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
Flying Through the Trees with Navitat
On Friday, May 26, the MountainTrue staff closed the office a little early to embark on an adventure in the trees at Navitat Canopy Adventures.
Blitz the Bluff with MountainTrue
Join MountainTrue on the second annual Bluff Mountain Bio-blitz happening on Saturday, June 3 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.
MountainTrue and Asheville Citizen-Times present ‘Before We Burn Again: A Panel on the Future of Wildfires in WNC’
MountainTrue and Asheville Citizen-Times team up to present “Before We Burn Again: A Panel on the Future of Wildfires in WNC” at Highland Brewing Company on Monday April 3 from 5-8 p.m.
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.