Plastic-Free WNC

Plastic pollution: we’ve all seen it littered on the side of the road, blowing in the wind, floating down rivers and streams. Plastic pollution is a global problem, but we all have to be part of the solution.

Watauga Riverkeeper Andy Hill on plastic pollution: “We’ve spent years conducting river cleanups, engaging hundreds of volunteers and partner organizations. We spend a lot of time on the Watauga, New, and Elk Rivers collecting water samples, planting trees, and tracking pollution. I thought we had a good handle on the plastic problem. A watershed change and paradigm shift for how I considered the issue came about when we partnered with the Town of Boone and Asheville Greenworks to install a passive litter collection device known as a Trash Trout. The data we began collecting on the type and amount of single-use plastics — including styrofoam and other littered items — truly blew us away.”

MountainTrue Watershed Outreach Coordinator Anna Alsobrook clearly remembers the day she and French Broad Riverkeeper Hartwell Carson were confronted with the dismal reality of the plastic pollution crisis: “It was the final straw — figuratively and literally. A few years ago, Hartwell and I were paddling the Swannanoa River. Plastic was everywhere — thousands of plastic shopping bags littered the trees around us, and plastic bottles floated in the river like rafts of ducks. These weren’t new sights for us by any means, but they were the ultimate kick in the gut to start making more permanent changes to protect our rivers and streams.”

Following their experience, Anna and Hartwell started researching the plastics industry. The more they learned, the more they disliked. The strategy of the plastics industry is akin to the tobacco industry — both forced themselves on unsuspecting populations, fully aware of their products’ adverse health and environmental impacts. Both marketed themselves as “cool” and continue to disproportionately burden our most vulnerable populations with hazardous health concerns.

Cigarette usage has been on the decline since the tobacco industry’s regulation. The plastics industry, to this point, has gotten a free pass. Wrapped up in the oil and gas industry, Big Plastic is cozy with the idea of buying politicians and bullying consumers into buying their products. With few sustainable, affordable, and accessible plastic alternatives, we — the general public — remain Big Plastic’s captive audience.

Some places have started implementing their own rules on plastic — eight states have implemented their own single-use plastic bans, along with 345 municipalities across the nation. We at MountainTrue want to follow their lead, hopefully inspiring others to do the same. We based our proposed ordinance on the various successes of existing single-use plastic bans. It’s intended to mitigate plastic pollution in Western North Carolina by addressing the single-use plastic problem at its source.

Now, let’s get into the details:

We begin the ordinance with a whole slew of “Whereases” — a standard practice in bills and ordinances. Our Whereases spell out atrocities of the polluted reality perpetuated by the plastics industry: a reality characterized by environmental injustice, rife with increasingly negative impacts on human and environmental health.

The ordinance’s first section defines key terms and concepts, like what makes an item single-use, compostable, reusable, etc. We based these definitions on best practices across the country.

The following sections are the figurative meat of the ordinance:

Section two details prohibitions on:

Polystyrene as a primary chemical additive in styrofoam food and beverage containers
Plastic shopping bags at points of sale
Plastic stirrer sticks and splash guards
Plastic straws (we recommend a request-only policy, though nursing homes and hospitals are exempt from this policy)

Some items in this section have built-in exceptions: the ban on plastic shopping bags excludes bags used for produce, bulk items, meats, seafood, flowers, small hardware, live animals (like fish or insects), dry cleaning, or hotel-provided laundry bags. It also excludes yard waste, pet waste, and garbage bags.

With the ban on plastic shopping bags at points of sale, we hope to encourage people to bring their own bags to the store. But, people are human and will forget sometimes. To cover those times, stores can provide paper bags for a fee of $0.10 each. They can also offer reusable bags for sale at checkout. Some locations already provide empty cardboard boxes for customers to use, and that’s ok too. The purpose of the paper bag fee is to discourage customers from relying on paper bags — which have their own environmental impacts — each time they shop. Anyone with SNAP or WIC benefits will be exempt from the fee.

Section four highlights our proposed bans on disposable plastic service ware. The ban differentiates dine-in versus take-out operations. We recommend that no disposable plastic service ware be provided for dine-in customers and encourage businesses to provide reusable service ware instead. Should a business lack the dishwashing capacity to provide reusables, they are exempt and can provide alternative sustainable service ware. We recommend businesses provide no disposable plastic service ware for take-out operations and instead provide sustainable service ware at the customer’s request.

The next sections highlight the ordinance’s implementation and enforcement criteria:

From the passage of the ordinance, businesses will have a set amount of time to source new sustainable alternatives and exhaust their current stocks of and contracts for single-use plastics. Businesses that fail to comply with the ordinance after that period will face penalties of $100 for a first offense, $200 for a second offense, and $500 for a third offense.

You can read our proposed ordinance in its entirety here.

Together, we can stop plastic pollution at its source. Let’s enact common-sense laws at the state and local levels to limit the use of single-use plastics before they end up as litter in our rivers, lakes, and streams. Visit our Plastic-Free WNC site to learn more and take action against plastic pollution in WNC. And join us at 7 p.m. on January 26 for our virtual screening of The Story of Plastic.

MountainTrue Wins Historic Investments for WNC

As you may know, lawmakers at the North Carolina General Assembly finally approved a budget in November after months of wrangling among themselves as well as with Governor Cooper. The new spending plan represents the first full budget approved by the legislature and signed by the Governor since 2018.

The budget makes substantial investments in Western North Carolina, including many of the funding priorities MountainTrue has been promoting since this time last year — when lawmakers began their 2021 session.

Every year, MountainTrue makes a list of priority projects and programs for funding in the state budget. We then work with WNC legislators and our various partners — including our members at the grassroots level — to help convince lawmakers to invest in our rivers, streams, mountains, and forests.

Here’s a quick look at MountainTrue’s budget victories in Raleigh:

Funding for removal of dams across WNC — $7.2 million.
Recurring funding for landslide mapping in WNC — $370,000.
Restoration of the successful Waste Detection Elimination Program (WaDE) to help property owners identify and remedy failing septic systems on their property — $200,000 in both years of the biennial budget.
Recurring funding for water quality testing in the French Broad and other WNC rivers and streams — $100,000.

MountainTrue also went to bat for several important projects to improve public access to and/or protect water quality in rivers and streams throughout our region. New state funding for these projects included:

Watauga River Paddle Trail in Watauga County — $150,000.
Permanent public access to a popular recreational area on the Green River Game Lands in Henderson and Polk counties — $150,000.
Removal of the Ward Mill Dam on the Watauga River in Watauga County — $100,000
Outdoor recreation improvements at Island Park on the Tuckaseegee River in Swain County — $200,000.
Expanded fishing, canoeing, and kayaking on the Valley River in Cherokee County — $125,000.
Improved access to and stream restoration on the Bakersville Creekwalk in Mitchell County — $200,000.

Some other budget items that MountainTrue supported include $12.2 million for Pisgah View State Park in Buncombe County and $750,000 for planning and improvements to DuPont State Forest.

Of course, no one gets everything they want in the state budget process. Two of MountainTrue’s priorities — additional funding to help livestock producers reduce water pollution from their farming operations and communities to manage stormwater runoff — did not make it into the state’s spending plan. MountainTrue will continue to work in support of these investments in 2022.

We at MountainTrue extend our gratitude to the WNC legislators from both parties for their help with these budget victories. A big shout out to Sen. Chuck Edwards of Henderson County — from the beginning of his time in the Senate, Edwards has shown a consistent commitment to water quality issues in our region and used his position on a key Senate budget committee to address them. We are especially grateful to him for his partnership with MountainTrue.

But you, our supporters, are still MountainTrue’s most important partner. We are the only WNC environmental organization with a year-round presence in Raleigh. Your support makes our work in the capital possible! Thank you and cheers to an impactful 2022!

Read about our 2021 organizational successes here!

Tell FERC to Protect Mountain Rivers

On October 4, 2021, the Oconaluftee River below Ela Dam — once a high quality mountain river — was completely filled with sediment during a reservoir drawdown for a repair by the dam’s owner, Northbrook Carolina Hydro II, LLC.

TAKE ACTION

Tell FERC to protect rivers in the Little Tennessee and Hiwassee River basins by monitoring and enforcing the provisions of Northbrook’s license for the Bryson, Franklin, and Mission Hydroelectric Projects.

MountainTrue has been tracking the successful efforts of state agencies and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to hold Northbrook accountable for this disaster. However, our review of public documents revealed that Northbrook “has conducted no active sediment management activities since obtaining the Bryson Project” in 2019. Furthermore, the company hasn’t developed the long-term sediment management plans required by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s project license at any of its three Nantahala Projects: Bryson on the Oconaluftee (where the massive sediment release occurred), Franklin on the Little Tennessee River, and Mission on the Hiwassee River.

Our mountain rivers contain a dazzling array of wildlife species, some of which are threatened or endangered. High quality water means high survivability for aquatic wildlife, especially those species most sensitive to pollution. Increased sediment pollution in our local waterways makes it difficult for native wildlife to feed, mate, move, and even breathe. This was the unfortunate fate suffered by many aquatic species when tons of sediment were unloaded into the Oconaluftee River last October.

Mountain rivers often provide our communities with drinking water. They’re also important recreational resources in our region, hosting a wide variety of recreation opportunities, including fishing, snorkeling, canoeing, and kayaking.

Hydroelectric dams owned by private companies like Northbrook are licensed every 30-40 years by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Licenses have many pages of provisions designed to minimize impacts to human safety and the environment from the dams and their operations. But FERC’s responsibility doesn’t stop when the license is finalized. FERC must ensure that the requirements of the license are met to protect our river resources!

We’ll deliver this petition to FERC on January 28, 2022. We’ve got to do all we can to prevent a catastrophe like this from happening again!

Update: Thanks to all who signed on! We’re thrilled to have exceeded our goal of 500 signatures. MountainTrue will continue to monitor the situation — stay tuned for updates!

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MountainTrue FAQ: Live Staking

We love live staking here at MountainTrue, as it’s one of the easiest and most effective ways to support native biodiversity and stream bank restoration! This blog hopes to answer many of the frequently asked questions we get about live staking. Most of this information is general, but some is specific to the Watauga Basin and Riverkeeper Program.

Q: What’s live staking?

Live staking is a method of stream bank repair using native tree cuttings to revegetate the riparian buffer. The riparian buffer consists of trees, shrubs, and grasses alongside stream banks — it plays a crucial role in protecting stream health. The resiliency of riparian buffers is frequently impacted by land use. Activities like mowing to the edge of a stream, cutting down trees to see the water, or new development can negatively impact water quality. By live staking, we can positively and directly impact the overall health of our waterways!

Q: Where do you get the stakes from?

We get our live stakes from Foggy Mountain Nursery in Lansing, NC — their team harvests the stakes from native tree species, cutting stakes two to three feet long and one-half to two inches thick. While it’s possible to cut the stakes ourselves, we choose to support a fantastic local business and ensure that we’re planting the correct species. We’ve also harvested stakes from our previous live staking sites, where planted stakes have become well established.

Q: How do you choose where you’ll be planting?

We prioritize local public parks and river accesses because they’re easy to access and directly benefit the public. We’ve frequented Valle Crucis Community Park in Banner Elk, Cove Creek, and other public riverside locations around Watauga County. We also partnered with the City of Hendersonville to host two live staking workdays in Henderson County this February!

Q: What species do you plant?

We only plant tree species native to our region — primarily silky willow, silky dogwood, elderberry, and ninebark stakes. We’ve also planted other species, like buttonbush, black willow, and red stem dogwood. Recommended for stream bank repair by the NC State Cooperative Extension, these native tree species prefer moist soil and thrive in riparian habitats. These species support native wildlife, especially local pollinators. They can also establish extensive root systems to successfully hold soil in place along riparian buffers, ultimately preventing erosion.

Q: Why do you plant during the winter?

Live stakes are living cuttings of dormant trees that can propagate or sprout a new plant from the cutting of the parent plant. During winter, trees enter a state of dormancy to conserve their energy and weather the colder temperatures. Our live staking season lasts from November to March. We plant hearty hardwood stakes that use their energy to establish roots, waiting until spring to grow their branches and leaves. These resilient roots serve as a stream bank’s first line of defense against erosion, especially during high-flow events. Planting live stakes while tree species are in their natural pattern of energy conservation allows for a higher likelihood of survival along riparian buffers.

Q: How successful are the stakes?

Live stakes have a survival rate of 30-80%. However, survival varies from species to species and depends on environmental conditions. For example, we’d likely have very low survivability if a drought occurred after planting. But, if we plant under ideal conditions using correct planting techniques and have favorable weather post-planting, our stakes can do remarkably well! We can also remove invasive plant species and water the freshly planted live stakes to give them a better chance of success.

Stakes are most successful when planted along naturally sloped stream banks. They can still be planted on extremely incised banks, though they’re more likely to be less impactful in those locations. In our experience, silky willow and silky dogwood stakes tend to fare better than other native tree species we plant.

Q: How long does it take for the stakes to grow?

Roots, leaves, and branches can be well established after one growing season. From there, they continue to grow in length from the tips of their roots and branches year after year.

Q: How do live stakes benefit our waterways?

Live stakes grow root systems that hold soil in place and prevent erosion in local waterways. Sediment pollution remains a significant threat to the Watauga River Basin. This type of pollution clogs aquatic habitats and transports toxic substances through local waterways, increasing water temperatures and negatively impacting native biodiversity.

Once planted, small live stakes will grow into larger trees that stabilize and support riparian buffer health. Healthy riparian buffers benefit stream health in a multitude of ways — they also absorb nutrients, create wildlife habitat, and reduce the intensity of flooding from rain events. Unvegetated streams are often incised and can lose several feet of bank in a single rain event — this can be detrimental to nearby homes and other structures.

Q: What’s a typical day of planting?

We prep the stakes by cutting the live ends at a 45-degree angle. The NC State Cooperative Extension states that such cutting is enough to catalyze root growth at the nodes. The folks at Foggy Mountain Nursery kindly mark the planting ends of our stakes, so we know which ends to cut (pictured right). Once prepped and ready, we take the stakes in buckets down to the stream. We plant along the bank from the water’s edge to the bank’s top — not in the actual stream bed. Stakes are planted at an angle and submerged into the soil about two-thirds of the way. From there, the rest of the work is up to the stakes!

Want to learn more about live staking? Check out our Events page to sign up for one of our upcoming volunteer workdays, or contact our resident live staking experts listed below:

Andy Hill, High Country Regional Director and Watauga Riverkeeper

Hannah Woodburn, High Country Watershed Coordinator

Community Action Safeguards the First Broad River

Before I was your Broad Riverkeeper, I founded the Broad River Paddle Club in 2011 to connect with other river paddling enthusiasts seeking to get together and float the local rivers. At the time, accessing the river was difficult — only the Broad River Greenway offered public river access. So, the Broad River Paddle Club decided to help each other and their community find ways to get outside and on the water.

On behalf of the Broad River Paddle Club, I asked Richard and Betty Hord of Lawndale permission to access the river via a sandbar the couple owned behind the Methodist Church on the First Broad River — a tributary to the Broad.

David Caldwell

Broad Riverkeeper

The couple’s reply: “Just don’t leave any trash behind.” No problem there!

With a new access point secured, things were looking up. But around the same time, Cleveland County Water was working to build a reservoir on that same stretch of river. The proposed project would have dammed the river; destroyed 24 miles of free-flowing water; submerged 1,400 acres of forest, several farms, ten homes, and parks; and harmed aquatic habitat and endangered species both up and downstream.

Worried about the future health of the Broad River, I also joined a coalition of concerned residents called Stop the First Broad River Reservoir that, with the help of the Southern Environmental Law Center and American Rivers, fought to stop the damming of our beloved First Broad. Coalition members attended the water authority’s board meetings and spoke out about their opposition to the reservoir.

It took more than a decade of community opposition to compel Cleveland County Water to abandon the project and withdraw the reservoir construction application it had submitted to the US Army Corps of Engineers in 2005. Instead, Cleveland County Water constructed a far less damaging off-river reservoir to store water in Lawndale and installed infrastructure for a new water intake on the Broad River in Boiling Springs, NC.

The defeat of the reservoir wasn’t just a victory for the environment. It also allowed for the possibility of creating something extraordinary on the banks of the Broad River.

Remember the Hords and their sandbar in Lawndale? Richard Hord had been raised on the shores of the First Broad River and loved it. When he passed away in 2019, his wife Betty offered the 60 acres — land that would have been forever changed had the reservoir been built — to the water authority on the condition that it be made into a public park. Betty’s contribution land in honor of Richard spurred the Lawndale community and Cleveland County Water administrators to think bigger and start planning an extensive new Greenway.

Now two years into the project, the community has just received some much-needed grant funding to complete what we now know as the future Stagecoach Greenway. The project’s first stage — a public swimming beach, picnic area, and canoe access at the sandbar — should be completed by 2024 and will provide increased access to river recreation along the First Broad to many more folks.

In summary, when we fight bad proposals, we don’t just avoid the immediate harm to our environment and our communities. We make room for better things to come in the future — like a greenway that contributes to economic growth, adds new recreational opportunities, and creates a wonderful place where our community can gather and enjoy the long and winding First Broad River.

Learn more about the Stagecoach Greenway’s master plan here.

Thank You for Supporting the Work of MountainTrue

It’s hard to believe that it’s already nearly the new year. Looking back over the past twelve months, it’s been a remarkable year full of great times on the river, beautiful hikes through the woods, and significant environmental victories. None of which would have been possible without your participation, support, and passion for the unique place we call home.

This year we worked with local community leaders to defeat a proposed asphalt plant that would have polluted neighborhoods of East Flat Rock and the headwaters of the Green River. Through our involvement in the WaysSouth coalition, we won a better plan for the Corridor K highway project that protects the Snowbird Mountains and the Appalachian Trail and provides a new forested land bridge for wildlife. In Asheville, we secured more green infrastructure and better urban design by ensuring that the Bowen Bridge section of the I-26 expansion project better connects West Asheville to Downtown with pedestrian and bike pathways. Watauga Riverkeeper Andy Hill accomplished a longtime conservation goal by working in partnership with American Rivers, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and others to remove the Ward Mill Dam, reconnect 35 miles of the Watauga River, and restore native aquatic habitats. Lastly, French Broad Riverkeeper Hartwell Carson conducted groundbreaking research identifying the sources of bacteria pollution with the first eDNA study of the French Broad River.

Thank You for Supporting the Work of MountainTrue

It’s hard to believe that it’s already nearly the new year. Looking back over the past twelve months, it’s been a remarkable year full of great times on the river, beautiful hikes through the woods, and significant environmental victories. None of which would have been possible without your participation, support, and passion for the unique place we call home.

This year we worked with local community leaders to defeat a proposed asphalt plant that would have polluted neighborhoods of East Flat Rock and the headwaters of the Green River. Through our involvement in the WaysSouth coalition, we won a better plan for the Corridor K highway project that protects the Snowbird Mountains and the Appalachian Trail and provides a new forested land bridge for wildlife. In Asheville, we secured more green infrastructure and better urban design by ensuring that the Bowen Bridge section of the I-26 expansion project better connects West Asheville to Downtown with pedestrian and bike pathways. Watauga Riverkeeper Andy Hill accomplished a longtime conservation goal by working in partnership with American Rivers, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and others to remove the Ward Mill Dam, reconnect 35 miles of the Watauga River, and restore native aquatic habitats. Lastly, French Broad Riverkeeper Hartwell Carson conducted groundbreaking research identifying the sources of bacteria pollution with the first eDNA study of the French Broad River.

Partnering with Communities to Stop an Asphalt Plant

“Our partnership with MountainTrue took us from hopelessness to hopefulness.” – Shannon Nicholson, Friends of East Flat Rock

MountainTrue and Friends of East Flat Rock teamed up to block a proposed asphalt plant’s application for rezoning near a surrounding residential area and near the Green River Game Lands. This grassroots effort forced the developer to withdraw his application not once but twice. Beyond rezoning, we documented the developer polluting nearby Laurel Creek — resulting in a Notice of Violation against SE Asphalt. Your support allows us to oppose future rezoning attempts and to continue to monitor for environmental violations.

Support This Work

Working in Coalition to Protect the Snow Bird Mountains

“We hope we’ve set a better example for the region on how you can build better highways and improve the safety for wildlife and automobile traffic.”
– Melanie Mayes, WaysSouth Board Chair

Protecting Stecoah Gap and the Snow Bird Mountains took nearly 10 years, but the results were well worth it. A proposed road would have cut through pristine wildlife habitat, the Appalachian Trail, and Cherokee historic sites. Due to the efforts of MountainTrue and the WaysSouth coalition, no new roads will be built. Instead, the existing Corridor K will be improved for better traffic flow and response times for fire trucks, ambulances, and police. To enhance this area for hikers and wildlife, the coalition successfully proposed a forested land bridge that would serve as a wildlife and Appalachian Trail crossing. Protecting our mountain region means staying vigilant year after year. That’s why we need your support.

Support This Work

Removing Dams and Reconnecting Aquatic Habitats

“Thanks to this dam removal, we celebrate a healthy, free-flowing Watauga River. Free-flowing rivers are the lifeblood of thriving communities, healthy ecosystems, and clean water for people and nature.”
– Erin McCombs, American Rivers’ Southeast Conservation Director

The Ward Mill Dam removal was a three-year effort but well worth the wait. Working in partnership with American Rivers, Blue Ridge Resource Conservation and Development, Watauga County Soil and Water Conservation District, and U.S Fish and Wildlife Service, this $1.2 million project reconnected 35 miles of aquatic habitat in the main stem of the Watauga River and 140 miles of streams across the watershed. Now, native fish such as the tangerine darter and threatened salamanders like the hellbender are reunited and will benefit from an improved cold-water habitat.

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Making Advancements in Pollution Monitoring

“What better way to get information out to the public at large? MountainTrue is trying to find the source of a problem. Not blowing a whistle and walking away. I really like the holistic nature of what you do.”
– Ben Gainey, MountainTrue Member

In 2021, MountainTrue made dramatic advancements in the sophistication of our clean waters program. We conducted our first eDNA study and drone-assisted heat source tracking — which showed that agricultural waste is the highest contributor of E. coli in the French Broad River. We launched our plastics study in three regions, documenting that microplastics are now a major issue across our mountains. The Western Regional Office celebrated their first year participating in SwimGuide bacteria monitoring — giving the public weekly water quality results for popular recreation areas from Memorial Day to Labor Day weekends. With these advances, supported by members like you, we can better advocate for the changes needed to tackle pollution at its sources.

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Fighting for Healthier Communities through Better Planning

“The victory of alternative B is worth crowing about. It is vastly superior to everything that went before it.” – David Nutter, Volunteer Planner with the Asheville Design Center (a program of MountainTrue)

MountainTrue rallied the community and empowered Asheville City Council to push back against alternatives to the I26 Connector that would negatively impact community members. We successfully convinced NC Department of Transportation to eliminate one lane of traffic on each side of the Bowen Bridge and create pedestrian and bike pathways connecting Downtown to West Asheville. This new design offers a level of connectivity not yet seen in Asheville. Supporting MountainTrue’s work means supporting projects that can dramatically improve quality of life for future generations.

Support This Work

These are just the highlights. These accomplishments are the results of sustained, multi-year campaigns. Most were achieved by partnering with local communities or with broader coalitions. Others relied on our ability to leverage scientific know-how to drive our advocacy. These are our strengths: collaboration, technical expertise, and the staying power to see campaigns through until we win.

Next year will be our 40th anniversary, and we’re proud of our long list of institutional accomplishments. However, we’re also humbled because none of this would be possible without the generous contribution of our members, the vigilance of our advocates, and the enthusiasm of our supporters.

Please consider a donation today. Your ongoing support gives us hope and the capacity to do good. With you at our side, we’ll continue the fight into 2022 and beyond.

Sincerely,

The MountainTrue Team

Front row (left to right): David Caldwell, Broad Riverkeeper; Mara Chamlee, SRO Water Quality Administrator, Amy Finkler, Development and Operations Coordinator; Anna Alsobrook, French Broad Watershed Outreach Coordinator; Susan Bean, Engagement Director; Sarah Ogletree, Creation Care Alliance Director; Callie Moore, Western Regional Director.

Second row: Ellianna McLaughlin, Forest Keeper Coordinator; Hartwell Carson, French Broad Riverkeeper; Tony Ward, Western Regional Program Coordinator; Hannah Woodburn, High Country Outreach Coordinator; Katie Breckheimer, Interim Southern Regional Director; Bob Wagner, Co-Director.

Third row: Josh Kelly, Public Lands Field Biologist; Andy Hill, High Country Regional Director and Watauga Riverkeeper; Adam Bowers, Development Director; Chris Joyell, Healthy Communities Director; Bob Gale, Public Lands Director; Gray Jernigan, Southern Regional Director and Green Riverkeeper; Savannah Lytle, Outings and Education Coordinator;

Maddy Watson, Communications Associate.

Not pictured: Julie Mayfield, Co-Director; Karim Olaechea, Communications Director.

These are just the highlights. These accomplishments are the results of sustained, multi-year campaigns. Most were achieved by partnering with local communities or with broader coalitions. Others relied on our ability to leverage scientific know-how to drive our advocacy. These are our strengths: collaboration, technical expertise, and the staying power to see campaigns through until we win.

Next year will be our 40th anniversary, and we’re proud of our long list of institutional accomplishments. However, we’re also humbled because none of this would be possible without the generous contribution of our members, the vigilance of our advocates, and the enthusiasm of our supporters.

Please consider a donation today. Your ongoing support gives us hope and the capacity to do good. With you at our side, we’ll continue the fight into 2022 and beyond.

Sincerely,

The MountainTrue Team

Front row (left to right): David Caldwell, Broad Riverkeeper; Mara Chamlee, SRO Water Quality Administrator, Amy Finkler, Development and Operations Coordinator; Anna Alsobrook, French Broad Watershed Outreach Coordinator; Susan Bean, Engagement Director; Sarah Ogletree, Creation Care Alliance Director; Callie Moore, Western Regional Director.

Second row: Ellianna McLaughlin, Forest Keeper Coordinator; Hartwell Carson, French Broad Riverkeeper; Tony Ward, Western Regional Program Coordinator; Hannah Woodburn, High Country Outreach Coordinator; Katie Breckheimer, Interim Southern Regional Director; Bob Wagner, Co-Director.

Third row: Josh Kelly, Public Lands Field Biologist; Andy Hill, High Country Regional Director and Watauga Riverkeeper; Adam Bowers, Development Director; Chris Joyell, Healthy Communities Director; Bob Gale, Public Lands Director; Gray Jernigan, Southern Regional Director and Green Riverkeeper; Savannah Lytle, Outings and Education Coordinator; Maddy Watson, Communications Associate.

Not pictured: Julie Mayfield, Co-Director; Karim Olaechea, Communications Director.