Central Regional Office

MountainTrue's Central Regional Office and headquarters is located in Asheville, serving all 26 counties in our organization's footprint.
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About the Central Regional Office

29 N. Market Street, Suite 610
Asheville, NC 28801
(828) 258-8737

The Central Regional Office partners with and serves communities in Buncombe, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, and Yancey counties through the following programs and initiatives:

 

Central Region Team

Bob Wagner

Bob Wagner

Executive Director

Gray Jernigan

Gray Jernigan

Deputy Director & General Counsel

Karim Olaechea

Karim Olaechea

Deputy Director of Strategy & Communications

Adam Bowers

Adam Bowers

Development Director

Anna Alsobrook

Anna Alsobrook

French Broad Riverkeeper

Susan Bean

Susan Bean

Housing & Transportation Director

Hartwell Carson

Hartwell Carson

Clean Waters Director

Gina Elrod

Gina Elrod

Resilient Forests Organizer

Amy Finkler

Amy Finkler

Development & Engagement Manager

Jack Henderson

Jack Henderson

French Broad Paddle Trail Manager

Megan Huske

Megan Huske

River Clean-up Program Assistant

Chris Joyell

Chris Joyell

Healthy Communities Director

Josh Kelly

Josh Kelly

Resilient Forests Director

Julie Lehman

Julie Lehman

Creation Care Alliance Engagement Manager

Julie Mayfield

Julie Mayfield

Senior Policy Advisor

Greg Parlier

Greg Parlier

Marketing & Debris Cleanup Communications Manager

Jon Stamper

Jon Stamper

River Cleanup Coordinator

Sydney Swafford

Sydney Swafford

Development & Operations Coordinator

Linda Tatsapaugh

Linda Tatsapaugh

Organizing Manager

Maddy Watson

Maddy Watson

Communications Manager

Volunteer with us!

We have many regular volunteer opportunities throughout the warmer months – visit our events calendar to view upcoming volunteer opportunities. Please note that volunteer event dates and times are subject to change due to weather conditions with short notice. 

Central Region News

2023 BioBlitz: Powered by iNaturalist

2023 BioBlitz: Powered by iNaturalist

Every year, MountainTrue hosts a BioBlitz event where we gather experts, enthusiasts and lifelong learners together to document every living organism we can find in a given area. To add to the fun, this year we are hosting a tri-county smackdown-style competition between Jackson, Watauga, and Transylvania counties! We think these are the most biodiverse counties in the MountainTrue Service Area. Help us crown the champion! Scores will be tallied by county and by individual, with prizes and bragging rights in store for winners (note: you must sign up using the form below to be eligible to win).

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A Plastic Bag Ban with a 10¢ Fee Is Best for the Environment with Limited Cost to Consumers

A Plastic Bag Ban with a 10¢ Fee Is Best for the Environment with Limited Cost to Consumers

A Plastic Bag ban would dramatically decrease emissions of greenhouse gasses and sulfur dioxide, and the consumption of fossil fuels and fresh water at an annual cost of $3.33 per consumer — EBT, SNAP, and WIC recipients would be exempt. Using environmental impact data provided by the American Chemistry Council — a group that lobbies and advocates on behalf of plastic bag manufacturers and the petrochemical industry — MountainTrue has calculated the environmental impacts of three scenarios: maintaining the status quo by doing nothing, adopting a plastic bag ban without a fee, and adopting a plastic bag ban that includes a 10-cent fee on paper bags.

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MountainTrue’s Statement on the Nantahala-Pisgah Forest Plan

MountainTrue’s Statement on the Nantahala-Pisgah Forest Plan

The final Nantahala Pisgah Forest Plan will go into effect on March 20, 2023. The following is a statement from MountainTrue: On March 20, after 10 years of public input and planning, the Forest Service will adopt its new management plan for the Nantahala-Pisgah National Forests — a disappointing document that is significantly worse than the current plan and contradicts an executive order issued by President Biden that would protect and expand our nation’s old growth forests …

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Helping A Member Save the Trees of the Asheville Muni Golf Course

Helping A Member Save the Trees of the Asheville Muni Golf Course

On Saturday, December 3rd, 2022, I got an email from Nancy Casey, a MountainTrue member, about a proposal to cut 157 trees from the Asheville Municipal Golf Course. ancy Casey is a resident of the Beverly Hills neighborhood and is active with the Blue Ridge Audubon. Nancy frequently walks and birds around the golf course. She can tell you what birds to expect at various times of the year at each hole and has documented some rare species, like brown-headed nuthatch and pine siskins, using the trees on the course, and knows where the local hawks nest there.

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