Scroll on and check out these handy graphics to learn more about our High Country E. coli facts and figures and find out which Watauga Riverkeeper sampling sites have the lowest and highest E. coli averages. We’ll continue to post our weekly results on the Swim Guide platform until September.
We need you to email the Henderson County Board of Commissioners to ask them to take action to prevent sprawl and protect our forests, farmland, and rural communities.
Henderson County is drafting its new Comprehensive Plan — the blueprint that will guide growth and development here for the next twenty years. As part of that process, they have surveyed members of our community, and that survey shows broad support for conservation.
Henderson County residents identified:
as their top 3 priorities for the 2045 Henderson County Comprehensive Plan.
Unfortunately, MountainTrue has serious concerns that the comprehensive plan being created by the county’s consultants is out of step with the desires and needs of Henderson County residents. The County has circulated a draft Future Land Use Map that prioritizes sprawl — development that spreads too far into the countryside, unnecessarily destroying forests, farmland, and rural communities — at great expense to taxpayers and against the desires of county residents.
So we need you to act today. Email your Henderson County Commissioners, and ask that they adopt a smart, responsible and sustainable comprehensive plan.
Chris Joyell, MountainTrue’s Healthy Communities Director, discusses how Henderson County can welcome far more population growth than the state anticipates without causing sprawl. Watch.
Henderson County’s new Comprehensive Plan will serve as the blueprint for growth and development over the next twenty years. Learn about how this plan will help determine how our communities grow and develop to meet the challenges of climate change, a growing population, and increased pressures on our built environment.
The most powerful nutrients for the growth of plants, including algae, are nitrogen and phosphorus. When nutrient concentrations are low in a lake, algae are relatively sparse. In contrast, high concentrations of nutrients can cause excessive growths of algae and other aquatic plants. An explosion of algal growth can cause the water to look like “pea soup”, form surface scum, or have an unpleasant odor.
Typically, reservoirs in the Southern Blue Ridge Mountains contain very low concentrations of nutrients and are relatively clear with only a small amount of green coloration. Because this natural condition exists, a seemingly small amount of nutrients — particularly phosphorus — can cause a relatively large amount of algae growth or an “algal bloom.”
While nitrogen and phosphorus can come from fertilizers applied to lawns, agricultural fields, athletic complexes, or golf courses, human and animal waste is the largest source of nutrients in our waters. Leaking sewer pipes, faulty wastewater treatment plants or septic systems, livestock operations, and even large concentrations of wildlife, such as Canada geese, contribute to excess nutrient and bacterial problems. (Bird waste is exceptionally high in phosphorus!) Nutrients from these sources are primarily delivered to a waterbody by stormwater runoff, but livestock accessing waters directly is also a problem in some areas.
Erosion and sediment pollution also contribute to higher levels of nutrients in our lakes. Nutrients, bacteria, and pollutants can attach to soil particles and be carried along with stormwater runoff. Soil erosion in the watershed leads to more sediment in streams and lakes and, therefore, higher levels of nutrients. When sediment fills in shallow areas of a lake, these areas become warmer because sunlight penetrates to the lake bottom over a larger area. These shallower, warmer, and nutrient-rich waters are prime conditions for algae growth.
You can help combat algal blooms by ensuring that septic tanks are being properly utilized and maintained, finding ways to minimize water usage and stormwater runoff, and discouraging populations of domesticated Canada geese. Property owners can also evaluate their properties for ways to retain or treat stormwater and plant native trees or shrubs along the streams and the lake. And residents should encourage their local governments to implement water quality protection measures.
You can also report algae blooms in our Southern Blue Ridge lakes when you see them. In North Carolina, you can use the NC Division of Water Resources Citizen Report Form to report algae blooms and fish kills.
For Lake Chatuge & Lake Nottely, you can report these incidents to MountainTrue’s Western Regional Office. Please include the following information:
Marley Kelly, the recipient of this year’s top Carson Conservation Scholarship award.
This year’s top Glenn F. Carson, II Memorial Conservation Scholarship award winner is Clay County resident and 2022 Tri-County Early College graduate, Marlena (Marley) Kelly. Marley is interested in a career in ecology and has been getting a jump start by volunteering with MountainTrue this past winter and spring to remove nonnative invasive plants on the Murphy River Walk & Canoe Trail. Marley is heading to NC State University this fall, where she plans to pursue a Biological Sciences degree with Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Intent. Her scholarship is $2,000 and is renewable at $1,000 per year for up to three additional years, based on continued eligibility.
In her scholarship application, Marley wrote, “I hope to build sustainable relationships between people and nature so that we can learn to live together and thrive from the benefits of working with the earth. I am not sure yet what my specific career path will look like but I am very passionate about helping the environment and protecting the earth’s fascinating animals.”
Additional $500 scholarships were awarded to Baylee Parham from Robbinsville High School in Graham County and Lauren Cheeks from Hayesville High School in Clay County. Baylee is planning to attend the University of North Carolina at Charlotte where she will major in Science Education. Lauren will major in Environmental Science at Young Harris College in Young Harris, Georgia.
Originally established in 2014 by the Hiwassee River Watershed Coalition (now MountainTrue’s Western Regional Office), the Carson Conservation Scholarship is a memorial to the late Glenn F. Carson, II. At the time of his death, Glenn was the District Conservationist for Cherokee, Clay and Graham counties with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, and was an important leader in the WNC conservation community. He was a graduate of Western Carolina University.
The Carson Conservation Scholarship assists young people from Cherokee, Clay, and Graham counties who want to pursue higher education in natural resource conservation fields such as agriculture, forestry, environmental science, health or engineering, and wildlife management. To date, $20,500 in scholarship funds have been awarded to 14 students.
To support more students through the Carson Conservation Scholarship fund, make a donation at mountaintrue.org/join and mark your donation as “In Memory of Glenn F. Carson, II.”
Pictured above: MountainTrue’s AmeriCorps Forest Keeper, Ellianna McLaughlin, stands at the base of a large ash tree in Pisgah National Forest.
From April to June 2022, MountainTrue’s Public Lands team re-treated hundreds of ash trees in Pisgah and Nantahala National Forests to continue protecting them against the emerald ash borer. We’ve treated approximately 1,200 ash trees since 2017 with help from our trusted partners at the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC). Many thanks to our stellar MountainTrue volunteers and interns, the wonderful folks at Appalachian Arborists, and our ATC partners for making 2022’s successful treatment season a true “teamwork makes the dream work” scenario.
Click here to read more about this year’s treatment season and our partnership with ATC in more detail.
Quick facts:
What is the emerald ash borer?
The emerald ash borer is a nonnative invasive insect that was first identified in Michigan in 2002. This invasive beetle has spread to 35 states since then, including North Carolina.
What does the emerald ash borer do?
Emerald ash borer larvae bore into the bark of ash trees to feed on the cambium — a cell layer that transports nutrients throughout the tree. The beetles girdle the trees as they feed on the cambium, causing them to die. The devastating effects of the emerald ash borer were seen throughout our treatment areas as the giant ash trees we left untreated began to fall. However, with a highly effective treatment method, MountainTrue has been able to save thousands of ash trees over the last several years.
Where can I see treated ash trees?
Hike along the Moffett Laurel section of the Appalachian Trail or make a pit stop off the Blue Ridge Parkway and hike the section between the Mills River Valley Overlook and Stony Bald View to see the thriving, treated ash trees! Pro tip: you can also use this as an opportunity to support MountainTrue by taking part in the 40th-anniversary Hike-a-Thon!
Dear members and supporters,
I want to let you know about some changes coming to MountainTrue. Starting next year, I will be taking on the new role of Senior Policy Advisor and stepping aside as co-director of MountainTrue. Bob Wagner, with whom I’ve worked side-by-side as Co-directors since 2013, will become MountainTrue’s Executive Director.
As you know, I was elected in 2020 to the North Carolina State Senate, where I represent Asheville and most of Buncombe County. I find the work of representing my constituents and, more broadly, the people of North Carolina to be deeply rewarding. However, my growing responsibilities in Raleigh and within the Senate Democratic Caucus leadership don’t leave me with the time I need to maintain my day-to-day management responsibilities at MountainTrue.
Looking back, I’m proud of everything that MountainTrue has accomplished during my time as Executive Director and Co-director. When I was hired as Executive Director of MountainTrue (then known as the Western North Carolina Alliance) in 2008, the organization had five staff and a budget of $232,000. In the 14 years since, the organization has grown to a team of 25 and a budget of $1.8 million, with offices in Asheville, Boone, Hendersonville, and Murphy.
Looking ahead, I’m excited to continue to be part of the MountainTrue team in this new capacity. As Senior Policy Advisor, I will continue to play an integral role in planning and will lend my policy expertise and my relationships with the community and government to the work of our advocacy and policy teams. I still love this work and MountainTrue, and I look forward to being part of many future successes.
Bob and I have built an incredibly strong team that just keeps getting better, and my new role is part of that. This management restructuring will ensure continuity of leadership and a bright future for MountainTrue. In addition to Bob assuming the executive director role, staff members Gray Jernigan and Karim Olaechea will be moving into deputy director positions to support Bob and help lead the rest of the staff.
These changes will go into effect in January 2023. In the meantime, if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to email me.
Sincerely,
Julie Mayfield
MountainTrue Co-Director
We’re Refreshing Our Look — But Our Mission Remains the Same
Read our blog to learn more.