oppose Weakening Macon County’s Flood Protection Ordinance!

Let Macon County Commissioners know that you oppose weakening Macon County’s Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance by removing restrictions on the use of fill dirt to elevate new houses or expand development in high-risk flood areas.

Two ways to take action:

1. Attend the July 9 Public Hearing to oppose changes to the Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance:

Macon County Board of Commissioners Meetings
July 9 at 6:00 p.m. in the Commissioners Board Room, Courthouse, third floor.
5 West Main Street • Franklin, NC 28734

2. Email Macon County Commissioners and let them know you oppose gutting our floodplain protections.

Take Action Now

Seventeen years ago, to better protect public safety and the environment in a region with steep mountain slopes and a higher risk of flooding, Macon County adopted an ordinance that is stricter than the state’s minimum standards. A natural floodplain allows water to spread out during a flood event, soak into the soil, and reduce a river’s speed and destructive power.

Now, Macon County Commissioners are considering weakening the Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance to allow property owners to use fill material in these areas — decreasing safety and increasing public and private losses due to flooding, including potential loss of life. Using fill dirt to raise houses, create driveways, or build more homes in flood-prone areas reduces the amount of floodplains that we have to mitigate flooding and puts more people at risk of floods by encouraging more homebuilding and development in floodplains.

Using fill dirt and materials in the floodplain will also increase costs for residents and taxpayers by raising insurance premiums and creating the need for the government to update floodplain maps routinely. The increased risk to life and property from accelerated flooding will also demand costly county resources and put county emergency personnel and volunteer rescuers at risk.

Because of Macon County’s steep slopes, narrow floodplains, and fast-flowing streams, former county leaders adopted stronger floodplain restrictions that have served the county well for many years.

Let Macon County Commissioners know that you support keeping our community safe by keeping these reasonable flood protections.

Read more:

MountainTrue’s July 2024 E-Newsletter

MountainTrue’s

July 2024 E-Newsletter

July news from MountainTrue’s four regional offices:

Central Region News

Click here to read

High Country News

Click here to read

Southern Region News

Click here to read

Western Region News

Click here to read

Central Region News

A message from Executive Director Bob Wagner:

I’ve just returned from a five-day camping trip with no cell phone service and my most used phone apps were AllTrails, Merlin BirdID, and iNaturalist. It can’t get any better than that! It’s full-on summer in the mountains and MountainTrue staff and volunteers are busy. This month, we continue to monitor water quality at your favorite swim spots so you can stay safe; we’ve been treating ash trees to protect them from the emerald ash borer; we’re overseeing the removal of a dilapidated dam in the High Country, which will contribute significantly to the health of the Watauga River; and we’re having some fun with river cleanups, a French Broad River talk at RAD Brewing, and even a benefit concert at Beech Mountain. Join us!

Want to be part of Plastic-Free July but aren’t sure how to do it?

MountainTrue is partnering with Pirani on Tuesday, July 2, to clean up the French Broad River! Together, we aim to inspire our community to reduce waste, Leave No Trace, opt for reusables versus single-use items, and adopt sustainable living practices. Come on out and lend a helping hand!

Have you ever wondered if the French Broad River is safe to play in?

Come out to another Brainy Brews event from 6-7 p.m. at RAD Brewing Co in Asheville, NC, on Wednesday, July 10. Hear French Broad Riverkeeper Hartwell Carson discuss the State of the French Broad River, MountainTrue’s current initiatives to improve the quality of the river, and learn how you can help. While you’re at it, grab a glass of Stream of Consciousness from the bar — a percentage of proceeds benefits MountainTrue while supplies last!

Bring the fam + celebrate our friends at Sugar Hollow Solar: August 17

Sugar Hollow Solar is celebrating its 14th anniversary and their one-year partnership with MountainTrue at Hickory Nut Gap Farms in Fairview, NC, on Saturday, August 17, from 2-5 p.m. This free, family-friendly event will have live music, good eats, face painting, and a crown making workshop with the French Broad Mermaid! Celebrate local businesses working hard to make a difference. We hope you’ll join us and bring some friends. Please RSVP by August 11 to ensure we have enough food and drink for everyone!

Paddling Film Fest: August 22 in Asheville, NC

Join us for the Paddling Film Festival World Tour at New Belgium Brewing in Asheville, NC, on August 22! Organized by Paddling Magazine and Rapid Media, sponsored by Headwaters Outfitters, and hosted by New Belgium Brewing, this event is a fundraiser for MountainTrue’s French Broad Riverkeeper program, which includes Swim Guide and the French Broad Paddle Trail. You’ll be inspired to explore rivers, lakes and oceans, push extremes, embrace the paddling lifestyle, and appreciate the wild places. Find out more and buy tickets!

Photo: Riverkeeper American Wheat Ale, photo courtesy of Wicked Weed Brewing via Instagram

Raise a glass of Riverkeeper to your French Broad Riverkeeper

Stop by the original Wicked Weed brewpub on Biltmore Avenue in Asheville, NC, to grab a Riverkeeper American Wheat Ale w/ Apricots. $1 of all pours will benefit MountainTrue’s French Broad Riverkeeper program while supplies last. Come on out and help us support our supporters!

Win a sweet paddle made by the Broad Riverkeeper!

Want to paddle in style? Grab a raffle ticket for a chance to win a paddle designed and crafted by Broad Riverkeeper David Caldwell! Proceeds support MountainTrue and the Broad Riverkeeper program. This paddle is made of walnut, basswood, oak, and mahogany; it’s 150 cm long and weighs 32 oz. Unlike most “production” paddles, which have a hard finish, Caldwell Carvings’ paddles have an oil finish that is warm to the touch and easily maintained. The raffle winner will be drawn on September 14. Click here for full guidelines or to purchase tickets.

Help us recognize outstanding members of our community

MountainTrue award season is here, and we’re taking nominations for our Esther Cunningham Award and our Regional Volunteer of the Year Awards through July 25. Awards will be presented at our Annual Gathering on Saturday, September 14, in Asheville, NC. For more information on the award categories or to nominate someone, click here.

Farm Weather Impact Survey

Calling all farmers! Click this link to fill out our Farm Weather Impact Survey and enter to win a $100 Tractor Supply Co. gift card!

As extreme weather events continue to pose challenges for farming operations, we must take steps to rally behind our farmers. This is why MountainTrue is launching a Farm Weather Impact Survey. The survey aims to better understand how extreme weather is affecting agricultural production in the Southern Blue Ridge and what resources are needed for resiliency. The information we receive will help guide MountainTrue in tailoring support initiatives, advocating for vital resources, and implementing strategies to support farms in Western North Carolina.

Any farmer cultivating, operating, or managing a farm for profit in the Buncombe, Haywood, Transylvania, Henderson, Polk, Rutherford, & Cleveland Counties is encouraged to participate. It should take less than 5 minutes to complete and will be open until September 1, 2024. Your responses will be anonymous unless you choose to share your contact information. If you have any comments, questions, or concerns, please reach out to climateaction@mountaintrue.org.

100+ Women Who Care Asheville

MountainTrue has been nominated to speak at 100+ Women Who Care Asheville‘s next grant gathering. 100+ Women Who Care Asheville is part of a nationwide movement of Giving Circles — groups that are coming together to support our local communities and approach philanthropy in new ways. They meet quarterly for an hour to hear from three local nonprofits, and then vote on which one they’ll support that quarter. Each member who joins the group agrees to support the nonprofit with a $100 payment, so with their goal of 100 members, the nonprofit receives $10,000! You can find more information on their website, including how to sign up. If you’d like to join their next meeting on Tuesday, July 23, as a guest, you can find more information here.

High Country News

A message from High Country Regional Director & Watauga Riverkeeper Andy Hill:

Happy summer, folks! The High Country team is hard at work on multiple projects, including hellbender relocation, dam removal, water sampling, river cleanups, and hosting guided adventures. Read on to see what we’ve been up to, and stay tuned for exciting news about our ongoing dam removal project!

Jam to some bluegrass at Beech Mtn tomorrow evening!

Come out to Beech Mountain Brewing Co on Tuesday, July 2 (tomorrow!) for a special benefit concert featuring bluegrass sensations Shadowgrass, with opener Liam Purcell & Cane Mill Road. Doors open at 5 p.m. and showtime is at 7 p.m. Tickets are available for $15 in advance and $20 on the day of the show. All proceeds from the concert will support MountainTrue and the Colon Cancer Coalition. This family-friendly event offers a fantastic opportunity to enjoy high-energy bluegrass music while supporting important initiatives. Kids under 12 get in free. Attendees can look forward to a range of activities, including inflatables for children, a photo booth, and more. Dinner options will also be available, so plan to come early and enjoy a meal before the music begins.

Snorkel the Watauga on August 2

Join us for a guided Watauga River snorkel on Monday, August 2, near Sugar Grove, NC. Get up close and personal with local aquatic wildlife, including many native fish species, and maybe catch a glimpse of the gorgeous tangerine darter! Learn more + register.

Help us recognize outstanding members of our community!

Win a sweet paddle made by the Broad Riverkeeper!

Photo: A hellbender rests on some underwater rocks beneath Shulls Mill Dam. 

Hellbender Surveys + Symposium

In partnership with Dr. Mike Gangloff’s Aquatic Conservation Lab, Hannah and Andy have been surveying hellbender populations at the Shulls Mill Dam site. With dam removal ongoing, these surveys will allow us to relocate the salamanders to another section of the river where they can live happily and remain unharmed by the dam removal. To round out the surveys, our Watershed Coordinator, Hannah, enjoyed a few days in Clemson, South Carolina at the June 2024 Hellbender Symposium. She enjoyed networking with folks from all over the country who are fighting to protect and raise awareness for the Salamandridae family.

Beech Mountain concert series

The first Beech Mountain Concert of 2024 was better than ever! Our team had an awesome night jamming out to String Cheese Incident and The Wood Brothers on June 8. With perfect summer weather on the mountain, the grooviest outfits, and celebrating all that MountainTrue does to serve and protect our communities, it was a great start to the summer concert series. Don’t forget to grab your tickets for the Party on the Mountain three-day concert series happening July 19-21!

AMB Brewing Good Pint Night

A big thanks to everyone who came to visit us at Appalachian Mountain Brewery for their Brewing Good June Pint Night! $1 of all beer pours on June 11 benefited MountainTrue. We are so thankful to our AMB family, and hope to catch y’all at the next Pint Night!

2024 MountainTrue BioBlitz recap

The Nolichucky BioBlitz in June was a big success — 67 people attended, with 36 people braving the Class IV whitewater of the Nolichucky Gorge and 31 people exploring the Appalachian Trail above the Gorge. There were some really amazing finds, including a mink by Emily Whitely and Emolyn Buskirk; Virginia spirea by Claire Jarvis and others; pirate bush by Adrianne Chang and others; bleeding heart by Kevin Colburn; and Weller’s salamander by Madeline Lafferty and others. So far, 796 observations totaling 400 species have been submitted. The Nolichucky is eligible for a Congressional Wild and Scenic designation, which would prevent this iconic place from being submerged by a dam. Citizen scientists at the BioBlitz proved that the Nolichucky River Gorge is not only the deepest gorge in the Southern Appalachians and an iconic whitewater run, but a biological treasure worthy of permanent protection.

High Country Young Professionals June social

The Chamber of Commerce’s High Country Young Professionals held their June Social at Boone’s Fly Shop and partnered with MountainTrue for a downtown litter sweep. Participants traded in their “trashy” treasures for refreshments, light appetizers, and a fly shop tour. It was a lovely evening of networking, community building, and cleaning up our beautiful town!

Valle Crucis Community Park knotweed treatment

Our High Country Outreach Coordinator, Emma, spent the first few days in June out at Valle Crucis Community Park to work on eradicating Japanese knotweed around the wetlands and river banks. Following the recipes and techniques of former MountainTrue ecologist, Bob Gale, there’s no doubt the park will be in better shape after tackling some of the wicked knotweed over the next few seasons.

Boone Sunrise Rotary talk

Hannah and Emma had a wonderful morning speaking with the Boone Sunrise Rotary Club in early June. They enjoyed catching up with old friends and meeting new ones, as well as learning about the great work the group is consistently a part of. Our team spoke about the various programs, guided adventures, and projects going on throughout the year in the High Country. Thank you to our Sunrise Rotary friends for the great conversations!

Waterkeeper’s Carolina guided paddle

On June 22, our team had a wonderful time floating the New River with a group of awesome folks. This guided paddle was initiated by Waterkeepers Carolina, which has made a uniform effort to get folks on the water with their riverkeepers. We enjoyed a beautiful day of celebrating community, clean water, and the beauty of the High Country. Stay on the lookout for upcoming guided paddle and snorkel events to soak in the sunshine!

High Country Forest Wild outreach

Emma enjoyed leading a two-day educational lesson with our friends at High Country Forest Wild. With age groups ranging from 3-14, Emma spent the day teaching them about varying forms of pollution that circulate in our watershed and helped them explore the creek with viewbuckets and identification materials. It was a lovely day of exploring, learning, and laughing. Thank you to Rémi, Cullen, and the other counselors for providing such a fun and safe learning environment for our High Country kiddos.

Boonerang Festival

Another year, another amazing Boonerang! This year, the High Country team enjoyed a Saturday downtown celebrating what makes Boone so awesome! We saw so many of our friends and met so many new ones. Our favorite part of this work is connecting with y’all at community events, and we’re very thankful to the Town of Boone for creating such great spaces for community building, like Boonerang. See y’all next year!

Southern Region News

A message from Southern Regional Director Nancy Díaz:

We’ve moved! MountainTrue’s Southern Regional office has moved to a new location in Saluda, NC. We’re yards from I-26, in the heart of the meeting space for Green River users, and we’re excited about the impact this move will have on the growth and impact of our Green Riverkeeper Program. The office isn’t quite ready for visitors, but stay tuned for an office opening!

In other exciting news, after two years as Southern Regional Director, I will assume a new role in our Healthy Communities Program as an Organizer. I appreciate everything I’ve been able to experience with MountainTrue’s Southern Region and look forward to engaging with other MountainTrue communities, advancing environmental justice, affordable housing, and anti-displacement efforts. This transition is part of our ongoing effort to enhance our organizing and advocacy capacity across our program areas.

This transition is truly full-circle for me. I was introduced to MountainTrue through their outreach on land-use issues in the 2045 Henderson County Comprehensive Plan, and I’m very excited to follow the program’s lead and continue to bring folks into the MountainTrue folds through organizing communities to advance affordable housing and anti-displacement policies.

MountainTrue is intensifying its program support for our Southern Region (Henderson, Transylvania, Polk, Cleveland, and Rutherford counties), similar to how we manage our Central Region. You’ll be seeing more of Healthy Communities Director Chris Joyell and French Broad Riverkeeper Hartwell Carson, as well as other staff. If you have any questions, you can always reach out to me (my contact information remains the same) or our Deputy Director & General Counsel, Gray Jernigan (gray@mountaintrue.org). Thanks for all your support!

Broad River Race Day & Fun Float: July 20

Join us for the 6th annual Broad River Race Day on Saturday, July 20! We welcome folks to race at their own pace and enjoy five miles on the most beautiful stretch of the Broad River. Remember, the hare may not always outrun the tortoise! This race has only two rules: you MUST wear a PFD, and no motors allowed. Paddle solo, tandem, or with as many people as will fit in your boat. Previous Race Champions include:

🏆 2019 Eric Condrey, solo kayak

🏆 2020 David Caldwell, solo canoe

🏆 2021 Jordan Jackson & Marc Stowe, tandem canoe

🏆 2022 Jolly Horn & Coleman Putnam, tandem canoe

🏆 2023 Macayla Jackson, solo kayak

🏆 2024 could be YOU!

Summer Clean on the Green River: July 27

Join MountainTrue’s Green Riverkeeper for a day of cleaning the Green! We’ll meet at the Fishtop Access at 11 a.m. on Saturday, July 27, and set shuttle to clean the lower Green! Bring your: boat, paddling gear (including life jacket), snacks/lunch, water, sunscreen, any necessary medical supplies you may need, and be prepared to get dirty and wet. Roadside cleanup is also an option for folks who don’t want to get on the water! Join us after the cleanup at The SPOT (101 E. Main Street, Saluda, NC 28773) in downtown Saluda for tacos and drinks! MountainTrue will not be covering the cost of food, but we’ll gather to continue the fun off the river.

Bring the fam + celebrate our friends at Sugar Hollow Solar: August 17

Paddling Film Fest: August 22 in Asheville, NC

Help us recognize outstanding members of our community!

Photo: Paddlers utilize a brand new boat ramp at an access site built by NCWRC in Casar, NC, during the First Broad Fun Float on June 8.

New Broad Riverkeeper volunteer program: Adopt-A-River Access

The Broad and First Broad Paddle Trails are adding access sites at an amazing rate. Some of these sites are owned by private landowners and some are on NC Department of Transportation (NCDOT) right-of-way, managed by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC). At present, the City of Shelby owns one site and Cleveland County Water owns two, and will soon add a third. NCWRC has done an outstanding job building four of these sites and has two more in the works! One of the challenges of keeping a paddling access site open to the public and in good/safe condition is the litter that is inevitably left to deface a lovely spot beside the water.

MountainTrue’s Broad Riverkeeper is assembling small teams of volunteers to adopt river access sites and visit them once or twice per month to pick up trash, sweep off steps or concrete walkways, and possibly perform other light maintenance work necessary to keep the sites in good condition. Volunteer teams can schedule their maintenance days amongst themselves, and the Broad Riverkeeper will assign a team leader to rally efforts when needed. The Broad Riverkeeper will join cleanups when available. There are currently nine access sites along the Broad and First Broad Rivers that offer public access — take your pick as to which beautiful location(s) you’d like to “adopt” and help to keep them looking good! Sign up to volunteer + sign the volunteer waiver here.

Win a sweet paddle made by the Broad Riverkeeper!

Farm Weather Impact Survey

Calling all farmers! Click this link to fill out our Farm Weather Impact Survey and enter to win a $100 Tractor Supply Co. gift card!

Western Region News

A message from Western Regional Director Callie Moore:

It’s officially summer, and quite a warm one so far! Our Western Region Swim Guide program is in full swing. Don’t forget to check our weekly results before heading out on the waterways for your 4th of July holiday celebrations. And it’s not too late to get involved; we could still use volunteers for Swim Guide sites on Lake Nottely, the Little Tennessee River, and Fires Creek in Clay County — email me to join our volunteer ranks!

Like each month, July has multiple awareness initiatives, but one that aligns closely with MountainTrue’s work is Plastic-Free July. Plastic-Free July provides resources and ideas to help you (and millions of others around the world) reduce single-use plastic waste every day at home, work, school, and even at your local café. Click here to learn more and participate in MountainTrue’s Plastic-Free WNC campaign.

Enjoy your summer and thank you for being MountainTrue!

Septic system repair program accomplishments

Over the past two years, 34 homeowners in nine WNC counties who were unable to afford necessary but costly septic repairs received financial assistance from a MountainTrue grant program. MountainTrue partnered with the NC Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to provide septic repair grants to qualifying homeowners who were desperately in need of a functioning system. These efforts support our fellow community members and help protect and improve water quality in our rivers, lakes, and streams at the same time. We exceeded our goal of 30 repairs, and demonstrated the serious need for more funding, as there were an additional 34 applicants who qualified but couldn’t be served with available funds.

Six of the 34 repairs were in the Western Region: three in Cherokee County, two in Haywood County, and one in Macon County. MountainTrue took no fees for implementing the program, so 100% went to serve qualifying households. The program ended on May 31; however, MountainTrue is lobbying the NC General Assembly to continue providing funding to WNC counties for this work. Click here to read about our 2024 legislative agenda.

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Healthy Communities program staff visits WNC

30 staff of the national Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) made stops in MountainTrue’s Western Region as part of a Healthy Communities Site Visit and Learning Exchange from June 11-14. RWJF focuses on access to health care, public health, health equity, leadership and training, and changing systems to address barriers to health. This trip was a city exchange pairing Atlanta, GA, with Southern Appalachian counties, including stops in Murphy, Cherokee, and Asheville, NC, to explore and appreciate the diverse urban and rural contexts of both areas. MountainTrue was pleased to host the group’s visit to the Town of Murphy on June 13. Through our own Healthy Communities program, MountainTrue partners with communities in our region to support smart planning, sensible land use, and multi-modal transportation initiatives.

Photo: Members of Oconaluftee Job Corps sever invasive vines at the site of a future riverside park.

New volunteer water quality monitoring program starting in Sapphire & Cashiers

Nine Lonesome Valley residents recruited by MountainTrue volunteer Bill Horton learned how to sample physical and chemical characteristics, as well as E. coli, in streams and rivers at a workshop on June 20. MountainTrue’s Western Region participates in the Georgia Adopt-A-Stream volunteer water quality monitoring program, and volunteers were certified using those EPA-approved protocols. These volunteers will monitor sites on Logan Creek and the Horsepasture River. MountainTrue plans to expand the program with another workshop in Cashiers in September. Email Callie Moore if you’d like to be added to the interest list. Click here for more information about the Georgia Adopt-A-Stream program.

Help us recognize outstanding members of our community!

Take the Murphy in Motion Survey

The Town of Murphy, NC, is developing a pedestrian and bicycle plan, called Murphy in Motion. Your input is invaluable as Murphy strives to create safer, more accessible, and enjoyable walking and biking experiences for everyone in the community. Your input will be used to create the Murphy in Motion Bicycle & Pedestrian Plan. Once the plan is adopted, the Town and the NC Department of Transportation can use it to direct how we build projects, make policy choices, build programs and events, and apply for new types of funding. The survey will remain open until July 15, and you can take the survey here.

Farm Weather Impact Survey

Calling all farmers in Haywood County! Click this link to fill out our Farm Weather Impact Survey and enter to win a $100 Tractor Supply Co. gift card!

Any farmer cultivating, operating, or managing a farm for profit in the Buncombe, Haywood, Transylvania, Henderson, Polk, Rutherford, & Cleveland Counties is encouraged to participate. It should take less than 5 minutes to complete and will be open until September 1, 2024. Your responses will be anonymous unless you choose to share your contact information. If you have any comments, questions, or concerns, please reach out to climateaction@mountaintrue.org.

Victory for Conservation: Protecting Pisgah & Nantahala National Forests!

Background graphic photo credit: Will Harlan w/ Center for Biological Diversity

We are happy to share a significant victory in our ongoing efforts to protect the Pisgah and Nantahala National Forests and their precious ecosystems. Thanks to your steadfast support and our collective advocacy efforts, the U.S. Forest Service has agreed to abandon plans to log a sensitive area near the Whitewater River as part of the controversial Southside timber project.

This victory follows months of determined action culminating in a lawsuit filed by the Southern Environmental Law Center on behalf of a coalition of conservation groups, including MountainTrue, Center for Biological Diversity, Chattooga Conservancy, Defenders of Wildlife, and Sierra Club.

We challenged the agency’s plans to log a designated “exceptional ecological community” as inconsistent with the “new” Forest Plan, given that it is located in a Plan-designated Special Interest Area that restricts logging. The logging was also within the corridor of the Wild and Scenic eligible Whitewater River. The area proposed for logging sits above stunning waterfalls, boasts towering trees, and shelters rare plants in a unique, wet microclimate. Nevertheless, the agency proposed to move forward with logging this area anyway. The lawsuit would not have prevented the agency from implementing other parts of the Southside project.

The Forest Service has now agreed to withdraw this area completely from the Southside Project.

Donate to support this work

This is a significant victory that preserves a critical habitat within Nantahala National Forest and helps ensure that federal laws protecting our natural heritage are upheld.

Our work is far from over. MountainTrue remains dedicated to safeguarding the Pisgah and Nantahala National Forests and advocating for responsible forest management practices that support sustainable timbering while protecting wildlife and sensitive habitats.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to each of you who support our advocacy efforts through donations, calls to action, and spreading awareness. Your commitment to preserving our forests and protecting biodiversity is truly inspiring. Join us in celebrating this victory, and the fight continues.

U.S. Forest Service abandons plans to recklessly log sensitive area of Nantahala National Forest after lawsuit

ASHEVILLE, N.C. — In response to a lawsuit from a coalition of conservation groups, the U.S. Forest Service announced it is scrapping plans to log an important area of North Carolina’s Nantahala National Forest near the Whitewater River.

The announcement, which was published in a letter last week, comes nearly six months after the Southern Environmental Law Center, on behalf of the MountainTrue, Center for Biological Diversity, Chattooga Conservancy, Defenders of Wildlife, and Sierra Club, sued the Forest Service over the logging plans. The lawsuit would not have prevented the agency from implementing other parts of the Southside timber project.

The agency offered to abandon its logging proposal in the area if the coalition of conservation groups dismissed the lawsuit, which they anticipate doing later this week.

The area spared from logging sits above stunning waterfalls, boasts towering trees, and shelters rare plants in a unique, wet microclimate. The Forest Service had slated it for heavy logging in the controversial Southside timber project.

PHOTOS: Area of proposed logging project

Because of the area’s incredible ecological value and stunning beauty, the Forest Service designated it as a “Special Interest Area” in the recently published Nantahala-Pisgah Forest Plan. Destructive projects, like logging and roadbuilding, are significantly restricted in Special Interest Areas. The Forest Service’s previous decision to move forward with the logging project contradicted its own decision to protect the area, undermined one of the few things its new Forest Plan got right, and violated federal law.

Below are quotes from conservation groups about the resolution of the lawsuit:

“We have been pointing out problems with the agency’s logging plans for this area for years. It’s a shame we had to take them to court to achieve this outcome, but we’re glad this incredible area is no longer on the chopping block,” Patrick Hunter, Managing Attorney of the Southern Environmental Law Center’s Asheville Office, said. “Unfortunately, the new Forest Plan sets us up for more of these conflicts in the future. National forests in western North Carolina—and the people who enjoy them—deserve better.”

“This wild and beautiful forest was saved because people spoke up to defend it,” said Will Harlan, Southeast director at the Center for Biological Diversity. “Even though the public overwhelmingly supports protecting special places like the Pisgah and Nantahala National Forests, the new Forest Plan tragically fails to do that. Unless the Plan is changed to protect important forests and streams, more legal fights are probably going to be the only way to ensure that the public’s voice is heard.”

“We applaud the Forest Service for agreeing to drop their illegitimate plan for logging in a Special Interest Area next to the Whitewater River. Regretfully, it took filing a lawsuit and six months of negotiations to prompt the recalcitrant Forest Service to abide by federal law, to save one unique stand of our national forest,” said Nicole Hayler, Director of the Chattooga Conservancy. “The rest of the damaging Southside Project still is on the chopping block, while the new Nantahala-Pisgah Forest Plan is on deck with its mandates for escalating logging in sensitive areas—fueling more controversy and conflict that further undermines public trust in Forest Service managers.”

“We are thrilled to see the U.S. Forest Service commit to upholding the law,” said Jane Davenport, senior attorney for Defenders of Wildlife. “It’s unfortunate that it took a lawsuit to get there, but this commitment ensures a future for vulnerable species whose habitat would have been destroyed by logging.”

“We are pleased that the Forest Service chose to walk away from logging that is incompatible with sound stewardship of the Whitewater River Special Interest Area. It’s unfortunate that it took a lawsuit to reach this outcome, but we thank the Forest Service for coming to the right conclusion,” Josh Kelly, Public Lands Biologist at MountainTrue, said.

“The decision by the Forest Service is the right one, given the recent federal emphasis on old growth protection and the importance of recognizing North Carolina’s Natural Heritage sites. Unfortunately, it took legal action for the agency to make the right decision,” said David Reid, Sierra Club National Forest Issue Chair.

Media Contacts:

SELC: Eric Hilt, 615-622-1199, ehilt@selctn.org
Center for Biological Diversity: Will Harlan, wharlan@biologicaldiversity.org
Chattooga Conservancy: Nicole Hayler, info@chattoogariver.org
Defenders of Wildlife: Jay Petrequin, jpetrequin@defenders.org
MountainTrue: Karim Olaechea, 828-400-0768, karim@mountaintrue.org
Sierra Club: David Reid, daviddreid0@gmail.com

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