Sarah Jones Decker, a volunteer at Carolina Mountain Club, discusses the joys of being outside with like-minded hikers.
WNC is ground zero for wilderness skills education
In February, Mountain BizWorks’ MADE X MTNS partnership, which seeks to expand WNC’s outdoor industry, released a study that noted outdoor activities such as backpacking, day hiking and vehicle camping generated an economic output of $4.9 billion per year for the region and resulted in 48,000 full-time jobs.
Environmental groups keep pressure on U.S. Forest Service
Asheville-based nonprofit MountainTrue and others await responses from the U.S. Forest Service after filing a flurry of legal actions since the federal agency finalized its Pisgah-Nantahala Forest Plan last year.
Conserving Carolina seeks photo contest entries
Conserving Carolina’s fifth annual Habitat at Home spring photo contest is underway. Plus: Hendo Earth Fare returns to Hendersonville; G5 Trail Collective adds 10 new miles; and more!
Community members outraged by school-supply dumpster incident
The biggest sting seemed to be the timing: The dumpster in front the former Asheville Primary School arrived one day after the Asheville City Board of Education board voted to close Montford North Star Academy.
From CPP: Lawsuit challenges timber harvest, questions federal policy in NC national forests
The site is only 15 acres. But the lawsuit could have dramatic implications for future timber cutting in the region.
Native salamander species nears endangerment
The Hickory Nut Gorge green salamander, found exclusively in a 14-mile-long gorge southeast of Asheville, is being considered for listing under the Endangered Species Act by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Scientists estimate there are only a few hundred of them left on Earth and populations have declined steeply in the past 20 years.
Green Roundup: Local biologist receives national prize to combat turtle trafficking
Conservation biologist JJ Apodaca and his locally based organization, Tangled Bank Conservation, recently received a $100,000 prize to further develop genetic sequencing techniques that will help save three of the most poached turtle species in the United States.
Around the region: Weaverville, other towns plan for EV future
Small municipalities throughout Western North Carolina see electric vehicles as the future of transportation in their communities, but the specific approach varies from town to town.
Local purveyors find new ways to introduce medical mushrooms to customers
Asheville’s wellness culture is touted nationwide for its outdoor lifestyle and fresh mountain air. But less well known are the mycological wellness opportunities — that is, medicinal mushrooms — in our refrigerators and cupboards.
Whatever it takes: Protecting the French Broad River
“RiverLink is the only conservation organization focused exclusively on the French Broad River and its tributaries,” says Lisa Raleigh, the nonprofit’s executive director. “We operate three programs that include water resource management, land conservation and youth education.”
From CPP: Teams battle wildfires in Western NC
Amid an ongoing severe drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, Western North Carolina is experiencing a surge in wildfires and elevated wildfire risk that endanger both communities and public lands.
Green Roundup: Section of Blue Ridge Parkway closed due to human-bear interactions
After several reports of visitors feeding and attempting to hold a young bear in recent weeks at the Lane Pinnacle Overlook, officials closed the Blue Ridge Parkway from milepost 367.6 near the Craggy Gardens Picnic Area to milepost 375.6 at Ox Creek Road until further notice.
French Broad River stakeholders celebrate successes, discuss its future
More than 200 river rats, advocates, conservationists and economic stakeholders from a seven-county region filled Ferguson Auditorium to celebrate their successes and discuss ways to continue cleaning up one of the world’s oldest water ways to maximize its environmental and economic sway.
Green Roundup: Community leader releases book about developing sustainable cultures
Hood Huggers International founder and CEO DeWayne Barton, released his new book, “The CAP Playbook: Phase One,” on Aug. 14. The book’s Community Accountability Plan lays out a vision of creating a sustainable, inclusive and economically empowered culture in historically marginalized communities. Barton notes that the book is set up similarly to a football playbook, but instead of scoring touchdowns, the “plays” help achieve community goals.
Conservation groups say forest plan could be the last straw for four bat species
The Southern Environmental Law Center and five other conservation groups issued the USFS a notice of intent to sue in July on the grounds that it ignored its own scientific findings suggesting that logging in certain areas could drastically harm the habitat and feeding grounds of four already endangered species, therefore violating the Endangered Species Act. If filed, the case will be heard in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina.
Green Roundup: Karen Cragnolin Park officially opens after 17 years of restoration work
After 17 long years of removing toxic soil and replanting native grasses and flora, the greenway phase of Karen Cragnolin Park officially opened with a dedication ceremony Aug. 25. The park was dedicated to and named after Karen Cragnolin, the founder and former executive director of RiverLink who died in 2022.
Disabled athletes push for more accessible trails
Riding a bike in Western North Carolina is an immersive experience of flying on miles of single-track trails, cruising over creeks and under the tree canopy. Yet full access to nature is challenging for mountain bikers living with disabilities.
Residential composting programs heat up across Buncombe County
The popularity of composting is growing in Buncombe County, and government-sponsored food-scrap collection programs are helping some residents divert food waste from landfills.
A father and son’s soaked journey through the 2023 Firefly Gathering
Firefly Gathering is the largest earth-skills gathering in the country. Held at Deerfields, the 940-acre retreat center in the Pisgah National Forest near Mills River, the annual event transforms a quiet mountain hollow into a self-sufficient village.
Green in brief: Ecusta Trail gains $46M in federal support
The roughly 19-mile greenway along an unused rail line between Brevard and Hendersonville, first proposed in 2009, received about $46 million toward its estimated $53.5 million construction cost.
