Western Regional Office - Murphy, NC
MountainTrue's Western Regional Office is located in Murphy, serving communities in the Hiwassee, Nottely, Little Tennessee, and Savannah river watersheds. Western region counties are: Haywood, Jackson, Macon, Swain, Graham, Cherokee & Clay in NC and Towns & Union in north Georgia. VolunteerAbout the Western Regional Office
90 Tennessee St. Suite D
Murphy, NC 28906
(828) 837-5414
In 2019, the Hiwassee River Watershed Coalition merged with MountainTrue to become its Western Regional Office. MountainTrue’s Western Regional Office partners with and serves communities in Western North Carolina’s Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Jackson, Macon, and Swain counties, as well as Towns and Union counties in North Georgia. The Western Region Team manages the following programs and events:
Western Region Team



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. Follow the MountainTrue West Facebook Page or email callie@mountaintrue.org to receive the most up-to-date information on event changes/cancellations.
Swim Guide
Western Region News
July 2021 E-Vistas Newsletter
In our July E-News we celebrate our Bio-Blitz winners, welcome Sarah Ogletree as the new director of the Creation Care Alliance, expose the impacts of clear-cutting at Bottomley Farms, and more.
Jackson County Wins the 2021 Bioblitz
After two weeks of hard-nosed competition, Jackson County has won the 2021 Bioblitz over Watauga and Transylvania Counties. Overall, 46 people contributed 2,947 observations and 317 people helped with the identification of 1,228 species. While Jackson County had 1,403 observations to Watauga County’s 1,068, the competition for the most species was much tighter – Jackson county prevailed 738 to 681. Transylvania County came in a distant third with 472 observations and 279 species.
Western Region Non-Native Invasive Plant (NNIP) Intern (Murphy, NC)
MountainTrue is seeking a dedicated individual to fill a part-time 12-week internship position for its western region in Fall 2021. The Intern will serve a minimum of 180 hours from August 30, 2021 through November 20, 2021. The position includes a combination of on-the-ground stewardship of public and conserved lands, volunteer recruitment and coordination, and public outreach. This is a paid position. Visit our website to learn more and apply.
Protect Old-Growth, Wildlife & Our Natural Heritage in Nantahala National Forest
Protect Old-Growth, Wildlife & Our Natural Heritage in Nantahala National Forest The US Forest...
Kaiya Pickens Wins Top 2021 Carson Conservation Scholarship Award
The Carson Conservation Scholarship assists young people from Cherokee, Clay and Graham counties who want to pursue higher education in natural resource conservation fields. This year’s top scholarship award winner, Kaiya Pickens, is planning a career in ecological restoration and has been volunteering with MountainTrue to remove non-native invasive plants on Murphy’s River Walk.
One Million Gallons of Sewage Overflowed into Western North Carolina Waterways during Six Month Period
More than one million gallons of sewage overflowed from inadequate wastewater infrastructure into the French Broad River and other area waterways in Western North Carolina according to state data acquired and analyzed by MountainTrue. The data was collected from August 3, 2020 until March 4, 2021 by the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s (DEQ) Asheville Regional office and is the best available estimate of the amount of sewage that overflows from wastewater infrastructures such as pipes and manhole covers into area rivers and streams across 19 counties of western North Carolina.