Our National Forests, Parks, rivers, trails, and recreation areas belong to all of us — but right now, they’re under threat.
In Cherokee County, County Commissioners are pushing for the sale or commercial development of parts of Nantahala National Forest. This effort is not just a local issue. If it succeeds, it will set a dangerous precedent for counties across our region — and across the country.
If Cherokee County succeeds at selling off public land, no county is safe.
Our public lands are the backbone of our mountain communities. They protect our water quality, support hunting and fishing traditions, power our outdoor recreation economy, provide critical wildlife habitat, and define the natural beauty of our region. Once they are sold, privatized, or opened to incompatible development, we lose them forever.
We cannot let that happen. Visit publiclands4all.org to take action today.
This is bigger than one county.
Moves to dispose of or commercialize public lands often start small — with a quiet resolution, a petition, or a request from special interests. But once one county signals support, the pressure spreads. Anti–public lands campaigns thrive when people assume “it could never happen here.”
We’ve seen enough across the country to know: it can happen here. And it will — unless people speak up now.
MountainTrue is working in coalition with local advocates as part of Public Lands 4 All to send a clear, united message:
Our public lands are not for sale. They must remain accessible to everyone — now and for future generations.
Take action now by signing the petition urging your County Commissioners to oppose any effort to sell, transfer, or commercially develop our public lands.
Add your name here: publiclands4all.org/
Your voice matters. County Commissioners need to hear from residents across the Southern Blue Ridge Mountains that we expect them to stand firmly on the side of conservation, public access, and our shared mountain heritage.
This is a pivotal moment. The decisions local officials make now will shape the future of our forests, trails, lakes, and rivers for generations.
Please take a moment to sign the petition — and share it widely with your community.
Together, we can stop this dangerous trend before it spreads and ensure that Western North Carolina’s public lands stay in public hands.
