New forest management plan advocacy group forms
A coalition of businesses, groups and organizations calling itself I Heart Pisgah has formed to advocate for greater protections in the still-being-written Pisgah-Nantahala Forest Management Plan.
The group takes issue with the fact that preliminary planning documents indicated more than 70 percent of the forest could be open to logging. It hopes to ensure that 36 areas specifically identified as being most important for recreation and conservation will be off-limits to logging with permanent protections. These areas range from the Appalachian Trail and Roan Highlands to the Mountain-to-Sea Trail and Craggy Mountains.
“In Western North Carolina today, our forests are far more valuable standing than cut down,” said Will Harlan, of Friends of Big Ivy and I Heart Pisgah. “Recreation and tourism are the economic engines of our mountains. The scenic views, clean drinking water and recreational opportunities provided by our national forests are the backbone of the regional economy.”
A draft forest management plan is expected to be released this year. I Heart Pisgah is seeking comments and support for the 36 special places individually through its website at www.iheartpisgah.org.
