Press release from Firefly Gathering:
The Protect Pisgah Party + Rally for the Forest will highlight the vast, overwhelming public and political support for protecting Big Ivy and the Pisgah-Nantahala National Forest. The rally will be held outside the U.S. Forest Service headquarters in Asheville on Monday, August 1 from 4:00 – 5:30 p.m.
Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer, Buncombe County Commission Chair Brownie Newman, and Buncombe County Commission Vice Chair Amanda Edwards will speak at the event. The public will also have an opportunity to speak directly to Forest Service leaders, including Forest Supervisor James Melonas.
It also will be a lot of fun! There will be music, food, ice cream, games, and a gigantic tree-hug.
The U.S. Forest Service is about to finalize a 30-year forest plan that will decide how much of the Pisgah-Nantahala National Forest is logged and how much is protected. Their draft plan proposes to reduce protections and quadruple logging, and it targets old-growth forests, including 4,000 acres of Big Ivy.
This rally can make a large and lasting impact on the next 30 years of forest decisions. On the eve of final forest plan meetings, we can show decision-makers the vast, overwhelming love and support for protecting Pisgah and especially Big Ivy.
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