North Carolina's Mountain Treasures

Smoky Mountain News: Advocates want to save little-known old growth pockets

Mary Ellen Dendy — Wed, 08 May 2013 21:02:59 +0000

Wilderness Society Southern Appalachian Outreach Coordinator Jill Gottesman is featured in a May 8 Smoky Mountain News article by Andrew Kasper about a pocket of old growth forest found in the Wright Creek drainage in the Upper Santeetlah Headwaters Mountain Treasure Area. Check out the full article here.

Forest Service: Dates of Next Plan Revision Sessions Announced

Mary Ellen Dendy — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 14:06:58 +0000

The U.S. Forest Service has announced the dates for the next sessions to be held as part of the Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests management plan revision process.

The meetings will be held from 6-9 p.m. at the following dates and locations:

Participants are encouraged to arrive at 5:30 p.m. to review materials prior to the meeting.

Click here to read the meeting flyer.

During the sessions, more in-depth information on a selection of topic areas related to the existing condition of the forests will be shared. Participants will have the opportunity to share opinions and ideas on these topics. The tentative format will be concurrent sessions on selected assessment items, including some that were of high interest at the initial round of meetings.

Topic areas likely to be addressed include: 1) ecological restoration; 2) early successional and other habitats; 3) recreation access and scenery; and 4) designated areas.

Help plan the Forests’ future. Learn more at: www.fs.usda.gov/goto/nfsnc/nprevision

New blog post celebrates the Appalachian Trail’s 75th birthday and SAWS’ work to preserve it

Mary Ellen Dendy — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 14:49:41 +0000

SAWS Wilderness Rangers, including Stephen Eren, Ryan Stolp and Peter Reber (Photo by Bill Hodge)

A new blog post on The Wilderness Society website celebrates 75 years of the Appalachian trail: its history, future, and what groups like Southern Appalachian Wilderness Stewards (SAWS) are doing to preserve it. Read the full post here

The Franklin Press Reports on NCMT Forest Plan Revision Interest Meeting

Jill — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 16:38:53 +0000

Jessica Waters of The Franklin Press recently wrote an article giving details of the recent NCMT & The Wilderness Society interest meeting regarding participation in the U.S. Forest Service’s revision of the Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests’ Land and Resource Management Plan. For more information view the full article below.

Trail triage? Tough choices ahead as forest service weighs 1,600 miles in trail plan

Jill — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 20:10:06 +0000

For the past year, the National Forest Service has been taking inventory, collecting public input and meeting with outdoor interest groups to wrangle its expansive web of nearly 1,600 miles of trail in the Nantahala and Pisgah national forests into a better, more sustainable network. This month, the forest service will share its preliminary assessment from the “Trail Strategy Initiative” with mountain residents. Read the Smoky Mountain News Article