MountainTrue

NCUC Hearing on Duke Energy's Western Carolinas Modernization Project
2016-01-26 14:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York) | Buncombe County Court House, 60 Court Plaza, Asheville, NC, 28801, United States
January 26 will be the only public hearing where residents can make themselves heard regarding Duke Energy’s Western Carolinas Modernization Project. Please attend and make your voice heard.
CLICK HERE TO RSVP
On December 16, Duke Energy has submitted to the North Carolina Utilities Commission a notification of intent to file an application for a “certificate of public convenience and necessity” for the new gas units that, if approved, would replace a coal-fired plant at Lake Julian, south of Asheville that is slated for retirement in 2020.
In its letter to the Commission, Duke Energy Progress stated its intent to seek approval of two new natural gas-fired 280-MW units, as well as a third 192-MW “peaking” unit designed to meet additional demand during peak times. Duke has publicly committed to working with our communities to find alternatives including energy efficiency and renewable energy infrastructure, in order to avoid the construction of the “peaking” unit.
Read MountainTrue’s response here.
The North Carolina Utilities Commission has scheduled a public hearing for the purpose of taking public witness testimony regarding the application, once filed, on Tuesday, January 26, 2016, at 7:00 p.m., in the Buncombe County Courthouse, 60 Court Plaza, Courtroom 1A, Asheville, North Carolina 28801. Petitions to intervene shall be filed with the Commission on or before Friday, February 12, 2016.

Paddle-n-Plant with the French Broad Riverkeeper
2016-01-21 05:00 - 11:00, 2016-01-14 05:00 - 11:00, 2016-01-09 05:00 - 11:00, 2016-01-07 05:00 - 11:00, 2015-12-16 05:00 - 11:00, 2015-12-12 05:00 - 11:00, 2015-11-21 05:00 - 11:00 | North Carolina
The French Broad Riverkeeper and MountainTrue are combating sediment erosion in our local waterways. Sediment is a major polluter in our river basin, clogging fish and aquatic habitats, increasing water temperatures, and transporting toxic substances. We are helping to reduce the amount of sediment that flows into our rivers by planting live-stakes along eroding riverbanks. These stakes will grow into trees that will stabilize the sides of the rivers and creeks where we plant them, and will reduce the overall amount of sediment getting into the river. We have lots of dates to choose from, so come out to one or more of our Paddle-n-Plant work days!
Click here to RSPV
Times: Typically 10 – 4. You will get an email closer to the date with more details.
Locations: French Broad River, Cane Creek, and Hominy Creek. Your meeting location will be emailed to you closer to your date.
What to bring with you:
lunch
extra change of clothes
warm layers (we’ll be on the water, so dress for weather, but also make sure it’s things you don’t mind to get dirty); we’ve got dry bags
rubber boots (if you have them)
waders (We have some, but not many so bring your own if you have them.)
rubber mallet (if you have one)
work gloves (if you have them)
pocket knife (if you have one)
water to drink
really, just what you think you need to keep warm and dry that day.

Hendersonville Green Drinks w/ Joan Walker
2016-01-14 12:30 - 15:00 | Black Bear Coffee, 318 N. Main St., Hendersonville, NC, 28792, United States
The next Hendersonville Green Drinks is on January 14 and the topic is:
The Path Toward a Cleaner, Safer, and More Affordable Energy Future
Join Joan Walker, Mountain True’s Campaign Coordinator, to learn what comes next as Duke Energy applies to the NC Utilities Commission for approval of their revised Western Carolinas Modernization Plan. The discussion will involve what success will look like as our community works to reduce demand for electricity so a third gas-fired unit will not be needed in 2023.
New Year, New Time, New Location
Green Drinks has a new time and a new location! The new venue is Black Bear Coffee at 318 N. Main Street. Come at 5:30 for networking, presentation and discussion at 6:00.
Black Bear Coffee offers beer, wine, coffee drinks and sodas. A limited food menu will be available.

Volunteer Orientation: Winter Warmer Beer Festival
2016-01-12 12:45 - 13:30 | MountainTrue — Asheville, 29 North Market Street, Asheville, NC, 28801, United States
The 9th Annual Asheville Winter Warmer Beer Festival is on Saturday, January 23. This is a really fantastic and fun event the proceeds of which go to benefit MountainTrue.
We need your help to make it a success. All Volunteers who work a 3-hour shift get in free to the event. All volunteers are required to attend a short volunteer orientation to receive your job instructions for Winter Warmer.
PLEASE SIGN UP TO VOLUNTEER HERE.
Available meeting times are :
January 7 (Thursday)-MountainTrue Office-5:45-6:30 pm
January 12 (Tuesday)-MountainTrue Office-5:45-6:30 pm

Volunteer Orientation: Winter Warmer Beer Festival
2016-01-07 12:45 - 13:30 | MountainTrue — Asheville, 29 North Market Street, Asheville, NC, 28801, United States
The 9th Annual Asheville Winter Warmer Beer Festival is on Saturday, January 23. This is a really fantastic and fun event the proceeds of which go to benefit MountainTrue.
We need your help to make it a success. All Volunteers who work a 3-hour shift get in free to the event. All volunteers are required to attend a short volunteer orientation to receive your job instructions for Winter Warmer.
PLEASE SIGN UP TO VOLUNTEER HERE.
Available meeting times are:
January 7 (Thursday)-MountainTrue Office-5:45-6:30 pm
January 12 (Tuesday)-MountainTrue Office-5:45-6:30 pm

Hendersonville Tree Recycling Project
2015-12-31 - 2016-01-09 | Jackson Park Ball Field, 801 Glover St, Hendersonville, NC, 28792, United States
We hope that you enjoy your Christmas tree. After the holidays, please drop-off your trees at Jackson Park ball field #6 anytime on or before January 9. On Saturday, January 9, 9:00 to 2:00, volunteers from MountainTrue, will be at Jackson Park to collect trees, non-working tree lights, and used greeting cards.
Hendersonville city and county personnel will be on-site to chop-up Christmas trees into mulch. The lights will be recycled at the County COOP Extension Service for the 4-H project.
Cards will be recycled to make new cards. You may pick-up FREE mulch, and enjoy hot apple cider and cookies.
Thanks to King Hardware & Rental for providing the mulching machine!

Winter Solstice Hike in DuPont State Forest!
2015-12-20 14:00 - 16:00 | DuPont State Forest – Hooker Falls parking lot, Dupont State Forest, Staton Rd, Cedar Mountain, NC, 28790, United States
The stroll, led by Mary Jo Padgett, will be an easy one-fourth mile trail to the base of Hooker Falls.
In the dark of night, we’ll create soft moonlight by shining flashlights upon the falls creating a quiet moment to celebrate the return of the sun to the northern hemisphere.
Participants are invited to bring a thermos of warm drink, for we’ll toast the sun’s return at the conclusion of the hike. Bring a flashlight for use when necessary. For directions to the Hooker Falls parking lot, visit the DuPont State Forest website at www.dupontforest.com/visit/directions/
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
Registration Deadline: Friday, December 18 at NOON

Hemlock Education Hike
2015-12-12 05:00 - 09:30 | Montreat Gate, Montreat Gate, Assembly Dr, Black Mountain, NC, 28711, United States
Join MountainTrue’s Forest Keepers and Margot Wallston, the Hemlock Restoration Initiative Coordinator, as we hike and learn about hemlock ecosystems, the hemlock woolly adelgid, and current efforts to ensure hemlocks survive on North Carolina’s public and private lands.
>Click here to register
This is an easy-moderate 4-mile hike on well-maintained trails in Montreat with a 898 foot elevation gain and descent. We will go slowly on the climbs, taking in the surroundings, and will take breaks as needed.
We begin at the parking area near the Montreat gate and introduce the challenges hemlocks face, what Montreat is doing to protect their trees, and the “Beetles for Buncombe” program. Then, we carpool to the Lookout trailhead and begin our hike up to Brushy Mountain.
At the summit of Brushy Mountain, we will find ourselves in the midst of a mature Carolina hemlock stand. We will eat lunch at the summit and continue our hemlock education. After lunch, we’ll head down toward Sourwood Gap and loop onto to Trestle Road and back to the Lookout trailhead.
Bring a lunch, wear sturdy shoes and lots of layers, and be ready to learn about hemlock ecosystems found in Western North Carolina!

Location: Meet at the parking area next to the Montreat gate
Cost: Free to all participants, but pre-registration is required!
Please note that each person in your party needs to register for the hike!
Registration Deadline: Friday, December 11 at NOON

>Click here to register

Fight Invasives at Richmond Hill Park
2015-12-12 04:00 - 08:00 | Richmond Hill Park, 300 Richmond Hill Dr, Asheville, NC, 28806, United States
Join us and help restore native plant communities by controlling non-native invasive plants at Richmond Hill Park. This is the City of Asheville’s only forested park and is home to many special native plant and animal species!
We’ll provide all gloves, equipment and instruction needed. Please bring snacks, water, rain jacket and wear long pants, long sleeve shirt and closed toe shoes (no open shoes or sandals allowed for safety).
Click here to RSVP

People’s Pilgrimage for the Paris Climate Talks
2015-12-06 09:00 - 11:30 | Carrier Park, Carrier Park, Asheville, NC, NC, 28806, United States
People of all faiths and persuasions are invited to show their support for commitments from global powers to fight climate change at the UN Climate Talks in Paris, November 30 – December 11.
The “People’s Pilgrimage for the Paris Climate Talks” will demonstrate that support on December 6 at 2:00 PM with banners and signs, voices and feet. Supporters will meet at the pavilion at Carrier Park on Amboy Road and walk two miles along the French Broad River to French Broad River Park. Along the way, supporters will stop at the river, a wetland, a contaminated parcel that is being reclaimed, and an electric power substation to hear about the sites and to share in music, poetry and prayer.
Click here to RSVP.
This event is sponsored by the Creation Care Alliance of Western North Carolina. Contact creationcare@mountaintrue.org or www.creationcarealliance.org

Come Hell or High Water, Remembering the Flood of 1916
2015-12-03 14:00 - 16:00 | Blue Ridge Community College, 180 W Campus Dr, Flat Rock, NC, 28731, United States
The Center for Cultural Preservation’s next program COME HELL OR HIGH WATER, REMEMBERING THE FLOOD OF 1916 on Thursday, December 3rd at 7:00 PM will explore the history of the area’s worst natural disaster nearly 100 years ago. But what have we learned? That flood led to hundreds of mudslides and landslides causing extensive damage and loss of life but that was during a time when few people lived up on ridges or near streams. A flood of similar proportions today would be even more devastating.
To recount the history and discuss what WNC’s special topography has forewarned us throughout history, the program will feature the presentation of a new short film, and a forum that will include an historian, mountain elders, and experts discussing the history, what we’ve learned and how better protected are we today since the disaster nearly 100 years ago.
According to Jennie Jones Giles, a local historian and seventh generation native “Remembering the 1916 flood is important because the consequences to Western North Carolina should this happen again would impact us 10-20 times greater than it did then. The lessons the flood could teach us could save our lives and better protect our community.”
The forum will include Giles as well as Henderson County Code Enforcement Services Director Toby Linville, director for UNC Asheville’s National Environmental Modeling and Analysis Center James Fox, Asheville Stormwater Services Manager McCray Coates, and local mountain elders.
The program is scheduled for Thursday, December 3rd at 7PM at Blue Ridge Community College’s Patton Auditorium. There is a suggested donation of $5. Since the program is expected to sell out, advance registration is strongly recommended. Reservations can be made through the Center’s website, www.saveculture.org or by calling the Center for Cultural Preservation at (828) 692-8062. The program is co-sponsored by the NC Humanities Council, the Henderson County History and Genealogy Center, Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy and Mountain True.

Hendersonville Rally for Climate Change
2015-11-29 08:00 - 09:00 | Hendersonville Historic Courthouse, 1 Historic Courthouse Sq # 4, Hendersonville, NC, 28792, United States
On Sunday, Nov. 29, residents will gather in Henderson County to add their voices to the thousands of global citizens calling for meaningful climate action from President Obama and the leaders from over 100 countries who will be attending the 21st Conference of the Parties in Paris.
This rally takes place on steps of the Historic Courthouse in Hendersonville. The goal is to show leaders meeting in Paris that “our movement cannot be ignored, and we will accept nothing less than an ambitious climate deal, with a global commitment to 100 percent clean energy,” according to organizers.
For more information, read an article about the rally and the larger Global Climate March in the Hendersonville Times-News.
If the weather does not cooperate, we will gather in the meeting room on the second floor of the Historic County Courthouse. See you there!

Making Music & Making a Difference
2015-11-20 14:00 - 17:00 | First Christian Church of Black Mountain, 201 Blue Ridge Rd., Black Mountain, NC, 28711, United States
Enjoy the an evening of music and fun with the Warren Wilson College Old-Time and Bluegrass Bands. This is a concert to benefit the Creation Care Alliance of WNC.
Event is Free. All contributions go to Creation Care Alliance.

Forest Service Public Meetings
2015-11-16 13:00 - 15:00 | 2015 Mountain View Room, Kimmel Arena, University of NC Asheville, 1 University Heights, Asheville, NC, 28801, United States
As part of the Forest Planning process for the Nantahala and Pisgah national forests, the Forest Service has evaluated lands, rivers and streams that could be eligible for protection as Wilderness areas or as Wild and Scenic Rivers. If approved, this could:

Keep logging, road-building and mining out of 364,000 acres of backcountry and our most special wild places.
Designate 53 pristine waterways as Wild and Scenic Rivers. This is the strongest form of protection for these rivers. Eligibility would create 1/4-mile buffers to maintain the outstanding quality of rivers and prevent dams from being built on these waterways.

In addition to attending the meetings, click here to submit your comments TODAY!
Attend one of the Forest Service’s public meetings:
November 9, 2015, 6-8pm
Tartan Hall, 26 Church St.
Franklin, NC 28734
November 16, 2015, 6-8pm
2015 Mountain View Room,Kimmel Arena
University of NC Asheville
1 University Heights
Asheville, NC 28801
