French Broad Assistant Riverkeeper
- Member will assist French Broad Riverkeeper by monitoring water quality (including bacteria and sediment monitoring), developing and managing recreation resources like the French Broad River Paddle Trail, and performing outreach, education, and research; the French Broad Riverkeeper is one of 200 Waterkeepers around the world trained to protect and defend their waterway from pollution
Outings and Education Coordinator
- Member will engage citizens in environmental protection in western NC through outings such as hikes and paddle trips, outreach, and environmental education in both schools and the community; member will also host a variety of educational events including the Wild & Scenic Film Festival and Asheville’s weekly Green Drinks’ programs
Project Conserve Application Timeline
May 22, 2012: Application deadline
May 23, 2012 – June 4, 2012: Interviews will be scheduled by host sites
June 5, 2012 – June 21, 2012: Interviews will be conducted by host sites
June 22 – June 29: Position offers will be made
September 1, 2012: First day of service
Click HERE to learn more about the program and to download an application.
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On May 21, the City of Asheville will roll out new transit system, with new routes, new route names, new times, new stops – new everything! This new system increases the frequency of buses on five major corridors, creates two new crosstown routes, closes the evening “gap” in service, and will improve on-time performance. If you’ve never thought you could ride the bus, it’s time to look again.
The City is hosting community meetings in each quadrant of the city and downtown to share information about how the new routes impact you.
All meetings are 4-7 p.m.
- Downtown: April 30, Civic Center, Banquet Hall
- West Asheville: May 1, West Asheville Community Center, 970 Haywood Road, 254-1942
- South Asheville: May 3, Reid Memorial Recreation Center, 133 Livingston St., 350-2048
- South Asheville: May 7, Linwood Crump Shiloh Community Center, 121 Shiloh Road, 274-7739
- East Asheville: May 14, East Asheville Community Center, 906 Tunnel Road, 251-4029
- North Asheville: May 15, Grace Episcopal Church Parish Hall, 871 Merrimon Ave., 254-1086
We also need volunteers! If you want to help others learn the new system by being a transit ambassador, sign up here.
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If you want to try a non-car commute for a week, take the Strive Not to Drive pledge at http://strivenottodrive.com.
You can pledge to bike, walk, take the bus, carpool, or telework during the week of May 21-25. If your office wants to participate, you can join the Strive Not to Drive Workplace Challenge and compete against workplaces of similar size. Sign up on the same website.
And it’s not limited to people in Asheville – we want everyone to try to Strive Not to Drive that week!
]]>There is one meeting in each of the five counties covered by the GroWNC planning effort, so find the one nearest you. All meetings are 4-7 p.m.
- Madison County: May 10, Madison High School Media Center
- Henderson County: May 15, City Operations Center
- Haywood County: May 16, Haywood Community College
- Buncombe County: May 17, Dr. Wesley Grant Southside Center
- Transylvania County: May 30, Transylvania County Public Library
The event will be at 5:30 p.m. June 1 in the Highlands Hudson Library, in Highlands. Presenters will be wildlife educators Anne Allison and Kathy Sherrard.
For more information, please contact Task Force Chair Cynthia Strain at 526-9277 or bearwnc@gmail.com.
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From Friday, May 18 to Sunday, May 20 we will cycle and camp in the beautiful landscapes surrounding Bryson City!
Itinerary
Deep Creek Campground
Friday, May 18: Drive to Deep Creek Group Camp in the Smoky Mountains, 3 miles outside Bryson City, NC. We will eat dinner around the campfire and prepare for our first cycling route the next day.
Saturday, May 19: Carpool to Burningtown Valley/Cowee Valley Loops (~28 miles) about 35 minutes south of Bryson City for an easy ride through the valley formed by Burningtown Creek and the Little Tennessee River. This ride is a local favorite with high mountains looming on either side with a relatively flat ride through the valley.
View of Cowee Valley
You’ll roll through pastoral scenery past rambling mountain farms and alongside the creek and river. Look carefully and you might even detect the remains of an old Indian fish trap in the Little Tennessee – underwater V-shaped rock formations in the shoals – as well as an old iron bridge. As you cross into Cowee Valley, you ride past gem mines, an area renowned for its precious stones. Very little traffic travels these roads, perfect for cycling!
We will then head back to Bryson City for an optional waterfall hike, dinner and a trip to the Nantahala Brewing Company.
Road to Nowhere near Bryson City
Sunday, May 20: After camping out again under the stars, we will head out from the campground by bike to the Road to Nowhere, an 8-mile road in Bryson City that ends in a tunnel – inside the bounds of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
The road received its name from a dispute during the 1930s and ‘40s when Swain County gave up the majority of its private land to the federal government for the creation of Fontana Lake and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Construction on the road began in the 1960s but was halted because of environmental issues, leaving the tunnel completed, but nothing else. The debate — build the road or secure a monetary settlement for Swain County from the National Park Service? The issue was resolved in 2010 with a settlement. Politics aside, the Road to Nowhere, as named by locals, remains a point of curiosity for visitors from near and far.
The WNC Alliance is involved in the history of this road and our Ecologist, Bob Gale will be on hand to discuss this. This moderate ride will be around 20 miles round-trip and includes an uphill section during the first part of the day. The ride will be complete by 2pm for those who need to drive home.
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- Skill Level: Beginner road cycling experience required, but you do not need to be an expert or in top shape. We will leave no one behind!
- Equipment: Must be able to bring your own bike and camping equipment. If you do not have camping gear, please let us know and we may be able to bring some for you.
- Cost: $40.00 for WNCA members/$50.00 for non-members ($15/$25 for one day of riding) – cost includes:
- 2 nights camping
- all meals except dinner in Bryson City
- educational guides
- WNCA membership for non-members
- Registration: Please register with Joy Irby at joy@wnca.org or 828-258-8737
Some legislators in Raleigh have argued that the state should roll back protections for the environment and natural resources to create jobs, but voters in Buncombe strongly disagree.
“The poll confirms that voters in Buncombe County expect their legislators to work for both a clean environment and good jobs,” said Derb Carter, director of the Carolinas Office of the Southern Environmental Law Center.
The survey found that 86 percent of voters in Buncombe County believe job creation should be a high priority for their representatives in Raleigh. However, an identical 86 percent believe job creation is just one issue among many that should be getting the attention of their representatives. This is particularly true when it comes to job creation and the environment. More than seven in ten Buncombe County voters (72 percent: including 78 percent of registered Democrats, 74 percent of independents and 54 percent of Republicans) agree that even in a bad economy we should not have to choose between protecting the environment and creating jobs. This attitude is not surprising given the fact that 59 percent of voters believe that strong environmental measures can actually attract jobs to the region.
Asheville Outdoor Center owner David Donnell agrees. “My business relies on a clean French Broad River. Our customers come from all over the country to float down this beautiful river. Thirty years ago this would not have been possible, because the river was too polluted.”
Voters gave low job approval numbers to their elected officials on many issues so legislators would do well to listen to voters and keep our air and water clean while creating jobs. Voters in Buncombe do not see good jobs, clean air and clean water as an either-or proposition, but as all three being connected to each other, and do not wish to see their choices curtailed with regards to those issues.
“We know that the forested mountains, clean rivers, and clean, clear air are part of what makes Western North Carolina successful. The announcements this year by Sierra Nevada, New Belgium, and Legacy Paddle Sports, which are bringing millions of dollars in investment and creating hundreds of well-paying jobs in the region prove that,” said Julie Mayfield, executive director of the Western North Carolina Alliance. “Economic growth is important, but making us choose between that and a healthy environment is a false choice. If we want to move forward as a region and a state there needs to be a focus on both.”
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[1] Results are based on 400 respondent telephone survey conducted February 13-16, 2012 among likely general election 2012 voters in Buncombe County. The margin of error for the overall numbers is ±4.9. The poll was conducted by Lincoln Park Strategies of Washington, DC, www.LPStrategies.com. Contact: Stefan Hankin: 202-548-0047.
About Southern Environmental Law Center
The Southern Environmental Law Center is the only regional nonprofit using the power of the law to protect the health and environment of the Southeast (Virginia, Tennessee, North and South Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama). Founded in 1986, SELC’s team of more than 40 legal experts represent more than 100 partner groups on issues of climate change and energy, air and water quality, forests, the coast and wetlands, transportation, and land use.
WEB: www.SouthernEnvironment.org
TWITTER: http://www.twitter.com/selc_org
About Western North Carolina Alliance
For 30 years, the Western North Carolina Alliance has been a trusted community partner, marshalling grassroots support to keep our forests healthy, our air and water clean, and our communities vibrant. Utilizing a combination of policy advocacy, scientific research, and community collaboration, the Alliance and its chapters throughout Western North Carolina unleash the power of citizens’ voices to protect the natural heritage of our region so that people and the environment can thrive. For more information please visit www.wnca.org
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The Bear Education and Resources (B.E.A.R.) Task Force is hosting a free program to share practical advice on living responsibly in bear country and reducing human/bear conflicts.
The event will be at 6:30 p.m. May 15 in the Macon Community Center in Franklin. Presenters will be wildlife educators Anne Allison and Kathy Sherrard.
For more information, please contact Task Force Chair Cynthia Strain at 526-9277 or bearwnc@gmail.com.
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This section is one of most ecologically significant aquatic areas in the basin beginning in the town of Marshall into Tennessee. Numerous fish species found in no other rivers in the area appear here, including the freshwater drum, banded sculpin and mooneye. Two rare aquatic species live in all three watersheds of the French Broad: the hellbender, a large, uncommon aquatic salamander; and the Appalachian elktoe, a freshwater mussel that is federally listed as endangered.
While the bigger rapids are found in the next Section 9, the section from Marshall to Barnard hosts a few exhilarating class II rapids that are great for beginners and experiences paddlers alike!
- When: Thursday, May 10, 10am-3pm
- Where: Begin near Redmon Dam just beyond Marshall, NC and end in Barnard
- Skill level: Some paddling experience required, but no need to be an expert
- Cost: $10 members; $15 non-members
- RSVP: Joy Irby at joy@wnca.org or 828-258-8737
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