The Carolina Mountain Club has formed a committee to address environmental issues that pose a threat to the hiking experience and hiking trails in the region.

Issues that could be targeted by the hiking Conservation Committee include the proposed North Shore Road that would traverse the southern backcountry of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the proposed Interstate 3 that could skirt Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest as well as national forest tracts between Hayesville and Robbinsville.

“The Conservation Committee will inform club members of issues that may affect the hiking experience in the club day-hiking region. The committee will encourage club members to voice their opinions on important issues identified by the committee. The committee will publicly advocate accepted club positions on key issues,” according to the by-laws of the new committee.

Carolina Mountain Club is the largest hiking organization in Western North Carolina. To get involved contact the committee chair Ruth Hartzler at ruthmtn@aol.com.