Press release from MountainTrue:
MountainTrue is hosting a topic-specific online panel discussion on recreation issues in the draft Nantahala-Pisgah National Forest Draft Management Plan on Tuesday, June 16, from 5:30-6:30 p.m.. This session will take place through the Zoom webinar platform and will include Q&A segments. The panel will be emceed by MountainTrue’s public lands field biologist, Josh Kelly, and the panelists are:
- Julie White, Representative of the Southern Off-Road Mountain Bicycle Association (SORBA)
- Deirdre Perot, Public Lands Representative of the Back Country Horsemen of North Carolina
- Mike Reardon, Executive Director of the Carolina Climbers Coalition
- Kevin Colburn, National Stewardship Director for American Whitewater
Register at https://mountaintrue.org/event/forest-plan-panel-discussion-recreation/or visit mountaintrue.org.
The panel discussion will begin at 5:30 p.m. and last one hour, including time for questions and answers. This is the last in MountainTrue’s series of online info sessions. Past sessions on the issues of water quality, management areas, and invasive species can be viewed at MountainTrue’s YouTube channel.
“Recreation on our National Forests is a vital part of our economy and helps provide thousands of jobs throughout our region,” explains
MountainTrue Western Regional Director Callie Moore. “User demand for our forests continues to increase, and we’ll be discussing ways that the Forest Service can leverage the resources they have to maintain trails and recreation infrastructure and partner with communities to create even more recreation opportunities.”MountainTrue has also created an online resource for the public to learn about and provide official public comment on the Forest Management Plan at https://mountaintrue.org/forestplancomment/.
The Nantahala-Pisgah National Forest forest management plan has been in development since 2013, and this is the public’s last significant opportunity to have their say. Anyone can comment and submit as many public comments as they like. So, even if you’ve already submitted a comment, you can attend MountainTrue’s online info session to learn more and add your additional concerns to the public record.
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