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
Protect NEPA: Speak Up for Your Right to Speak Up!
The National Environmental Policy Act, or NEPA, is such a basic part of our lives that we usually don’t even think about it. It’s NEPA that allows everyday people to comment on the Forest Service’s Nantahala-Pisgah Forests Management Plan, or to know the costs and impacts of projects like the I-26 expansion before they occur. The White House Council on Environmental Quality is proposing revisions to NEPA that will undo the core principles of the act. Act now by submitting a public comment to defend NEPA here.
MountainTrue and Mainspring to Host Blackrock BioBlitz at Pinnacle Park in Sylva
On June 2, MountainTrue and Mainspring Conservation Trust will sponsor the Blackrock BioBlitz, a citizen-science program that will pair residents with more than a dozen expert naturalists to document the diverse natural communities of Sylva’s Pinnacle Park and its highest point, Blackrock Mountain.
Series of Expert Panels to Discuss Future of Nantahala & Pisgah National Forests in Sylva, Boone, Brevard and Andrews this March
Experts representing a diverse group of conservation, recreation and business interests will take part in a series of special panel events on the future of the Nantahala-Pisgah National Forests this March. The panels, which will be held in Sylva, Boone, Brevard, and Andrews, will present visions for a win-win forest management plan that allows all interests to co-exist and thrive in Western North Carolina’s national forests.
Deciding the Next 15 Years for Western NC’s Forests: The Nantahala-Pisgah Forest Management Plan
Everyone who loves Western NC’s national forests has an issue they care about in the forest management plan expected to be released this year. So how do we find common ground and make a plan that works for all of us? Find out what the forest management plan is and why it matters for our region, and don’t miss our forest panel events this March in Sylva, Boone, Brevard and Andrews.
MountainTrue Defends Old-Growth Forest in Jackson County
Because old-growth trees like those in the Mossy Oak Project are so rare, so ecologically valuable and take hundreds of years to form, MountainTrue believes that existing old growth on public land should be protected from logging. That’s where we come in. Our Public Lands staff reviews all timber projects in Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests for the presence of old growth.
Fires Creek Tract Acquired For Permanent Conservation In Nantahala National Forest!
MountainTrue is thrilled to celebrate victory in a successful campaign to protect a 50-acre inholding within the Fires Creek watershed in Cherokee and Clay counties for permanent conservation as part of the Nantahala National Forest. We thank the Mainspring Conservation Trust and Fred and Alice Stanback for purchasing this stretch of forest, which will have a tremendous impact in protecting wildlife, water quality, recreation and wilderness in our public lands.