Western Region News Archives – Page 21 of 21

Are we ready for the next threat to public lands?

Laurel Creek is part of the headwaters of Fires Creek, a favorite trout stream for many anglers in our region.

I’d like to introduce you to Chris Broomfield, a member of MountainTrue and the local chapter of Trout Unlimited, one of our partner organizations. In June, Chris celebrated when the US Forest Service purchased a 49-acre block of private land in the headwaters of Fires Creek, following a 10-year battle to protect the creek — a favorite trout stream for Chris and many locals.

It all started in 2008 when a group of people requested permission to build a road along Laurel Creek to a piece of property they’d bought high up on the rim of the mountains.

“Thing is, their proposed route was really close to pristine waters and cut through rock formations that would likely cause acid runoff,” said Chris, reflecting back on the project. “We’d read on the state’s website about streams that were permanently damaged by acid runoff generated by other roads constructed through this same geologic formation. There was a very real risk that any kind of road construction would cause irreparable damage to the pristine streams flowing into Fires Creek.”

Long-term fights like this one are not new to MountainTrue. It took thousands of staff hours to protect Fires Creek, and this would not have been possible without the support of our members and donors. Consider making a donation today so that MountainTrue is ready for the next threat to water quality and our public lands.

Make A Contribution

From the very beginning, MountainTrue and the Hiwassee River Watershed Coalition led the legal and advocacy work that resulted in the private landowners abandoning the road building project. With this purchase, the land is now part of Nantahala National Forest and Fires Creek will continue to run clean and clear.

“It took 12 years to win this. It wouldn’t have happened without organizations like MountainTrue, who have staying power over the long term and the history of working in these mountains to ensure that clean water and our public lands…our communities are protected in the future!”

With the impact of COVID-19 on fundraising events and small business support, your donation is needed more than ever. We need your help to secure the longevity of MountainTrue. We rely on the generosity of people like you who love both the natural and built communities in these mountains to make sure we are here for the long haul, and with the capacity needed to reach our goals! Make a donation today and help protect more places like Fires Creek in the future.

MountainTrue Western Region program coordinator Tony Ward evaluates native and invasive plants while developing a restoration plan.

It costs approximately $400 a day — or $2,800 a week — to operate the MountainTrue Western Regional Office, including staff time and expenses for our clean water, public lands and healthy communities work. If every person reading this letter gives just $100 today, we can enter 2021 with half of our much needed funding secured! How much would you give to ensure that we’re here to protect your nearby waters, forests and communities?

Your donations matter. Here are some of the long-term projects we’re currently working on locally that depend on your support:

Corridor K Transportation project in Graham & Cherokee counties: Working to ensure community transportation needs are met, while minimizing forest fragmentation and overall environmental impact.
US Forest Service Timber projects in Macon & Clay counties: Protecting high-quality old-growth forests, natural heritage areas and water quality as timber is harvested and forest communities are restored.
Lake Nutrient Reduction projects in Towns & Union counties: Curbing pollution from leaking septic systems, farms and construction projects to reduce algae growth and the occurrence of harmful algal blooms.
Restoring Clear Water to the Tuckasegee River in Jackson & Swain counties: Working with partners to eliminate excess sedimentation from construction projects and eroding stream banks and helping to restore native plant communities along streams.
Assisting with planning parks, trails and greenways across all nine counties of MountainTrue’s western region.

Will you help ensure our mountain waters, forests and communities stay healthy in the future? Please help us get a strong start in 2021 by making a donation today.

Thank you for joining me and MountainTrue in our mission to protect the places we share.

What’s Going On With the NC Farm Bill?

Action Expired

6/26/2018

Last night Governor Roy Cooper vetoed SB711, a dangerous bill that would greatly limit the constitutional right of North Carolinians living near industrial hog farms to seek justice in the courts for nuisance and pollution of their air and water. The General Assembly will vote later this week on whether or not to override Governor Cooper’s veto.

This is when we need your calls more than ever. Will you make a quick call to your state representative now to make sure Governor Cooper’s veto of SB711 stands? If you don’t know who your representative is, you can use the “Who Represents Me?” tool on the NC General Assembly website here, and find your representative’s phone number here.

The Facts About SB711:

This bill was drafted to protect Smithfield Foods, an out-of-state industrial hog operation owned by Chinese business interests, from a lawsuit brought by neighbors of industrial hog farms in Eastern NC. The intention is to protect a foreign corporation from liability where rural communities of color are disproportionately impacted by operations they own or control through contracts.
This bill is not about protecting farmers, it’s about protecting profits. All of the pending lawsuits are against Smithfield through its subsidiary, Murphy-Brown. The only entity paying damages (or potentially liable) in these cases is Smithfield. While some of the facilities are operated by contract growers, the only defendant in the lawsuits is Smithfield.
SB711 allows only neighbors within half a mile of an industrial farm to file a lawsuit, but the claim must be brought within one year of the establishment of the operation. Since there’s been a moratorium on new hog CAFOs (Confined Animal Feeding Operations, also known as large industrial animal operations) since 1997, new operations are not being established. This prevents any neighbor from being able to pursue a nuisance suit. This runs contrary to nuisance theory (and general statute of limitations) where the claim arises when the harm actually occurs, not when the potential for harm begins.
This is not to mention neighbors of industrial farms who live more than half a mile away, who will have no longer have any standing to sue for nuisance. Water pollution moves animal waste hundreds of miles downstream, and odor and bacteria are carried by the wind, so neighbors farther than half a mile from hog farms will continue to be effected.
SB711 would also severely limit local governments’ ability to regulate large agriculture operations – including poultry plants.

You can still take action. If your state representative voted YES on SB711, ask them to support Governor Cooper’s veto. If your NC House Representative voted NO on SB711, call and thank them for supporting North Carolina homeowners, and ask them to stand strong to support Governor Cooper’s veto of this dangerous bill. Here’s how some of WNC’s House Reps. voted on SB711:

Chuck McGrady (Henderson): No

Cody Henson (Henderson, Polk, Transylvania): Yes

Kevin Corbin (Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Macon): Yes

Jonathan C. Jordan (Ashe, Watauga): Yes

Michele D. Presnell (Haywood, Madison, Yancey): Yes

Susan C. Fisher (Buncombe): No

John Ager (Buncombe): No

Brian Turner (Buncombe): No

Tim Moore (Cleveland): Yes

Mike Clampitt (Haywood, Jackson, Swain): Yes

Josh Dobson (Avery, McDowell, Mitchell): Yes

And for the record, here’s part of the statement Governor Cooper released after his veto:

“North Carolina’s nuisance laws can help allow generations of families to enjoy their homes and land without fear for their health and safety. Those same laws stopped the Tennessee Valley Authority from pumping air pollution into our mountains…Giving one industry special treatment at the expense of its neighbors is unfair.”

Thank you for standing up for North Carolina homeowners and for clean air and water in the state we love.

Next Entries »