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
Villains Invade the Non-native Invasives at Richmond Hill Park!
In my position as Ecologist & Public Lands Director, I’m accustomed to high school, college, and even business groups contacting us to volunteer for any service projects we might have in restoring the areas of the natural environment. But in July, one J.J. Holt called and offered help from his group of folks scattered across North Carolina who call themselves the Bearded Villains. “We all have beards,” JJ said. “And our mission is to offer our services to any organization needing help with physical labor on outdoor projects.”
Managing the Nantahala-Pisgah National Forest for Its Unique Biodiversity
The conservation importance of the Southern Blue Ridge Ecoregion compared to other lands of the United States would be difficult to overstate. As the largest single unit of conservation land in the Southern Blue Ridge, the Nantahala-Pisgah National Forest has special significance for maintaining clean water, providing access to recreation and providing habitat for a unique assemblage of plants and animals. The Nantahala-Pisgah National Forest is currently halfway through the process of revising its Land and Resource Management Plan, which will allocate the million acres of the forest to various emphases of multiple-use land management. One of the most controversial and difficult questions facing the Nantahala-Pisgah at this crossroads is how to increase logging to benefit local economies and disturbance dependent wildlife species while protecting one of the temperate world’s greatest concentrations of disturbance sensitive, endemic species.
Public And Scientists Document Diversity Of Bluff Mountain During Bioblitz
On June 4 and 5, MountainTrue Staff and 43 volunteers documented the astonishing diversity of Bluff Mountain in Madison County, NC. Bluff Mountain has long been an iconic place to local residents who have hunted and gathered food and medicinal herbs on its slopes for generations. Our bioblitz confirmed Bluff’s special character and documented over 400 species, including over 270 vascular plants, a dozen mosses and liverworts, more than 30 birds, over 40 lichen, five mammals, six amphibians, and more than 50 invertebrate animals in just two days!
Blitz the Bluff with MountainTrue, June 4 & 5
MountainTrue is thrilled to announce the Bluff Mountain Bio-blitz happening this June 4 and 5th in the Pisgah National Forest near Hot Springs, North Carolina. During the Bio-blitz, expert and amateur naturalists will work in teams to document the biological diversity of Bluff Mountain.
Josh Kelly, A Pioneer in Our Midst!
Josh Kelly, MountainTrue’s dedicated field biologist, has been recognized by Blue Ridge Outdoors magazine as one of 100 pioneers who have helped shape our region’s recreation, conservation, and adventure resources. The magazine explains:
“While benefactors and leaders in art, science, business, politics, medicine and other realms see their names emblazoned on buildings and their legacies revered for centuries, the people who advance outdoor recreation and the protection of public lands generally do their work without fanfare, quietly pushing the boundaries of human endurance and selflessly advocating on behalf of resources to benefit mankind.”
Conservation and Recreation Coalition Announces Recommendations for Nantahala-Pisgah National Forests
A coalition of conservation and recreation organizations recommends more trails and better public access as well as backcountry and wild areas for the Nantahala-Pisgah National Forests, according to a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) developed by the coalition. The coalition is submitting the MOU to the U.S. Forest Service as part of the ongoing forest plan revision process for the Nantahala-Pisgah National Forests.