2024 Holman Water Quality Award Winner: Rev. Dr. John Kay of Young Harris, GA

John Kay of Young Harris, GA, is the 2024 recipient of the Holman Water Quality Stewardship Award

Rev. Dr. John Kay of Young Harris, Georgia, received the 2024 Holman Water Quality Stewardship Award at MountainTrue’s 16th Annual Hiwassee Watershed Gala in the Charles Suber Banquet Hall at Young Harris College on February 29.

In 2023, John retired from 24 years of service representing Towns County, Georgia, on the Blue Ridge Mountain Soil & Water Conservation District Board of Supervisors. He served as chair for the last 13 of those years, following Jim Dobson of Union County, Georgia, who was the inaugural Holman Water Quality Stewardship Award winner in 2009. The District works with farmers, landowners, homeowners, partner organizations, and other government units to educate people and actively promote conservation programs and practices for soil, water, and related natural resources. It was important to John to work with like-minded organizations like the Hiwassee River Watershed Coalition (now MountainTrue) toward this mutual goal.

John volunteered for many years with the former Hiwassee River Watershed Coalition’s water quality monitoring team in the mid-2000s. Most recently, John has been involving the Creation Care Committee at Sharp Memorial United Methodist Church in MountainTrue’s work.

John was born and raised in Hart County, Georgia, where he grew up in a farm family of 12 children. He holds degrees from Young Harris College (A.A., 1956), LaGrange College (B.A., 1958), Drew University School of Theology (M. Div.,1962), and Vanderbilt Divinity School (D. Min., 1983). A United Methodist minister, he retired from the North Georgia Conference in 2001 after 39 years of ministerial service. From 1967 to 1980, John was the pastor of Sharp Memorial United Methodist Church in Young Harris. He taught courses in religion and philosophy at Young Harris College from 1967 to 2001, serving on the faculty full-time beginning in 1980. For 15 years (1967-1982), he was also the College’s Director of Religious Life.

In 1991, John co-founded the Institute for Continuing Learning (ICL) at Young Harris College. From then until 2005, he served as the College’s representative to ICL. In March 2001, John received the Governor’s Award in Humanities for his contributions to ICL at YHC. He and his late wife of 60 years, Patti, have three children.

“John truly is devoted to these mountains and the quality of life here, as well as the quality of water,” wrote Brenda Hull in summing up her nomination of John for the award.

Each year, we present the Holman Water Quality Stewardship Award to the person or group who has done the most to sustain good water quality in rivers, lakes, and streams in the upper Hiwassee River watershed of Towns and Union counties in North Georgia and Cherokee and Clay counties in North Carolina. The award is named for Bill Holman, a lifelong conservation advocate currently serving as Senior Advisor to the Conservation Fund in NC. The Holman Award is sculpted by David Goldhagen of Goldhagen Blown Art Glass, whose studio is located on the shores of Lake Chatuge near Hayesville, NC.

Public Lands Engagement Manager

Western North Carolina

Apply Now

Position Description

MountainTrue is seeking a Public Lands Engagement Manager. This is a full-time position (40hrs/week) that reports to the Public Lands Biologist. They are tasked with:

60% – Organizing, advocacy, and outreach to engage the public to address threats and seize opportunities to protect, invest in, and better manage local, state, and federal public lands in the region.
40% – Manage volunteers to steward public lands through activities such as non-native species control, ecological restoration, and monitoring and maintenance of trail and road infrastructure on public lands.

Primary Responsibilities

Work with the Public Lands Biologist, Deputy Directors, Regional Directors, and partner organizations to organize the public around campaigns to protect public lands from exploitation.
Support the Public Lands Biologist and Regional Directors to organize MountainTrue members and the general public to steward public lands by controlling invasive species, maintaining trails, monitoring road conditions, and helping to accomplish ecological restoration projects.
Develop strategies and curriculum for educating the public about their rights and responsibilities related to public lands.

Preferred qualifications/skills

Organizing Experience: Proven experience organizing communities on issue campaigns through on-the-ground and online grassroots mobilization.

Project Leadership: Experience in planning, leading, and managing projects, including coordinating with peers to achieve desired outcomes, and tracking and reporting on progress to senior managers.

Communications: Skilled in creating powerful, compelling written and oral communications. Ability to convey complex ideas through brief, simple materials. Experience and credibility when presenting materials to external audiences.

Collaboration: Effective at working with others to reach common goals and objectives.

Relationship Building: Skilled at establishing and cultivating strong relationships with peers, across different levels of the organization and externally. Proven ability to establish strong relationships with community members.

Additional Qualifications

- Demonstrated excellence in organizational, interpersonal, and communication skills.
- Experience with online advocacy tools or CRMs such as Salsa Labs, EveryAction, Blue State Digital, or Nationbuilder is preferred but not required.
- Proficiency in basic computer applications and software is preferred.
- Proficiency and comfort with public speaking.
- Fundraising experience is preferred but not required.
- Experience with project management tools such as Asana, Monday, or Zoho is a plus but not required.
- Experience and ability to work outdoors, including in steep terrain and inclement weather.
- Knowledge of public lands and local conservation issues is a plus, but not required.
- Knowledge of local flora, fauna, and ecology is a plus, but not required
- Experience with wilderness first aid is a plus, but not required
- Willingness to learn new skills and grow.

Compensation & benefits

$50,000 annual salary
Medical/dental benefits
4 weeks of paid vacation
Paid sabbatical after five years
Continuing education and professional development support

How to Apply

Email resume, cover letter, and three references to Public Lands Biologist Josh Kelly at josh@mountaintrue.org

Application deadline: Friday, March 29, 2024

MountainTrue is an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate among its employees or job applicants on the basis of race, ethnicity, creed, color, religion, age, sex, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, national origin, handicap, marital status, pregnancy or parental status, military/veteran status, or any other class protected by applicable state or federal law.

Breaking: MountainTrue joins climate lawsuit on Forest Service logging practices

Dear MountainTrue Members and Supporters,

As advocates for our environment, we find ourselves at a pivotal moment in our fight against climate change. Last year, the Earth endured its hottest year, shattering previous records and exacerbating climate-related challenges such as droughts, loss of biodiversity, extreme weather events, and heat-related fatalities. The urgency to act has never been greater.

Amidst this escalating crisis, the US Forest Service’s outdated approach to forest management is perplexing. Despite clear evidence of our worsening climate reality, the Forest Service has increased the volume of timber harvested from our national forests to levels unseen in recent decades. This practice contradicts the urgent need to mitigate climate change and the Forest Service’s own policies and goals while posing a direct threat to the ecosystems within our Eastern forests, which have been disproportionately targeted for timber extraction.

This is why MountainTrue has taken the significant step of joining the Southern Environmental Law Center and the Chattooga Conservancy in filing a lawsuit challenging the Forest Service’s annual timber targets. Our legal action challenges the way the Department of Agriculture and the Forest Service set their timber targets and how the agency analyzes the cumulative carbon impacts of the timber projects it designs to fulfill these targets. It also seeks to halt further timber sales in the Southeast that contribute to the 2024 target (except where necessary for wildfire risk mitigation) until the Forest Service complies with the National Environmental Policy Act.
Read our court filing.
Read the press release.

Our members and supporters power our Resilient Forests program. Donate today to protect our forests as a critical part of our climate solution.

DONATE TODAY

Our forests are invaluable resources in the fight against climate change, sequestering billions of tons of carbon and actively converting CO2 into oxygen. However, the Forest Service’s single-minded pursuit of timber targets undermines these natural processes, releasing significant amounts of carbon into the atmosphere and setting back our collective efforts to combat global warming. Additionally, chasing the national timber target creates impacts on water quality, recreation, and imperiled wildlife, while distracting the Forest Service from more pressing tasks like preventing wildfire, saving trees from invasive pests, and controlling invasive plant species.

This lawsuit is not an attempt to end logging in our national forests. Instead, it aims to challenge the outdated methods that prioritize crude volume targets over the health of our forests and the planet. By holding the Forest Service accountable, MountainTrue is also supporting the broader objectives of the Biden administration’s climate policies and efforts to protect our nation’s old-growth and mature forests.

We stand at a critical juncture, and this lawsuit represents a bold step forward in our mission to preserve our planet for future generations. Your continued support and engagement are vital as we navigate this challenge. Together, we can ensure that our forests are managed sustainably and in harmony with our climate goals.

Thank you for standing with us in this crucial fight.

With determination,

Gray Jernigan
Deputy Director & General Counsel

Press Release: Groundbreaking lawsuit takes aim at U.S. Forest Service’s timber targets

ASHEVILLE, N.C. — A new lawsuit alleges the U.S. Forest Service’s practice of setting ‘timber targets’ puts the climate at risk, undermines the Biden administration’s important climate goals, and violates federal law.

The Southern Environmental Law Center filed the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on behalf of two conservation groups, the Chattooga Conservancy and MountainTrue, and an individual in Missouri.

The case centers around the Forest Service’s failure to properly study the massive environmental and climate impacts of its timber targets and the logging projects it designs to fulfill them. Each year, the Forest Service and Department of Agriculture set timber targets, which the Forest Service is required to meet through logging on public lands. In recent years, the national target has been set as high as 4 billion board feet – or enough lumber to circle the globe more than 30 times. The already high target is expected to increase in the coming years.

These mandated targets create backwards incentives for the Forest Service. Forests on public lands provide a key climate solution by capturing and storing billions of tons of carbon. But rising timber targets push the agency to clearcut forests and log carbon-dense mature and old-growth forests. Logging these forests releases most of their carbon back to the atmosphere, worsening the climate crisis and undermining the Biden administration’s important efforts to protect old growth and fight climate change.

Despite their significant and long-lasting impacts on our climate and forests, the Forest Service has never assessed or disclosed the climate consequences of its timber target decisions.

“Our national forests offer a simple, straightforward, and cost-effective climate solution,” Patrick Hunter, Managing Attorney for SELC’s Asheville Office, said. “But these incredible areas are routinely logged to achieve crude, destructive timber targets. The agency’s single-minded pursuit of these targets threatens almost every value that people cherish about our national forests, puts the climate at risk, and violates federal law.”

“Each year, the Forest Service’s pursuit of fulfilling its timber targets results in carbon emissions equivalent to burning billions of pounds of coal,” said Nicole Hayler, Executive Director of the Chattooga Conservancy. “Federal agencies like the Forest Service should be leading the way in the fight against climate change, not releasing tens of millions of tons of heat-trapping gases into the atmosphere while degrading some of our most immediate and effective climate solutions—our national forests.”

Internal Forest Service documents show that achieving timber targets is the agency’s “#1 priority.” According to agency staff, the need to meet timber targets impacts the Forest Service’s ability to provide “basic customer service for health and safety,” “keep trails opened and maintained,” and “respond to needs resulting from catastrophic events…in a timely manner.” In some instances, agency staff have used money meant for wildlife habitat improvement to fund projects designed to achieve timber targets, even if those projects had “no benefit to wildlife.”

“The requirement to meet timber targets results in adverse impacts on water quality, recreation, and imperiled wildlife, while distracting the Forest Service from more pressing tasks that don’t produce high timber volumes like preventing wildfires, saving trees from invasive pests, and controlling invasive plant species. If the agency is going to prioritize timber targets above the other benefits of National Forests, it needs to forthrightly disclose the consequences of that decision, particularly on our climate,” said Josh Kelly, Public Lands Biologist at MountainTrue.

The Forest Service’s refusal to take a hard look at the direct, indirect, and cumulative effects of its timber target decisions is a violation of the National Environmental Policy Act, our nation’s bedrock environmental law.

MEDIA CONTACTS:
SELC: Eric Hilt, 615-622-1199, ehilt@selctn.org
MountainTrue: Karim Olaechea, 828-400-0768, karim@mountaintrue.org
Chattooga Conservancy: Nicole Hayler, info@chattoogariver.org

Making a Difference in the Blue Ridge Mountains: MountainTrue and Sugar Hollow Solar Join Forces

Photos: MountainTrue Executive Director Bob Wagner (left) and Sugar Hollow Solar CEO and co-founder Doug Ager (right).

Something exciting is brewing in the heart of the Southern Blue Ridge Mountains — a new collaboration between MountainTrue, an organization deeply rooted in environmental activism, and Sugar Hollow Solar, a forward-thinking solar power company. This partnership isn’t just about harnessing the sun’s energy; it’s about fostering a community committed to a greener, more sustainable future.

Solar Power and Community Empowerment: A Winning Combination

From now until September 30, 2024, Sugar Hollow Solar is running an inspiring referral program. For every new customer who signs a solar contract based on your referral, Sugar Hollow Solar will generously donate $50 to MountainTrue. And that’s not all – as a token of appreciation, you, the referrer, will receive $250. But if you’re feeling particularly generous, you can opt to have the full $300 benefit go to MountainTrue, further boosting their vital environmental efforts.

More Than Just a Business

Doug Ager, the CEO and co-founder of Sugar Hollow Solar, puts it best: “We’re more than a business. We’re part of the community, committed to our planet.” This ethos is why Sugar Hollow Solar’s partnership with MountainTrue is such a perfect match. Together, we are working towards a clean energy future, a mission that MountainTrue has championed since its early days.

A Legacy of Environmental Protection

MountainTrue’s journey began in 1982 with the Western North Carolina Alliance’s (renamed MountainTrue after a merger in 2015) fight against oil and gas exploration in the Nantahala-Pisgah National Forests. The organization has achieved significant victories in the years since, including stopping clear-cutting in Pisgah-Nantahala National Forests, preventing a nuclear waste dump near Leicester, and playing a key role in passing essential environmental legislation.

A Heartfelt Thanks

Bob Wagner, MountainTrue’s executive director, expresses profound gratitude to the team at Sugar Hollow Solar. He highlights Doug Ager’s commitment to public service, green job creation, and tackling climate change – core components of MountainTrue’s mission.

Join the Solar Movement

Since 2010, Sugar Hollow Solar has been instrumental in helping many Southern Blue Ridge mountain households switch to solar power, reducing reliance on fossil fuels. Their expertise in solar panel systems has made a significant impact across several counties — as of February 22, 2024, 977 home and business systems have been installed since 2010!

How to Get Involved

To be a part of this impactful program, visit Sugar Hollow Solar’s Referral Page, send an email to hello@sugarhollowsolar.com, or give them a call at (828) 776-9161. Together, we can make a difference in the Southern Blue Ridge Mountains and beyond.

Press Release: MountainTrue Partners with Sugar Hollow Solar to Make a Positive Impact on the Environment

For immediate release: February 22, 2024

Solar Referral Program provides donations to MountainTrue — a local grassroots environmental organization.

Western North Carolina — MountainTrue, a local environmental nonprofit, is partnering with Sugar Hollow Solar to promote solar power and raise program funding to champion and protect resilient forests, clean waters, and healthy communities throughout the Southern Blue Ridge Mountains.

From now through September 30, 2024, for every new customer referral that signs a solar contract with Sugar Hollow Solar, the company will donate $50 to MountainTrue to help fund their work protecting our environment and provide the referrer with $250. Exceptionally generous referrers can have Sugar Hollow Solar contribute the full $300 referral benefit to MountainTrue.

“At Sugar Hollow Solar, we’re more than a business,” says Doug Ager, Sugar Hollow Solar’s CEO and co-founder. “We pride ourselves on our unwavering commitment to our community and planet. That’s why Sugar Hollow Solar is thrilled to partner with MountainTrue — a grassroots organization that has been instrumental in moving our region beyond coal and toward a clean energy future. Through our referral program, we hope to raise awareness of and funding for them to continue doing their good work.”

MountainTrue was formed through a merger of three nonprofits in 2015 but has been working to protect our regions since the founding of the Western North Carolina Alliance in 1982 to fight oil and gas exploration in the Nantahala – Pisgah National Forests. Since that time, the organization has racked up an impressive list of successes, including stopping the practice of clear-cutting in the Asheville watershed and Pisgah-Nantahala National Forests, preventing the siting of a nuclear waste dump outside Leicester, NC, and helping to pass the Clean Smokestacks Act and the Coal Ash Management Act — which mandated that Duke Energy clean up its coal ash in Asheville and 13 other powerplants throughout North Carolina.

“I want to thank the team at Sugar Hollow Solar,” says Bob Wagner, executive director at MountainTrue. “Doug Ager has a long family history of public service. With Sugar Hollow Solar, that mission has expanded to creating green jobs and tackling climate change — a central focus of our work.”

Sugar Hollow Solar was founded in 2010 and has helped offset 21 million pounds of coal used by homes, businesses, and nonprofits, and has generated 27.95 gigawatts of clean energy — the equivalent of planting 330,000 trees. Sugar Hollow Solar serves the communities of Western North Carolina and Upstate South Carolina.

To learn more about how to participate in Sugar Hollow Solar’s referral program, visit sugarhollowsolar.com/introduce-a-friend, email hello@sugarhollowsolar.com, or reach out by phone at (828) 776-9161.

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