Resilient Forests
MountainTrue engages communities in safeguarding the treasures of our public lands, including wildlife, old growth forests and rare ecosystems. We believe the management of these lands should maintain and restore their ecological integrity and promote recreational opportunities.
Seasonal Hikes
MountainTrue hosts several guided hikes in our WNC mountains to see some of the best views and natural habitats in the area. Hikes vary by year, so check out our events calendar for the most up-to-date information about our upcoming hikes.
Our Forest Work
Public Lands Protection, Policy and Planning
MountainTrue advocates for the protection of our national and state forests in addition to our national, state, county and city parks as a part of WNC public lands. We work collaboratively with stakeholders from the conservation, recreation and commercial sectors to ensure sustainable management of our public lands.
The Western North Carolina Alliance, one of the organizations that merged to form MountainTrue, was instrumental to ending the practice of clearcutting locally. Today, we monitor every timber sale to ensure old growth and other special areas are protected and that road building is minimal.
Invasive Species Removal
Native species in our region are being pushed out by non-native invasive species throughout WNC public and private lands. MountainTrue through partnerships with local conservation organizations and governmental departments has carried out numerous non-native invasive species control projects to help restore native species to the region.
Forest News
Tell Congress to Take AmeriCorps Off the Chopping Block
Meet some of our hardworking and dedicated AmeriCorps. The federal agency that supports the AmeriCorps service program is one of 18 agencies that are recommended for elimination in the White House’s recent budget proposal. Please take a moment to call your members of Congress and let them know that AmeriCorps is making a difference in our community.
Public Lands are Priceless, not Worthless
Congress is well on its way to making it easier to privatize our public lands. The House approved a package of rules that sets a zero-dollar value on federally protected lands that are transferred to states. By devaluing federal lands, Congress is paving the way to hand them over to states that cannot afford to manage these lands and will likely seek to raise funds by selling off our national treasures to developers or to mining, fracking and logging industries. Act now to protect America’s public lands!
After The Wildfires: Climate Mitigation and Adapting to the New Normal, at the Collider
On Monday, December 19, MountainTrue’s Public Lands Field Biologist Josh Kelly and Jim Fox of the National Environmental and Modeling Analysis Center at UNC Asheville presented on the topics of climate change, drought and strategies for wildfire management at the collider.
After the Wildfires: Mitigating Climate Change and Adapting to the New Normal
Jim Fox, Director of UNC Asheville’s National Environmental Modeling and Analysis Center, and Josh Kelly, Public Lands Field Biologist at MountainTrue, will discuss how climate change is impacting Western North Carolina at the Climate Collider on Monday, December 19 at 4 p.m..
2016 MoutainTrue Awards Recipients Announced
MountainTrue announced the winners of the MountainTrue Awards, which were at the organization’s Fall Gathering held at New Belgium Brewing Company in Asheville on October 26. Award honorees are recognized for their hard work and dedication to protecting our forests, mountains, rivers and streams, and to promoting clean energy and sustainability.
Join us for the MountainTrue Fall Gathering at New Belgium!
Wednesday, October 26, join us at New Belgium Brewery in Asheville for our annual Fall Gathering. Expect great beer, delicious food and some sweet, sweet jams from Asheville’s very own The Midnight Plowboys. With our proud mountain heritage, beautiful mountain vistas, lush forests and rushing streams, Western North Carolina is an amazing and special place to call home. The support of our members has helped us fight for our communities and protect one of the richest environments in the world. Come and help us recognize the hard work of our members and volunteers, and to celebrate our accomplishments over the past year.