Western Regional Office
The Western Regional Office is located in Murphy, serving communities in Haywood, Jackson, Macon, Swain, Graham, Clay and Cherokee counties in North Carolina, and Town and Union counties in Georgia.
90 Tennessee St. Suite D
Murphy, NC 28906
Phone (828) 837-5414
Callie Moore, Western Regional Director
Tony Ward, Western Regional Program Coordinator
MountainTrue West News
Join Us for an Annual Member Gathering in Your Area!
We are excited to be gathering in person this year to connect with you, our members, to celebrate our award winners and see each others’ smiling faces!
In light of the current rate of COVID infections and the situation in hospitals across our region, we have chosen to host multiple, smaller, outdoor events in place of one large gathering. We are also requiring that all attendees be fully vaccinated in order to participate. If you are not vaccinated, you will have an opportunity to vote for new and returning board members online.
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 Service is proposing a 1,500-acre timber sale in the Snowbird Mountains in Nantahala National Forest that would log documented old-growth stands, steep headwaters of...
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.
MountainTrue Launches BioBlitz to Crown Champion of Biodiversity in WNC
Join MountainTrue for our annual 2021 BioBlitz. This year’s bioblitz is a regional competition to crown the 2021 champion of biodiversity. The competition will take place virtually across three counties from June 5 through June 19.
Take Action For Funding To Map Landslide Hazard Areas In WNC
Landslides in our mountains are a threat to homes, roads, drinking water, and even lives. But we can make our communities safer if we know where to expect them. Take action here.
March 2021 E-Vistas Newsletter
Rethinking the Smart Growth principles, updates on Duke’s long-term energy plan, upcoming cleanups and hikes and more!