Take Action: Speak up to Protect our USFS Southern Research Station

The USDA has proposed changes to the U.S. Forest Service structure. The proposal is far-reaching, but could have a huge impact on the US Forest Service if implemented. The Forest Service currently has a hierarchical structure of Washington Office > Regional Office > Forest Supervisors Office > Ranger District Office. The Forest Service also has a research branch that provides information on forest economics, forest pests and pathogens, timber management techniques, wildlife habitat, watershed management, fire management, and forest inventory, among other responsibilities. The headquarters for the Southern Research Station is in Asheville, North Carolina, and two important research forests, Bent Creek and Coweeta, are also located in Western North Carolina. The current reorganization plan would eliminate all Regional Offices and consolidate Forest Service Research to Fort Collins, Colorado. This plan would lead to the elimination or relocation of more than 100 forestry, administrative, and research jobs in Western North Carolina.

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The economic effects of the reorganization would reverberate for decades. More than just the local job losses, the closing of the Southern Research Station would stifle innovation in forestry and conservation for decades to come. The Forests of the Southeast are distinct from those in other parts of the country. Southern National Forests have always gotten less funding and attention than those in the West, while the water, recreation, and wildlife they supply to the South are crucial. Please tell the USDA and your elected officials to save the US Forest Service and the Southern Research Station from this costly and unneeded reorganization.

Take Action: Tell DEQ to Enforce Its Own Rules

Take Action: Tell Congress to Protect Public Land Roadless Areas, Pass RACA

Tell Congress: Pass the Roadless Area Conservation Act Making Protection Permanent

On June 23rd, Agriculture Secretary Rollins announced that the Trump Administration will end the Roadless Rule, which has protected 58.5 million acres of roadless Forest Service land for 25 years. The Roadless Rule was finalized in 2001 after years of planning and public consultation. Over 600 public meetings were held and 1.6 million public comments were received on the rule, with 97% in favor of protecting the last wild areas in America from roadbuilding and commercial logging.

While most Roadless Areas are in the western US and Alaska, North Carolina is blessed with more public land and wild country than most eastern states. About 15%, or 152,000 acres, of Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests are protected by the Roadless Rule. These areas include well-known and beloved places like Cheoah Bald, South Mills River, Laurel Mountain, the Black Mountains, Tusquitee Bald, and Upper Wilson Creek. Roadless areas provide the best remaining fish and wildlife habitat in the nation, and unique recreational opportunities. Ending the roadless rule is nothing more than a handout to a small group of people that would benefit from logging and mining them.

But what about wildfire risk, some will ask? The truth of the matter is that fire is a crucial part of forest health, and roads bring both more arson fires and more fire suppression. The natural fires that burn in roadless areas maintain and renew the forest and don’t harm communities, which are by definition far from roadless areas. Plus, the Roadless Rule already contains the flexibility to cut trees to reduce wildfire risk and insect outbreaks. The Roadless Rule is working – don’t let oligarchs and bureaucrats take it away!

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Fight for Roadless Areas!

Fortunately, The Roadless Area Conservation Act (RACA) has been introduced in the Senate with many co-sponsors. RACA would make the Roadless Rule more durable and end the ability of bureaucrats to remove it with a simple rulemaking process. Contact your Senators and Congressional Representatives today, and ask them to support the Roadless Area Conservation Act and oppose Secretary Rollins’ attempt to end the rule.

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Take Action: Tell NC Senate to Keep Funding for Dam Removal in HB1012 – Disaster Recovery Part II

Photo: American Rivers, Conservation Trust for North Carolina, MountainTrue, Friends of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail, the NC Wildlife Resources Commission, and the National Park Service (NPS) came together to remove an earthen dam from Cranberry Creek Preserve in the New River watershed this May.

Tell NC Senate: Let’s Keep the Momentum for Dam Removal

We’re grateful to members of the North Carolina House for including funding for dam removal in HB1012. Now it’s up to the Senate to support this investment to help keep our communities safer, restore rivers, and support local jobs and economies.

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When Hurricane Helene struck, 41 dams failed or were severely damaged, putting homes, roads, and lives at risk. Hundreds more outdated, unmaintained dams remain across the state—each one a potential hazard.

We’ve already seen the power of dam removal in action. The Shulls Mill Dam, removed in 2024 with state support, helped prevent infrastructure damage during Helene flooding on the Watauga River. Just downstream, the Wards Mill Dam removal protected neighbors and opened up miles of habitat for native species.

Let’s build on that success.

Take a moment to tell Senators to prioritize dam removal funding to continue supporting this life-saving, river-restoring work.

Take Action & Tell NC Lawmakers: Fund Recovery, Remove Dangerous Dams, and Expand Housing Options

The NC House has passed a strong disaster recovery package—HB1012—that includes $10 million for dam removal, $60 million for small business relief, and millions more for clean water infrastructure, parks, and storm cleanup. This is the bill our communities need.

At the same time, housing legislation like SB495, which would allow for more low-impact housing by permitting Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), is stalled in the General Assembly. These “granny flats” and “in-law suites” help address our housing shortage without paving over forests and farmland.

Use the form below to tell your lawmakers:

Pass HB1012 without delay.
Keep dam removal funding in the bill.
Advance SB495 to expand housing options.

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MT Raleigh Report – Legislative Update: Crunch Time in Raleigh: Where Key Bills for WNC Stand

Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer—but in Raleigh, it signals something else: the homestretch of the North Carolina General Assembly’s legislative session.

While our legislature doesn’t have a firm end date, the new fiscal year begins on July 1. Republican leaders in both the Senate and House—where the GOP holds majorities—are signaling that they want to finalize a state budget and wrap up the session soon after.

That means the next few weeks will be the most important of the year for shaping North Carolina’s policies and spending priorities. Key decisions are still up in the air, and lawmakers will need to find agreement—or risk dragging the session deep into the summer or leaving town without finalizing a budget, again.

Here’s where things stand—and how they affect Western North Carolina:

Helene Recovery: Progress, But More Work Ahead

The Senate’s proposed budget includes $700 million for disaster recovery following Hurricane Helene—but offers no details on how or when the funds would be used.

Meanwhile, the House has taken a clearer step forward, passing a stand-alone recovery bill—House Bill 1012 (HB1012)—that allocates $464 million in targeted relief, including $60 million for a long-overdue small business loan program, $45 million for water infrastructure and underground storage tank bridge loan programs, $55 million for NC Dept. of Agriculture for wildfire preparedness, streamflow assistance, and other farm assistance, $12.5 million for state and local park cleanup, and $15 million for debris removal unmet needs, among other items.

Thanks to weeks of advocacy by MountainTrue and our supporters, the House bill also includes $10 million for dam removal—a critical investment that would unlock federal funding to remove aging, hazardous dams that pose a serious risk during heavy storms, including the over 40 dams severely damaged in Helene that are now prone to failure. HB1012 now heads to the Senate for consideration.

The Budget Battle

Crafting the state’s two-year budget remains lawmakers’ top task—but it won’t be easy. Budget forecasts show potential deficits in the coming years. While House Republicans want to slow the pace of tax cuts until revenues rebound, Senate Republicans are pushing for faster, deeper tax cuts and dispute the deficit projections.

On Helene recovery, both chambers agree more help is needed—but differ on how to deliver it. The House wants to pass HB1012 on its own, avoiding delays tied to broader budget negotiations. The Senate appears likely to fold the bill into the budget, making it harder for Democrats to oppose—or for Gov. Josh Stein to veto—without jeopardizing critical relief.

Housing: ADUs Can Help Fix the Crisis

One of MountainTrue’s top legislative priorities is promoting housing options that allow us to address our housing shortage without creating sprawl and negatively impacting our natural environment. That’s why we support reforms such as legislation that would require local governments to allow the construction of Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs)—also known as “granny flats” or in-law suites.

These small homes, often built on lots with existing houses, provide lower-cost, in-fill housing so we can build in and up instead of out into our forests, farms, and open spaces. While several ADU bills have been introduced, they’ve stalled in both chambers. MountainTrue is urging lawmakers to move forward on ADU legislation before the end of the session.

How You Can Help

The decisions made over the next few weeks will shape North Carolina’s future—and your voice matters.

Please contact your state Senator and urge them to:

Support the dam removal funding in HB1012 to protect communities and leverage federal dollars.
Pass HB1012 as a stand-alone bill, so critical aid reaches families, small businesses, and local governments without delay.
Advance SB495 to allow Accessory Dwelling Units, a practical step to increase affordable housing options in our communities.

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Thank you for standing with MountainTrue as we fight for a cleaner, healthier, and more resilient Western North Carolina.