Buncombe County Passes Wilderness Resolution for Big Ivy and Craggy Wilderness with Unanimous Vote

On Tuesday, September 20, the Buncombe County Commissioners voted unanimously for resolution asking Congress to designate expanded wilderness for the Big Ivy area of the Pisgah National Forest. MountainTrue’s Josh Kelly was in attendance along with more than 150 people showing their support for wilderness protections.

Image courtesy of Dogwood Alliance

Craggy Wilderness Study Area was created by Congress in 1975 as a 2,572 acre area below Craggy Pinnacle. In the current forest plan revision, the Forest Service identified a 10,652 acre area that could be suitable as Wilderness, but has proposed only 3,450 areas to be recommended to Congress as Wilderness.

Friends of Big Ivy, a local citizens group, along with MountainTrue and more than 40 other organizations and businesses (MOU signers) have proposed an area of approximately 7,900 acres be protected as Craggy Mountain Wilderness. The resolution by Buncombe County called on the Forest Service to recommend the entire 7,900 acre area as Wilderness.

This would be the first and only wilderness in Buncombe County and will not affect the trail network and will not change any current uses of Big Ivy. Mountain biking, horseback riding, hunting, and fishing will all continue to be allowed. The wilderness boundaries have been carefully drawn so that all mountain bike trails are outside the recommended area. No roads or trails will be closed to anyone. The wilderness recommendation will simply prohibit logging and development in trail-less, high-elevation areas of Big Ivy where most of the old-growth forests are located. Wilderness designation will best protect historical uses like hunting, fishing, camping and swimming and the unique ecological features of this special place. We want to keep Big Ivy just the way it is – wild, scenic, adventurous, and uncut.

On September 20th, more than 30 people spoke in favor of the resolution over a two hour period, and no one in attendance was opposed. Biology professors from Mars Hill College, UNC-Asheville, and Warren Wilson all spoke in favor of the resolution, as did a former Forest Service employee, Barnardsville residents, multi-generational families, children, and representatives of local environmental groups. The commissioners unanimously approved the resolution, noting that the area was already wilderness and hadn’t been designated yet. Commissioner Belcher noted that his faith led him to vote yes as a way of affirming the greatness of God’s creation. Commission Chair David Gantt said, “I think we do wonderful things when we look ahead and do things for future generations.”

There are over 2 million acres of National Forests throughout Western North Carolina and Eastern Tennessee, and these public lands are an incredible resource and economic driver for the region. Every 10-20 years, the Nantahala-Pisgah National Forest is required to have a new management plan that outlines the direction of the Forest. The Nantahala-Pisgah National Forest is currently revising its plan and as a part of our commitment to resilient forests, MountainTrue helps shape this plan to ensure that we are protecting our forests and our communities. To learn more about this work, read about our Public Lands programs.

Download a pdf of the resolution.

On Election Day, Vote Yes for Asheville

This November, City of Asheville residents will all have an opportunity to vote on a $74 million bond package to provide funds for improvements in the City’s affordable housing, multimodal transportation and parks. These projects will make life even better for all who call Asheville home and pay it forward to our local environment.

MountainTrue has joined the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce, United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County and many more who support the Asheville Bonds. The Bonds will fund projects that will make it easier to get around town with healthy, environmentally friendly transportation options like walking, biking and public transportation. Affordable housing initiatives will make our community more equitable and protect our mountains and countryside by encouraging smart, affordable housing downtown. The Bonds will improve and expand our parks–perfect places for the next generation of environmental advocates to connect with nature.

We can afford this: If all three bonds are approved, there would be a 4.15 cent-maximum increase in Asheville property taxes. At the most that would mean around $9 extra a month per year in taxes on a home valued at $275,000. With interest rates at an all time low and all the value we’ll add with Bond-funded projects, we can’t afford to not approve them!

If approved, the Bonds will fund projects that are already planned and vetted by the community but are not currently funded. We’re especially excited about the new greenway extensions and connectors and almost a dozen new sidewalk projects. There are also plenty of improvements to existing sidewalks and other pedestrian infrastructure to make it safer to get around town on foot and bike!

We think these Bonds are a great investment in Asheville’s future and the environment, and we hope you’ll join us in supporting them this Election Day. Spread the word by Liking and Sharing AVLBondsYes on Facebook.

October 8: Migratory Bird Walk & Talk with Friends of the Oklawaha Greenway

Hendersonville, N.C. — The public is invited to join Friends of the Oklawaha Greenway on October 8 at 10 a.m. for a Migratory Bird Walk & Talk, led by Cherie Pittillo and Emilie Travis, experienced local birders and board members of the Elisha Mitchell Audubon Society.

This Walk & Talk will focus on the fall migration of birds. Cherie and Emilie have a wealth of knowledge about migratory birds in western North Carolina as well as their winter habitats around the Caribbean basin. Organized by the Friends of the Oklawaha Greenway, this walk is co-sponsored by the City of Hendersonville and Wild Birds Unlimited.

Cherie and Emilie will help participants identify our birds and understand their habits and needs as they prepare to winter in North Carolina or travel to warmer weather in the south. They will discuss the importance of habitat, with special emphasis on our mountains, and the critical role residents play in maintaining a safe environment for birds. This is a fun and informal program, and your questions and observations are welcomed.

Participants should meet at the pavilion in Hendersonville’s Patton Park parking lot (114 East Clairmont Drive). The walk will last about 90 minutes, is free to the public, and will be held rain or shine. Please come equipped with good walking shoes and rain protection. For questions about this walk & talk, please contact: Jack Robinson at jackrobinsonmerida@gmail.com, Cel. 828-335-2479

The Friends of the Oklawaha Greenway is a group of local organizations and area residents who recognize the many community values offered by greenway trails, such as improved health, recreation, off-road transportation, connectivity, preserved open space, and economic opportunity. The Oklawaha Greenway currently connects Berkeley Park, Patton Park, and Jackson Park. The Friends of the Oklawaha Greenway plan to promote the use of the existing greenway, and are working to connect it to Blue Ridge Community College. Their members include the Blue Ridge Bicycle Club, Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy, Friends of the Ecusta Trail, MountainTrue, the League of Women Voters of Henderson County, and representatives from the community at large.

Help Restore Richmond Hill Park with MountainTrue

Asheville, NC — Are you interested in helping to restore native plants to Asheville’s largest forested park? Take part in one of MountainTrue’s Invasive Plant Removal Days at Richmond Hill Park. The park is home to many special native plant and animal species, and with your help we can help them thrive.

Who: MountainTrue Invasive Removal Program

What: Richmond Hill Invasive Plant Removal Days

When: October 8, 2016, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Where: 280 Richmond Hill Dr, Asheville, NC 28806 United States

Sign up here.

Volunteers help stop the spread of harmful non-native invasive species and return native species to this unique park. The invasive plants we’ll be treating are Oriental bittersweet, privet, multiflora rose and Japanese stiltgrass, among others. As a result of this treatment, habitat for spring ephemeral wildflowers such as trillium, Jack-in-the-pulpit, mayapple and other species of rich soils will be restored.

Restoring natives is vital in helping to preserve biodiversity and it also benefits birds and other wildlife by providing habitat, nectar for pollinators and fruit and nuts. Richmond Hill Park is a very special place in Asheville close to the French Broad River that needs your help!

MountainTrue’s Richmond Hill Invasive Plant Removal Days take place on the second Saturday of every month except for January and February.

About MountainTrue

MountainTrue is Western North Carolina’s premier advocate for environmental stewardship. We are committed to keeping our mountain region a beautiful place to live, work and play. Our members protect our forests, clean up our rivers, plan vibrant and livable communities, and advocate for a sound and sustainable future for all residents of WNC.

Carolyn Finney, Author of Black Faces, White Spaces to Speak at UNC Asheville Sept. 29

**Carolyn Finney, Author of Black Faces, White Spaces to Speak at UNC Asheville Sept. 29**

Developing cultural competency within the discussion of public lands and conservation is an important aspect for promoting the use and care of public lands among all populations. MountainTrue values collaboration among diverse constituencies to achieve more effective success in protecting our public lands and forests. Carolyn Finney brings a unique voice to this dialogue, and considers factors that contribute to how individuals build a relationship with their environment.

Carolyn Finney, author of Black Faces, White Spaces: Reimagining the Relationship of African Americans to the Great Outdoors (UNC Press, 2014), will speak at UNC Asheville at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 29 in the Humanities Lecture Hall. This event is free and open to everyone.

Finney, now assistant professor of geography at the University of Kentucky, pursued an acting career for eleven years, but a backpacking trip around the world and living in Nepal changed the course of her life. Returning to school in the U.S. as a student and now as a professor and cultural geographer, Finney explores how difference, identity, representation, and power play a significant role in determining how people negotiate their daily lives in relation to the environment. As a Fulbright fellow, Finney also has researched the impact of tourism and modernization on Nepalese women and the environment.

Finney serves on the U.S. National Parks Advisory Board working to assist the National Park Service in engaging relations of reciprocity with diverse communities. Her talk is part of UNC Asheville’s celebration of the National Park Service Centennial.

Finney says the aim of her work is to develop greater cultural competency within environmental organizations and institutions, challenge media outlets on their representation of difference, and increase awareness of how privilege shapes who gets to speak to environmental issues and determine policy and action. By engaging art, science and popular culture, she works to create new frameworks of engagement where diverse communities and individuals, environmental organizations, government agencies and academic institutions can establish and nurture healthy human/environment relationships.

For more information, contact Deborah Miles, director of UNC Asheville’s Center for Diversity Education, at dmiles@unca.edu or 828.232.5024.

Join us for Pisgah Pride Day on September 24!

MountainTrue is proud to be an official partner of the The Pisgah Conservancy’s first annual Pisgah Pride Day! Pride Day, on September 24, falls on National Public Lands Day, and is a broad volunteer opportunity for community members to contribute to the success of the Pisgah. The name of the event stems from The Pisgah Conservancy’s desire to instill pride in the maintenance of the Pisgah, and to encourage all members to a part in enjoying the forest.

The Pisgah Conservancy, the Forest Service and its established partners are teaming up with local business, schools, nonprofit organizations and other local forest users to make this event a success! Volunteers will participate on teams to work on a variety of projects all over the Pisgah! MountainTrue’s own Bob Gale will be working in Pisgah Pride Day to inventory nonnative, invasive species on Avery’s Creek Trail, Clawhammer Trail, and Perry Cove Trail. With the help of volunteers, he’ll be mapping out the location and density of these nonnative plants.

Show your pride for the Pisgah Forest and lend a hand on projects and maintenance vital to the well-being of the forest and its diverse ecosystem. Plus, after finishing the work day, volunteers can head to Oskar Blues Brewery in Brevard, where a percentage of all proceeds will be donated to The Pisgah Conservancy. All are welcome. Sign up through The Pisgah Conservancy’s website to volunteer. Come out and show your pride!