Smoky Mountain News

The executive director of the Western North Carolina Alliance has been appointed to the state’s influential Mountain Resources Commission (MRC).

Julie V. Mayfield was appointed by Gov. Beverly Perdue. MRC members provide recommendations to local, state, and federal legislative and administrative entities regarding resource protection.

“I’m very grateful for the opportunity to serve on the MRC, whose mission of environmental stewardship perfectly aligns with our vision and daily work at the Alliance,” Mayfield said.

The MRC was created in mid-2009 when the General Assembly passed the Mountain Resources Planning Act with bipartisan support. The bill stipulates that the MRC should “encourage quality growth and development while preserving the natural resources, open spaces, and farmland of the mountain region of Western North Carolina.”