It is not due to chance that, together, Pisgah and Nantahala national forests are the second-most visited parks in the country. No one lives in Western North Carolina long without experiencing the breathtaking majesty of our mountains and forests.
With the tallest peaks east of the Mississippi and more than 1 million acres of land, these parks define the culture and lifestyle of WNC. Whatever your stance in the heated political debate, these trees provide peace and rejuvenation.
The fate of this unifying boon is up for a routine re-determining. The North Carolina Forest Service is in the middle of revising its forestry-management code. When the forestry code was being revised 20 years ago, citizens stood up for our integral national forests. Grassroots efforts ended routine clear-cutting in national forests in N.C., a policy that was later adopted nationally. We must not take our precious forests for granted. We have them today because of efforts 20 years ago and our efforts are needed again today.
If you cherish weekends in the woods or enjoy our breathtaking horizons on your commute, then you should write the North Carolina Forest Service at ncplanrevision@fs.fed.us and tell how integral pristine forests are to our quality of life.
— Shaun Ditzler
Swanannoa
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